Mojito Booster

We all got to know what a hot summer looks and feels like during the last couple of weeks. From Sweden to Switzerland temperatures rise up to 35 degrees or more. During these days we all thrive to get some refreshments like a swim in the lake, delicious ice creams or a refreshing drink. I have created a simple and very easy recipe for you in order to refresh and cool down a bit – my Mojito Booster. The infusion of lime, kiwi and mint is not just very refreshing, it's obviously very healthy as well and provides your body with a bunch of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a very important vitamin for your body in the summer as it helps to protect your body from the heat in many different ways.

_DSC8640.jpg

Vitamin C can help prevent sun burns. As vitamin C is rich in antioxidants, it can protect your body from free radical damage. Your skin can be protected from the environmental factors such as the sun's exposure. Moreover, vitamin C supports your skin to be healthy and smooth and can even speed up the healing process of sun burn or other types of summer injuries. Last but not least, vitamin C also plays an important role in helping your body adjust to the heat in your environment. So let's not wait, grab the few ingredients needed and enjoy this Mojito Booster with lots of vitamin C!

Mojito Booster

Ingredients

3 limes, chopped
2 kiwis, peeled
1 apple, chopped
15 fresh mint leaves
250ml soda water
extra lime/lemon slices for decoration (optional)

(Makes: 2 servings; Preparation time: 10min)
Put mint and limes equally into two glasses and lightly crush these with a pestle.
In a (slow) juicer add apples and kiwis and press them through. Add soda water to the fruit juices and distribute liquid into the two glasses.
Add some ice cubes, top with some fresh mint leaves, lemon or lime slices and add beautiful paper straws. Serve and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this refreshing Mojito Booster as I do. As a beautiful eye catcher, it's perfect to impress your guests as well.

Lots of love, Fabienne.

Clean Green Glow Juice

in , , , ,

Goodbye rainy days, hello summer!

In celebration of this wonderful sunny day I share with you my absolute favourite juice at the moment. This Clean Green Glow Juice is the perfect cleanse to say goodbye to the grey and rainy days. Refresh your body with this elixir to kick off the summer to shine and glow everyday. 

While the juice bursts of goodness, at the same time it refreshes your body and opens your mind for everything new to come. This Clean Green Glow Juice washes out all the toxins stored in your body and restores your cells to be all fresh and prepared for great summer adventures.

To get the best results for your juices I recommend investing in a "slow juicer" because the advantages are just outstanding and more than worth this once-a-lifetime-investment. As the word says, it juices your fruits and vegetables slowly, which means all the nutrients won't get damaged and remain in its original shape. Additionally, the final juice will contain its nutrients up to 48 hours after juicing. This is especially great when you want to prepare some juice for the following day. But don't worry if you don't have a slow juicer, juicing with an ordinary juicer is absolutely fine as well. As with a lot of things, there is always space for improvements as time goes by and your expectations might grow. 

Apples: Apples are high in fiver and vitamin C. Apples are high in polyphenols, which function as antioxidants, which are found in both the skin of the apples as well as in the meat. So be aware to always eat the skin of your organic apples. Apples may mitigate the effects of asthma, Alzheimer's disease, assisting with weight management, bone health and much more. Often called a "miracle food" or a "nutritional powerhouse" an apple a day really may keep the doctor away. 

Lemons: Although lemons have a very acidic taste, they are the most alkaline-forming foods, which makes them great for balancing a highly acidic condition in the body. Lemons are also rich in vitamin C which helps you fight a flu or cold. Additionally your liver loves lemons because it's a wonderful stimulant and a dissolvent of toxins in your body. A great way to keep your liver at its best is besides adding lemons to your juices, adding fresh lemon juice to a glass of warm water in the morning as a liver detoxifier. 

Fennel: Fennel contains vitamins A and C, which protect your body from free radicals damaging your cells. This pale green bulb works as a great digestive relief, maintains proper body functions and prevents inflammation and cancer.

Ginger: Traditionally used in Chinese medicine to treat colds and digestive problems, today this spice is commonly used for its healing powers in a wide range. Researchers have found that daily ginger consumption reduces muscle pain caused by exercise. Moreover, it helps reduce the risk of certain cancers, heart attacks and thrombotic strokes.

Turmeric: This small little root is one of the planets most powerful healers. Long known for its anti-inflammatory properties, recent research has revealed that turmeric is a natural wonder, proving beneficial in the treatment of many different health conditions such as heart disease and obesity. The medical properties of this spice are due to the presence of the antioxidant curcumin. Curcumin may also help preserve memory and the risk of Alzheimer's disease. It's no wonder, that India has the lowest incidence of Alzheimer's in the world. To get the most out of turmeric I recommend you buy the whole root and freshly grate them into your juice. Last but not least, it's very important that you add a small amount of freshly ground pepper into your juice. Otherwise, your liver won't be able to absorb any nutrients from the turmeric, which would be a pity. And trust me, you won't taste the pepper. 

Wheatgrass Powder: This trendy green grass called wheatgrass is another powerful ingredient. It has twice the amount of Vitamin A as carrots and is higher in Vitamin C than oranges. It contains the full spectrum of B vitamins, as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium and potassium in a balanced ratio. Furthermore, wheatgrass is a complete source of protein, supplying all of the essential amino acids, which is especially good for active people who train a lot. The protein found in wheatgrass is in the form of poly peptides, simpler and shorter chains of amino acids that the body uses more efficiently in the blood stream and tissues. Additionally, wheatgrass is also a powerful detoxifier, especially of the liver and blood. It helps neutralize toxins and environmental pollutants and cleanses the whole body of any toxins that may be stored in the body.

Clean Green Glow Juice

Ingredients
4 apples
2 lemon
1 fennel
2 cm cube of fresh ginger
2 tsp wheatgrass powder (or: fresh if available)
freshly grated turmeric
little bit of freshly ground pepper

Simply cut the apples, lemons, fennel, ginger and wheatgrass (if fresh) and put them in your blender. Blend.
Add wheatgrass powder if you don't have the fresh wheatgrass, great the turmeric, ground pepper and mix everything. Enjoy!

(Makes: 2; Preparation time: 10min)

Enjoy this energising juice and while cleaning your body embrace the sun and cheer with me to this wonderful beginning of warm and sunny days!

By the way, did you know that sunlight is the easiest and healthiest way to get sufficient vitamin D?

Happy juicing my friends!
With lots of love, Fabienne.

Heart-Warming Banana Bread

in , , , ,

These days the weather is quite grey, wet and not very welcoming to going outside into the cold. Nevertheless fresh air is always a good idea, especially in the morning hours. On top of this, it's always a great feeling to return into a cosy and warm home, especially when there is something special waiting for you. Or can you imagine anything better than coming home to the overwhelming smell of freshly baked banana bread after a morning run in the forest? I can't, and that's exactly why I share this wonderful recipe with you in order to feel with me, smell it yourself and treat yourself to something special on a cosy Sunday.

This recipe is completely vegan, therefore doesn't contain any eggs. The chia seed mixture serves as an egg replacement and adds as a real superfood some fabulous health boosting properties.

As another great thing the banana bread is absolutely gluten-free, but could be adapted the other way round if you prefer to use an other particular flour which contains gluten (see Other options). I experimented a lot until I have found the right flour mixture which consists of buckwheat, almond and a little coconut flour. For the dates I used fresh Medjool dates, which provide together with the grated apple an extra touch of moisture and softness to the dough.

Heart-Warming Banana Bread

Ingredients
120g buckwheat flour & 30g coconut flour (*see Other options)
100g almond flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp bourbon vanilla powder (or content of one vanilla bean)
1-2 tbsp sesame seeds

2 tbsp chia seeds + 7 tbsp water
80g walnuts, roughly chopped (or a mixture of nuts to your taste, e.g. macadamia, almonds)

3-4 mashed ripe bananas (ca. 375g)
1 big apple, chopped or grated (for a special texture I like to cut them into small chunks)
65g chopped dates (fresh if possible)
6 tbsp coconut oil
A little more coconut oil: to grease cake pan

*Other options: if you don't have coconut flour handy, just add up the buckwheat flour to 150g. I just love the bread to have a hint of coconut flour in it, but feel free to experiment according to your personal preference. Moreover, if you prefer and don't mind the bread to contain gluten you can also use any other flour such as whole wheat or spelt flour. However, I would still recommend to stay with the 100g almond flour for sure and adapt the remaining 150g using another flour of your choice.
(Makes: 1 loaf; Preparation Time: 1.5 hours)

Preheat oven at 150 degree Celsius. 
Line a loaf pan with baking paper or grease it with some coconut oil.

Mix chia seeds with water, stir well and leave it aside until mixture is gooey.
In a  bowl mash the banana and grate/chop the apple.
In a separate big bowl combine dry ingredients without walnuts (flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, bourbon vanilla, salt) and mix everything together. Add the chopped dates and stir well until the dates are separated evenly. I usually use a spatula to mix everything together. Now add the prepared chia seed-water mixture, mashed banana, chopped/grated apple and coconut oil. Finally add the roughly copped walnuts to the mixture. If all ingredients are combined together well, leave the dough-mixture as it is and don’t stir for too long. The dough should be smootly and not at all liquid, so don’t add any additional water.

Pour into the greased loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Bake until it’s well risen and golden on the outside. Baking time depends on your oven, mine takes about 45-50 minutes. Make sure to check bread regularly after 30 minutes. The bread is cooked when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Cool down the bread or enjoy when it's slightly warm with a cup of your favourite tea!

You'll believe me how good this Heart-Warming Banana Bread is, the latest you have tried it yourself and your neighbours are start knocking on your door. Happy tea time!

With lots of love, Fabienne.