Foods that Improve Moods || Healthy Eats

Food that Improves Your Mood !

1. Citric fruit for Stress
2. Coffee for Tiredness
3. Grape for Fatigue
4. Leafy Greens for Anger
5. Watercress for Libido
6. Sweet Potatoes for mood swings
7. Broccoli for unsteadiness
8. Mangoes for those Monday blues
9. Salmon for low energy
10. Bananas for bad mood and lack of sleep
11. Coconut for stress
12. Tea for refreshment
13. Cherry Tomatoes for tiredness
14. Dark Chocolate
15. Oatmeal for the fatigue
16. Pomegranate for depression

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AfterWorld || Book Review

Afterworld

You know when you crave for a little of horror during the night, knowing it wont let you sleep but convincing yourself otherwise? Where when you are reading it half way a horror/thriller part in the book, knowing you should stop cause it gives you the chills but urge for the ending? This book it 600 pages long but each page is a page turner. 

Its a story of a young writer, Darcy, and her fiction character, Lizzie. Darcy is a 19 year old newly author who came to live in NY for her first publish. Lizzie is a fictional character in Darcy's book who is still in high school but got involved in an airplane attack that nearly took her life. Well, it did. Darcy wrote an amazing story about Lizzie and build a strong personality for her.After being attacked Lizzie could see the dead and was sort of their guide to the Afterworld. 

Lizzie's soul was pretty much alive but half of her heart was dead. Now, she has to help her friend, Mindy who died 8 years ago, to hunt for her murderer. How will you kill the living if you were going to face them at death? Lizzie also found people like her but they were's all that friendly. An old man, interested in Lizzie, was the predictor meaning he hunts and prey on young ghost for their memories. Lizzie knows he was the bad guy but to kill Mindy's murderer, Lizzie has no choice but to ask him for help. The old man agreed to help Lizzie, but under one condition, Lizzie has to first kill the Mindy's murderer herself.

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Before you go Low-Carb, read this

Before you go Low-Carb, read this

All foods are composed of 3 macro-nutrients – protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Their intake is measured in grams. Each gram of protein or carbohydrate is equal to 4 calories. Each gram of fat is equal to 9 calories.

Most people consume about half of their daily calories from carbs. For a 2000 calorie diet, that works to 1000 calories. Divided by 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate, this equals 250 grams of carbs per day.
The USDA recommends that 45-65% of our daily calorie intake should be from carbs, so 50% is well within that range. Does this seem counter-intuitive to you? Were you expecting a recommendation for a much lower daily carb count?

Before we address this perceived gap, let’s learn a bit more about the role of carbs in human nutrition.

A much easier way to classify carbs is:

1. Good carbs
2. Bad carbs

All carbs eventually break down into glucose for our body to use. The distinction between good and bad carbs is based on how fast the carb turns into glucose. Too fast and glucose spikes our bloodstream, which is unhealthy. It leads to a brief “sugar high” and then a prolonged low, which increase hunger and messes with insulin production as well.

So what are examples of good carbs?

You probably know the answer – good carbs are found in fresh fruit and vegetables, legumes, and foods made with whole grains.

And bad carbs?

Bad carbs can be found in soft drinks, white breads, cookies, and other processed foods. A can of soda has 40 grams of carbs!

Why do people go on low-carb diets?

When people go on “low-carb” diets, they drastically reduce their consumption bad carbs. As a result, they begin to feel better and improve on major health markers such as weight and blood glucose. This has spawned an entire industry of fad diets (Atkins, South Beach, etc…).

But sometimes people take it to an extreme and reduce their consumption of good carbs as well. Remember, our bodies use glucose as an energy source for muscles, the nervous system, and the brain. While muscles can store glucose for future use, the brain need a constant supply in order to function properly. Some is stored in the liver (as glycogen), but without continued replenishment, we run out of glucose within a day or two. In some cases, fat or protein can be converted into glucose, but not as effectively as conversion from carbs.

In fact, if the body gets no carbs, it starts to break down fats in order to produce glucose for the brain. While this may sound like a good idea, a side effect is the formation of ketone bodies that can cause ketosis. This is a condition with symptoms such as headaches, mental slowdown, dizziness and, interestingly, a fruity acidic breath. A prolonged state of ketosis may lead to more serious health issues.

OK, I’ll eat my carbs, but what if I eat too many?

Good carbs will not make you fat it will make you feel fuller and tend to eat lesser later on. It may also led to gaining weight but not fat. Bad carbs on the other hand will make you fat if it's taken in excessive. For example, if you have 7 or 8 mangoes, yes you will feel bloated and yes you will be very full but that just makes you have lesser meal later on in the day. However, when you have 7 to 8 cookies, you will be full but after an hour or so, you will feel hungry again.

How many carbs should I consume per day?

Unfortunately, there is no consensus on this. While the USDA recommends a range of 200-300 grams a day, many nutrition experts think this is too high because typically people will eat mostly refined carbs. That’s why you’ll see recommendations of 125-150 grams of carbohydrate from health professionals. Of course, these should be the good carbs, not the bad ones.

At the end of the day, you’ll need to find what carb proportion works for you. Consult a registered dietitian or health coach for more specific advice.

Carbs a good if you consume the right one and in a moderate manner. Without being said, you don't have to restrict yourself from a cookie or a cupcake. Having it every once in a while is totally fine. The balance is yours to fine and no one can set the limit or draw a perfect line for you. Even your body can't draw a fix calorie need because each day, you need different amount for different activities. It's easy said then done, I know, but most importantly, listen to your body. It's smarter than we give it credit for.

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Tofu Curry Recipe || Healthy Eats

Tofu Curry Recipe

I N G R E D I E N T S

3/4 lb tofu2 tbsp Olive Oil1 cup of sugar snap peas1 handful of green beans5-6 baby carrots 1/2 large red bell peppers2 cup cooked  wild Rice1 cup Blue Diamond coconut milk2 tbsp curry powder1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili flakes
4 garlic cloves

I N S T R U C T I O N S

1. Chop all the vegetables to the size of your liking. Dice the tofu to cubes.

2. On a hot pan, drizzle some oil and let the heat up.

3. Add in your garlic clove and sizzle them till they turn slightly orange yellow.

4. Add in your tofu and lightly grill them.

5. Add in your vegetables and let them cook for 3 minutes or so.

6. Pour in 1 cup of coconut milk and add in the spices.

5. Let it cook for another 4-5 minutes. Stir them as they cook.

6. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Serve over cooked wild rice.

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Pure Food Cookbook

Pure Food Cookbook

I really enjoy a nice healthy bars, and Pure Bars are definitely one of my favorite since they are vegan and made with organic pure ingredient. When I found out that they are going to publish a cookbook, my heart floated into the air and my little fingers cant wait to get my hands on them. They were very generous to send me an advance copy.

The book is utterly beautiful and simple. The recipes are easy to make and everything on it is purely what you can find in your grocery market during the season. I love that they organized the book by season because lets face it, we cant find winter squash in may. She puts together what is in season and creates utterly mouth watering recipes. Its cleaver to buy in season as well since its a lot cheaper and the products are at their best.

Recipe I adore in this book are:

Raw Chocolate Chip Cookies

I N G R E D I E N T S

1 cup pitted dates
3/4 cup raw cashew
3.4 cup raw walnuts
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
1.2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cacao nibs

I N S T R U C T I O N S

1. Add the pitted dates in a food processor and blend it till it's well chopped.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients till it's all nicely combined and smooth.
3. Add the cacao nib last and pulse to combine.
4. Use your hands or a spoon to ball out roughly 10 balls of cookies.
5. Leave them in the fridge for a more firm and solid treat or if you are like me, have them straight up. :)

Eggplant Bruschetta

I N G R E D I E N T S

2 medium eggplant
sea salt
black pepper
3 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium tomatoes
1/2 small yellow onion
10 basil leaves
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
garlic

I N S T R U C T I O N S

1. Peel the eggplants and slice them to 1/4 inch thick.
2. Arrange them on a baking dish and season with sea salt. Let them sit for 20 minutes
3. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoon of olive oil, tomatoes, onion, basil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper
4. On a hot skillet, add in the patted dry eggplants and cook until they are soft and brown.
5. When done, transfer them onto a plate and top with the tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle some balsamic vinegar.

As you can see, they are all really simple, basic ingredients that you can find anywhere! It's also affordable and most importable delicious. This meal can make you feel like you were out in a 5 star restaurant! It's your own wonder in your kitchen.

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Raw Coconut Fig Brownie || Healthy Eats

Raw Coconut Fig Brownie

I N G R E D I E N T S

1 1/2 cup Pecans or almonds (which you prefer)
12 Medjool dates pitted
1/2 cup Cocoa Powder raw
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp Cinnamon powder
1 tbsp Water
1/2 cup of coconut flakes
1/2 dried fig

I N S T R U C T I O N S

1. Add nuts to food processor and process for a few seconds until pecans form a coarse meal.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and process until a crumbly dough has been formed. If mixture is too dry and does not stick together when ‘pinched,’ add additional water, small amounts at a time and process again.

3. Scoop out a spoonful of dough and use hands to roll into one-inch balls.

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Love Fed Cookbook

Love Fed Cookbook

As you all may know, I am obsessed with cookbooks since I have been following a healthy lifestyle for almost 2 and a half years now. This book flattered my heart and made my taste bugs dance. Eating healthy may be hard at first, but once you get into it, there's no turning back and you wouldn't want to. Eating healthy can be fun and exciting and this book definitely made the it a hundred times better. I know the worst part of eating healthy is giving up desserts. But really, you don't have to! This book shows you all the alternatives you could try that taste just as good or even better. You won't ever feel missed out, that's a guarantee. 

Dark Chocolate Almond Bark with Sea Salt

 I N G R E D I E N T S

1 c. melted cacao butter

1 ¼ c. cacao powder

1 tsp. coarse sea salt

1/3 c. agave nectar

1 ½ tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ c. almond pieces

I N S T R U C T I O N  S

1. Line a 9x13" baking sheet with parchment paper or plastic wrap, allowing the paper or wrap to hang over the sides.

2. Place the melted cacao butter in a medium bowl and stir in the cacao powder, sea salt, agave nectar, almond extract, and vanilla extract. 

3. Mix until smooth. Pour the mixture into the lined pan and sprinkle the almond pieces throughout the pan. 

4. Place in the freezer until firm, about 15 minutes. 

5. Break the bark apart and store the remaining pieces in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Maple Banana Tiramisu Trifle

I N G R E D I E N T S

CREAM

1 c. cashews, soaked and drained

1⁄8 tsp. sea salt

1⁄4 c. almond milk

1⁄4 c. cold-brewed coffee or 1 tsp. coffee extract

1⁄4 c. maple syrup

1 tbsp. melted coconut oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. lemon juice

CHOCOLATE SAUCE DRIZZLE

1 tbsp. cacao powder

1 tbsp. maple syrup

1⁄4 tsp. vanilla extract

3 bananas

11/2 tsp. cacao powder, for garnish

I N S T R U C T I O N S

To make the cream: Place the cashews, sea salt, almond milk, cold-brewed coffee, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and lemon juice in a blender and blend until very creamy.

To make the chocolate sauce drizzle: Whisk the cacao powder, maple syrup, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer to a squirt bottle, if you have one, or leave in the bowl until ready to use.

To assemble the trifle: 

1. Cut each of the bananas into 3 even sections. 

2.Slice each section in half lengthwise (you will have 18 total pieces of banana). Place 2 of the banana sections in the bottom of a 33⁄4x41⁄4" trifle glass or ramekin. 

3.Repeat in a second glass or ramekin. 

4. Squirt chocolate sauce (or drizzle with a spoon) along the rims of the glasses all the way around, reserving some for garnish. 

5. Next, add enough cream to cover the bananas. Layer another 2 bananas sections on top, then the cream.

6. Stand up the remaining 10 banana sections vertically around the sides of each glass (5 per glass), then pour in the cream to the top. 

7. Gently sift cacao powder on top and garnish with a drizzle of chocolate sauce. 

8.Serve immediately or let chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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Proof of Forever || Book Review

Proof of Forever

We all have friends we swore to be together forever. We all have friends we swore to never fall apart. We all have friends we swore to grow up with. But reality isn't all that pretty. This book tells a story of four girls who used to be the best of friends but grew apart from each other as they grow up. One day, one of them, Joy, called them up for a reunion. Tali, Luca, and Zoe wasn't sure why out in the blue Joy would want to meet but something in them felt right to go.

When they met, they decided to bury their memories and to say goodbye to the past. But before they could do so, something happened. They were suddenly knocked out by a big flash of light. Before they could catch their breath, they are back in Camp OK, two years ago when they were still the closes friends.

Trying to get back to the presents, the girls each learn secrets, not only of each other but also of themselves. The figure that they cant change the past because it would change the future. However, a little part of them each wished the future were a little different. As they learn more of themselves, they hope for a second chance and a wish of hope in the future. In the end, the three girls learnt a terrifying sad truth behind Joy's sudden wish for the reunion.

It was a easy book to read, filled with emotions and excitements. You could easily connect with the character and helplessly drown yourself in the fantasy of this book. A book fills your time but a good book fills your mind. After reading this book, I sat down and had flash backs to my kindergarten friend, my childhood playmates, my middle school homes and my high school babes. Truth is, sometimes friendship does end, so without being said, before the chapter of friendship comes to a The End, have fun, live wild and cherish the moments.

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Clean Slate Cookbook

Clean Slate Cookbook 

I love cookbooks, but I die for good healthy cookbooks with lots of picture. And this book is a promising good read! I am totally all over for it. The recipes are all simple and easy. They are fast but healthy. What more could you ask for? It's a brilliant book and you can tell the author had put in lots of effort into them. Its nicely organized and the pictures are to die for. Seriously, it was a bad thing to read them at midnight.

There's vegan recipes, there's gluten free ones, and there's pescetarian ones. Ahh, I could go on forever. Its a kind of book that you can trust to just flip to any page and have your dinner ready in just minutes with a  promising fine dine. My favorite would probably be the roasted vegetables with quinoa and baked sweet potatoes with vegetables.

This book also contain lots of healthy eating tips and food to keep you up at the game, staying healthy and fit. It taught me that eating healthy doesn't take much but just determination. Healthy eating is really simple, if only one is dedicated and I believe this book can be very educational to people who are interested or are beginning to eating healthy.

Here are some recipes that I hope you enjoy !

Fig and Walnut biscotti

I N G R E D I E N T S

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 anise seeds, chopped
3 large eggs
1 tbsp orange zest
1 cup dried chopped figs
1 cut toasted chopped walnuts

I N S T R U C T I O N S

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 F
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs till fluffy and downs not fall off your spoon.
4. fold the eggs in the dry ingredients and add the orange zest.
5. Mix in the walnuts and dried figs.
6. Spread the dough on a baking tray and bake them for 25 minutes.
7. Let them cool for 10 minutes and reduce the oven to 300F
8. Slice the logs into 1/2 inch thick and arrange the slices onto a baking sheet.
9. Bake for another 14 minutes, flipping it half way through.

(Make 30)

Farro and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

I N G R E D I E N T S

2 lb sweet potato
3 garlic cloves
olive oil
salt
pepper
1 cup farro
1 lemon
1/2 cup fresh drill
1/2 cup spicy sprouts

I N S T R U C T I O N S

1 Pre hear oven to 420 F.
2. Slice the sweet potatoes and lay them onto a baking tray with the garlic and drizzle them with olive oil.
3. Season with salt and pepper
4. Roast them for 30 minutes, flipping them once or twice along the way.
5. Place farro in a medium sauce pan and cover with 4 inches of water. Bring it to a boil then reduce them to a simmer until its tender for 30-35 minutes
6. For the dressing, mash 3 garlic cloves with a fork and drizzle it with lemon juice ans zest.
7. Add farro along with sweet potatoes, drill and sprouts and toss to combine.
8. season with salt and pepper.

hugs and kisses

The Silver Witch || Book Review

The Silver Witch

If you loved Disney Halloween movies when you were young, you will fall flat on this book ! It has a perfect balance of fantasy and mystery with a hint of thriller and romance.

Its about a girl who was born a witch and embraced her power. She worked for the prince, protecting him as a guardian. She was powerful and strong but one thing she cant control was falling madly in love with the prince. She knows she cant be with him because he was her prince but she was not his princess. His princess couldn't bare a child and slowly the prince fell in love with the witch. They grew founder to each other and were desperately in love. The witch had his child; a baby girl, skin as white as snow and eyes as shiny as diamond. The princess was jealous and her maid came to see the witch. The maid also have some talents up her slaves. She came to the witch and asked her to give up her daughter. When the witch refused, the maid asked if she wanted some bread that she baked. The witch knew something was up so she sent the maid away. A guide, who was protecting the witch, reach out for the bread and was killed by a venomous snake. The maid was held against trial for trying to kill the witch and killed a bold soldier. Before her last breath, she cursed the princess's generation of child to not live long enough to see their children grow and to never find peace.

Generations after, Tilda found herself living by a lake after her husband died. Since then, things has been happening to her. Things she could not explain. Is Tilda a witch or was she cursed?

I freaking love this book ! It's brutally good and unforgettable. I find myself thinking about it days after. The story haunts you to want more.

hugs and kisses

NightBird || Book Review

Night Bird

Towns all have secrets, small towns especially. In this small town where Twig lived, there's a monster. A monster that steals your apple pies at night; a monster that hunted everyone. People don't believe that monsters exist, but they do here. Twig lived with her mother in an old house, like any ordinary family but there's nothing normal about Twig's family. The truth is when her mom moved back to this small town from Boston, she didn't just bring back a daughter, she also had a son. In a small town, everybody knows everyone, but not Twig's brother, James. He is like any other boy but stronger, more good looking, funny and the fact that he have wings. It was a curse, so to say. Twig's family was cursed for 200 generation that their first born son would be able to fly. This traced back to the ancient days where an old witch cursed Twig's family because of a broken heart. Now being able to fly seemed like a super power to us; however, wasn't fair for James, or Twig because they couldn't live a normal life, they couldn't have friends, they couldn't accept invitation and they certainly couldn't invite people over. Think what they would do if they found a 17 year old boy with huge blue purple wings? James, unfortunately, fallen in love with Agata, the great grand daughter of the old witch. In addition to that conflict, people in town were building up a committee to hunt the monster down. What they didn't know was that the monster was just an ordinary boy, with a curse to fly.

It's a beautiful love story with a hint of magic and a dust of mystery thrown all over. The character in this book felt real as you dive deeper into it and before you know it, you felt drawn to them as part of the story. There' little sayings in this book that made my inner self thrown glitter into the air.

From then on, I didn't cry when I was disappointed. I just stored up my hurts, as if they were a tower made of fallen stars, invisible to people, but brightly burning inside of me.

Like a bird in a cage, he grew silent.

Book on sale on March, 10 2015

Hugs and kisses

#DearMe

#DearMe,

You may be worrying if you had ate too much for dinner or if you ate too less, or you didn't exercise enough or you exercised too much. My advice is to stop and look around. Will your worries be a worry tomorrow? If not then why stress about it today? It sucks the life out of you. You only get to be 17 for so long and time pass by so fast. Worrying does not solve the problem, it feeds your mind with fear and weakens your soul.

To the past me, treat yourself better. I've realized that I've taken so much for granted and have not been treating my body the way it should be treated. We can change our names, our car, our house, our identities, but we only have this one body. Don't treat your body like a battle ground. 

Yes, it's hard. Yes eating disorder sucks and yes Ana is a bitch but you are not a disease. Recovering from an eating disorder is like healing from a break up. You will cry and sob over the boy for days but over time you'll move on. No I am not saying you will be 100% fine later on. Yes it still hurts when you cross over his name or see him down the hall way. Truth is, we can never forget about something or "fully" recover from something; we just learn to cope with it and to not let a disorder win over us. A scar that never fades away is a lesson we'll never forget.

Eating disorder was my past but it is not my future. 

hugs and kisses

What does your acne mean ?

What does your Acne Mean ?

1 & 2: Digestive System— Eat less processed or junk food, reduce the amount of fat in your diet, step up water intake and opt for cooling things like cucumbers and EAT MORE FRUITS .

3: Liver — Cut out the alcohol, greasy food and dairy. This is the zone where food allergies also show up first, so take a look at your ingredients. Besides all this, do 30 minutes of light exercise every day and get adequate sleep so your liver can rest. I also find that drinking purely squeezed lemon juice helps a LOT !

4, 5 , 7 and 8: Kidney— Anything around the eyes (including dark circles) point to dehydration. Drink up!

6: Heart — Check your blood pressure. Decrease the intake of spicy or pungent food, cut down on meat and get more fresh air. Besides this, look into ways to lower cholesterol, like replacing “bad fats” with “good fats” such as Omegas 3 and 6 found in nuts, avocados, fish and flax seed. Also, since this area is chock-full of dilated pores, check that your makeup is not past its expiry date or is skin-clogging.

9 & 10: Respiratory system — Quite smoking if you smoke and don’t let your body overheat. Having watermelon and water every hour helps. Also keep the body more alkaline by avoiding foods that make the body acidic (meat, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, sugar) and adding more alkalizing foods like green veggies and wheatgrass juice. 

11 & 12: Hormones — This is the signature zone for stress and hormonal changes. And while both are sometimes unavoidable, you can decrease their effect by getting adequate sleep, drinking enough water, eating leafy veggies and keeping skin scrupulously clean. Another interesting point: breakouts in this area indicate when you are ovulating (and on which side).

13: Stomach — Step up the fibre intake, reduce the toxin overload and drink herbal teas to help with digestion. have fruits daily and if possible, in every meal.

14: Illness — Zits here can be a sign that your body is fighting bacteria to avoid illness. Give it a break, take a yoga class, take a nap, take time to breathe deeply, drink plenty of water and relax yourselves. Sometimes too much stress could be the problem.