29 March 2015

5+1 best veggies for health


Vitamin-bomb, fiber, minerals, antioxidants... and way more. These are important ingredients you will find in our little colorful friends: fruits and vegetables. 

As advised by healthy eating experts and doctors of all over the world, we should consume 5 portions of fruits and vegetables every day. And one portion refers usually to a handful. Not a bowl ;) Even though in cherry season I would rather eat a whole cherry tree. 

Five to nine servings a day. But what are the vegetables we should choose to fight and prevent the diseases and boost our immune system? Read and you will find out.


Red pepper


Consume of red pepper will provide you with a high amount of vitamin C. It is not only a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin C helps iron to be absorbed. So in combination with an iron source red pepper would be the best choice to multiply the effect.

As the nutrition story might take a while, I will make a short summary. Red peppers:
- are rich in vitamin B6 and magnesium- takes our anxiety away (useful especially before period);
- provide us with vitamin A - good to improve night vision;
- have combination of vitamins A and C - for great antioxidant effect;
- contain lycopene, that prevents cancer.

Purple carrot

Have you ever tried purple carrots? Their fancy look attracts your attention from the first moment you see them. And they are not simply a colored variety of the carrots we are used to eat.

Purple carrots:
- can improve memory;
- are rich in vitamin A;
- improve our vision;
- can protect from heart attacks.

All in all purple carrots are known as a superfood that helps to control weight.

Tomato

 Choline found in tomatoes can improve our sleep quality, memory and muscle conditions.
Extra bright and juicy, these veggies have the following positive effects on our health:
- alpha-lipoic acid helps to reduce insulin level, aand convert glucose into energy;
- vitamins A and C plus folic acid help to keep women health;
- high amount of lycopene made tomatoes very popular among self conscious popularity, as it prevents cancer.

Strongly recommend to include tomatoes in salad as you can see here.

Avocado

Although avocado is technically a fruit, also known as alligator pear, I constantly take it as a vegetable and therefore include it in here.

Avocado provides us with nearly 20 vitamins and minerals, including potassium (controls blood pressure), lutein (improves vision), and folate (cell reparation).

As a good source of B vitamins, avocado assists our skin and hair nutrition. Moreover vitamin E is known as powerful antioxidant.

High in fat (24 g/ 100 g) avocado should be eaten in moderation. 50 calories are equivalent of 1/5 part from middle sized avocado. But 19 g of these 24 g of fat is monounsaturated, and it is a "good" fat, that helps to lower cholesterol. Mashed avocado is the best alternative to butter. And did you try prawns on mango-avocado salsa? It is a perfect combination worth to try.


Green beans

Green beans are a perfect source of the following vitamins and minerals:
- vitamins A;
- vitamin C;
- vitamin K;
- folate;
- magnesium;
- iron;
- thiamin;
- riboflavin;
- potassium.

Green beans contain high amount of chlorophyll, which can block the carcinogenic effects that appear when you fry at high temperatures.So if you like fried meat, for example, make sure you choose green vegetables as a side dish to decrease your risk.




Positive effects from consuming green beans are:
- for pregnant women - protect their infants against neural tube defects. One cup of green beans provides approximately 10% of daily folic acid needs and 6% of iron.
- help to fight depression;
- improve bone health;
- prevent cancer etc.


Garden Cress


The last, but nor least - garden cress. I count it as +1 to all the best veggies for our health. Did you know that this tiny pretty grass can prevent cancer with potentially higher force than a lot of vegetables?

Additionally to that garden cress is:
- Good for Your Vision and Eye Health;
- even better source of vitamic C than Oranges;
- a provider of positive effect for our heart and blood system;
- supercharged with vitamin K;
- good for our teeth.

How to Maximize Nutritional Value of Garden Cress


The best nutrition value of garden cress begins immediately after harvest. So, one of the best ways to maximize the health benefits of garden cress is to grow your own cress and harvest it as needed. You can grow cress at home following the steps here.

5-10 portions of vegetables and fruits a day and you are fully charged with vitamins and fiber. Variety is the best factor when choosing.

Eat fresh and stay healthy.
Take care.

24 March 2015

Internorga. Innovative. Inspiring. International.

As a big fan of all new and unknown, I could not miss the upcoming exhibition. Germany's yearly international trade fair for food services, hotels, catering, bakeries and confectioners took place 13-18 March. On Saturday I could not stay calm until we finally entered the first hall with my husband. Curiosity overwhelmed and the nerves were not patient. So many expectations were in my mind. 


A little summary for you: on the area of 100.000 sq.m. 1300 participants from 25 countries presented their products in the related field. You could find everything - from the new technologies till new tastes and ideas, from baking machine till ice-cream with the taste you never expected. All in all - a perfect time spent with pleasure. INTERNORGA took place traditionally in Hamburg exhibition hall. 12 halls were crowded with food, drinks, furniture, technologies, real gourmets and hungry eyes :)

Cute, sweet and funny.
This year was full with premieres. Craft Beer Arena was a special highlight of this year's event.  19 breweries with about 90 sorts of beer could literally take the breath away. Newcomers' area was a big surprise for us. Among the variety of food and drinks we tasted during 3 hours of investigation are: coconut water, 5 sorts of guacamole, dried under special vacuum technology fruits and vegetables, ice cream, bread with goat cheese, light and fresh white wine with grape juice,  hand-made coctails from a manufacturer in Dusseldorf etc.


Tired but very happy we left the exhibition halls. I apologize for the bad quality of the pictures, I was so excited that forgot to take camera with me. And, of course, the pictures won't transfer you there. But at least some of the major points are visible. If you have a chance to visit Hamburg in March, I would strongly recommend you to attend INTERNORGA as the best source of new trends. No matter what you are interested in - hotel business, bakery, restaurant, catering service, - you will completely fulfill all the gaps in your knowledge and curiosity here. Hope you enjoy the summary from me.

Keep my hand on pulse of all new and exciting for you.

Take care!
Making pasta is a charming process. Especially in such gentle hands...

Dishes, furniture, whatever you need - Internorga provides you with everything.

Gelato World Cup 2016. Selection round.

Easter is coming! 

Coffee machine :)


Coffee beans and trees:)

Wide range of fooooooooood!!!

Easter rabbits are everywhere...


Chocolate is always a good idea :)

11 March 2015

Healthy snack to go - selleri sticks with peanut butter

There are days when we're always in a rush. On our way from one urgent task to another, from one appointment to another. And we hardly find time to eat main dish. For those days I have a quick decision for you - a snack, that makes you full and energetic for a long time. It is moreover high in protein and fiber. So do not hesitate to try.

The combination of the products was a big surprise for me. But my friend insisted that I should definitely try. The moment I made my first bite I understood why: fresh, juicy taste, yet a bit salty and in one word - unbelievable.


The combination is very simple - celleri and peanut butter. Yes, I can imagine your reaction:) But believe me, and my dear Australian friend - it is worth to try!!! It takes a minute to prepare and is soooo delicious.

Ingredients (for one portion):

1 celleri stick
1tbsp peanut butter



Wash celleri sticks and cut them into pieces. As the stick itself is a little boat, it helps you to understand what to do next. Just fill those little boats with peanut butter. Amount of butter should be divided among the sticks you have.

Tip!
Peanut butter is product #1 to get addicted to. I even heard, there are two types of girls - those who spread peanut butter on a piece of bread, and those who eat the butter with a spoon:) But be careful. Although it is high in protein, I would recommend only 1 tbsp of peanut butter per day. For the rest of the day keep it away from your eyes! In one of my next posts I will show you how to prepare peanut butter at home.

The snack is "ready-to-go". Do not pull yourself into everyday stress. Make a pause and enjoy your meal.



P.S. By the way, it is a good choice when you have a party. Quick and easy.
As you like it :)