March 2024 letter - immunity
I wanted to talk about immunity again as for me, in my life, it is the most important thing I do - look after my immunity. This is because I believe that health is the most important things we have, nothing is more important than our health as without it, we have nothing.
Immunity is the most important thing I have and for that reason I look after it and I suggest you do the same. Eat real nutritious food every day, take those supplements you feel your body needs. Move your body, exercise. Learn more about breathing/breathwork. Spend time in nature each day. Take cold showers or try cold swimming, sauna if you have one. Pamper yourself, look after the most important person in your life, you. Do things that bring you joy. Try holistic therapies, massage etc, whatever you like. Spend time with positive people, people who treat you well and make you feel good. Trust your life and the Universe, it only wants the best for you if you just except it. Be grateful.
My main message is that our immunity does not come from injections or any medications, or nothing from outside of us. It is within us, our own natural protection and we need to look after it.
For me, the most important thing is to look after my mindset, to make sure I feel positive and good about myself each and every day. Yes, this is a choice - I choose to feel good every day. Good sleep is extremely important. I make sure I sleep well every night. I go to bed early and wake up early. To make sure this works, I spend some time outdoor every morning, to get natural light in my eyes to ensure hormonal balance. For the same reason, I avoid blue light in the evening before bed. I choose to read a book instead, or stretch, meditate or do yoga.
When I wake up, before I do anything else, I spend some time meditating. Some mornings I might meditate for an hour, sometimes just 10-15 minutes, depending on my timetables and plans for that day. But I never skip my meditation as it sets my intention for the day, how I want to feel that day.
Then I have my breakfast and my morning coffee which I love. I only have one cup of coffee a day, and this is in the morning. I really enjoy it.
Often after this I do some form of exercise. I love Pilates which I often do in the morning. This looks after my muscles. Another favourite is Yin Yoga which I sometimes do in the evenings, to relax. I aim to do a good HIIT workout 1-2 each week during my walks outdoors.
I have a cold shower on most days. When I can, I go cold swimming in the sea nearby.
I drink plenty of clean water every day. In the morning, I often have lemon with my water, or sometime mix some herbal remedies into my water, such as chaga mushroom or yarrow tincture. I might also have herbal tea and perhaps a spoonful of spruce powder. I like to also take a spoonful of good extra virgin olive oil and some of my main supplements, such as vitamin D3+K2, cod liver oil and Q10. I don’t always have the same supplements in use. Currently I have Biocare’s Methyl Multinutrient. I often also take magnesium in the evening to improve my sleep.
I eat 2-3 times a day, I eat lunch and dinner every day, but breakfast on those days that I feel I need it. This works for best my body. I always choose nutritious good food. I eat fish, eggs, vegetables, good quality meat and bone stock when I can. Lots of herbs and I also use a lot of garlic and ginger, and many lovely spices such as turmeric. I make sure I never have any snacks to let my digestion rest.
I also love aromatherapy and essential oils. I also enjoy good quality natural skincare, for pampering myself when I feel like it.
The main thing each day is to avoid stress! Stress is poison, avoid it no matter what. If I have a bit of cake or forget my vitamins, so what. It’s life and these things don’t matter. Spend your time around people who make you feel good, make you laugh, positive people. Don’t do things that you don’t enjoy. Use your time wisely, on things that bring you joy. For this reason I don’t, for example watch the news at all. Or TV. I much rather listen to podcasts or audio books that I am interested in, or I read books. On social media I follow people that inspire me, who I learn from.
I live my life like this and aim to feel great each and every day. I respect myself, my own boundaries and values and instead of focusing on what is wrong (we all face challenges in our lives), I focus on what is good in my life and what I can be grateful for.
Roasted cauliflower with feta cheese
1 large or 2 small cauliflowers (about 1 kg)
cherry tomatoes
garlic (according to taste, I used 4 cloves)
fresh thyme
olive oil
salt
black pepper
onion powder
paprika
cayenne pepper
Feta sauce:
200g Feta cheese
200ml full fat natural or Greek style yoghurt
black pepper
fresh thyme
Core the cauliflower and cut into bite size florets. Mix together 0.5-1 tsp of each spice in a small bowl, then mix with the cauliflower florets. Add the peeled garlic cloves and the cherry tomatoes, some fresh thyme and then drizzle with a good amount of olive oil on top.
Roast in the oven in 200 degrees (180 fan), for 25-30 minutes, until the cauliflower is nice and golden brown.
For the feta sauce; mix crumbled feta cheese and yoghurt with a spoon or in a food processor if you prefer a smoother sauce. Add black pepper and some thyme according to your taste. Place the sauce into the fridge to set, until needed.
Serve the ready roasted cauliflower with plenty of sauce on top, this is delicious.
Are you aware of all the benefits of cauliflower! Cauliflower is naturally high in fiber and B-vitamins. It provides antioxidants such as high amount of vitamin C and phytonutrients that can protect against cancer. Same as other cruciferous vegetables, it is also particularly high in glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, two groups of antioxidants that have been shown in studies to slow the growth of cancer cells. It also contains choline that is essential for learning and memory. These are just to name a few. Many people who suffer from insulin resistance often ask me what to eat instead of potatoes or pasta. I always recommend cauliflower as one of the best substitutes. It is delicious and so nutritious and very low in carbohydrate.