What' s the key to beautiful healthy skin?

As we put away our winter clothes and put on our summer garments we notice too dry or too oily skin, acne, freckles, dark spots, pimples, cellulitis. It’ s time for all sorts of body scrubs, lotions and  butters that promise healthy, soft, hydrated and toned skins.

When skin problems appear we tend to look for an external solution, but did you know that most part of the problem and hence the solution comes from the inside?

The first step to  beautiful healthy skin starts in the kitchen

Our skin reflects the condition of our organs, so a skin symptom is telling you about an imbalance in your body and depending on the area of your face or body that it appears, it is actually pointing at which organ or vital function needs looking at.

Our bodies have the ability to cleanse themselves through four basic metabolic processes: breathing, perspiration, urination and bowel movements. Also sexual activity and, in women, menstruation, birth giving and breastfeeding contribute to the discharge of excess, toxins and residues. The same happens with physical, emotional or mental movement- they free metabolic energy.

When the above natural process are not enough to cleanse our bodies, because the intake is excessive, the body still has other mechanisms to rid itself from excess and toxins such as  diarrhea, fever or inflammation among others. If we continue to eat in a chaotic and excessive way for a long period of time, these unwanted substances can be discharged through the skin. They form a layer of fat under the skin, block the pores, hair follicles and sweat glands. Our skin will then look dry, because this layer of fat does not let oil and fluids to get to the surface. Many people believe that a dry skin means insufficient oil intake and they will increase it or put on more body lotion or thicker lotions for dry or very- dry skins, which will only make the condition worse.

There are external therapies to take care of your skin and improve its condition. However, they will not be effective in the long run if we don’t deal with the core of the problem, which is what we put inside our bodies and not on the outside.

On the 4^th of June we are having a workshop in Paphos where you can learn about external treatments and the kinds of foods that will help improve different skin problems. We will also cook and try specific recipes for a great looking skin.

About the art of cooking

We work eight or more hours a day and have plenty of other things to do apart from work, from taking care of our families and homes and, if we are lucky and still find some time and energy, exercising, seeing friends and indulging ourselves in our favorite hobbies.  

Such demanding schedules have brought about a fast food culture of processed foods of all kinds: frozen foods, microwave meals, instant snacks, ready-made sauces, etc. These processed foods lack energy and this is precisely the effect they have on us: they fill us up momentarily, but they fail to nurture and give us vitality.

Another option we have is to eat out or order take away meals. Usually such meals are cooked with too much fat and salt and we are in for an unpleasant digestion after having them.

Our physical, emotional and mental well being starts in the kitchen. If we are to enjoy healthy, peaceful and happy lives, the key is in cooking. And I don’t mean spending hours in the kitchen as our mothers and grandmothers could do, but finding the equilibrium between our busy lifestyles and a balanced diet, something which is possible with some knowledge, training and organization.

To master the art of cooking you need to know about the nutritional and energetic values of food and also different cooking techniques and their effects in our bodies. It is not the same to eat a root than a stalk, to eat a raw apple or a baked one, to salt your food while it is cooking or to sprinkle raw salt on it. I am talking about a way of cooking in which the choice of ingredients and the way of cooking them have a purpose: to keep us in the best possible health, to recover from all sorts of ailments and illnesses, to be emotionally and mentally strong and balanced. The effects of this way of cooking and eating are so remarkable than in a few months most people have improved their condition to an unbelievable stage.

And it is very important to let our children participate in this health creating process. They will enjoy the cooking, become more aware of what they are eating and start taking responsibility for their food choices. By introducing them to the art of cooking you are bestowing on them the most precious gift: the means to a healthy and happy life. 

Mediterranean Spring Chickpeas

I want to share with you today a recipe I've absolutely fallen in love with. I have named the recipe “Mediterranean Spring Chickpeas”, since I believe they are especially suitable for this time of the year when we can still appreciate a dish of stewed pulses on colder spring days, but with the contrast  of  the   lighter and more refreshing  energy provided by the lemon and the fresh herbs.  

The combination of the sweetness of the chickpeas with the acidity of the lemon and the flavor of the rosemary is just perfect.

It’s a recipe of my friend Maria. My humble contribution to it is in the way to boil the chickpeas. We’ll boil them the macrobiotic way with a piece of Kombu to ensure an easy digestion with no flatulence.

Ingredients:

1 cup of chickpeas soaked overnight, 1 stamp-sized piece of Kombu seaweed, 2 bay leaves , a sprig of rosemary (be generous), one chopped onion .  

For the lemon and olive oil dressing : 3 parts of olive oil, 1 part of lemon juice, sea salt, one crushed garlic.  

Preparation:

      Place the chickpeas in a thick bottom pan with the piece of kombu and enough water to cover. Bring to the boil, reduce the flame to low and simmer. Skim and discard the foam that floats to the surface. When foam no longer appears, add the onion, the bay leaves and the rosemary, cover and cook until the beans are about 90 % done. If more water is needed during the cooking time, add it gently. 


Prepare the lemon and olive oil dressing by mixing all the ingredients in a blender. Add the dressing to the chickpeas and continue cooking until the chickpeas are soft and most of the remaining liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a serving dish and decorate with a sprig how fresh rosemary. Enjoy!

Now that avocados are in season, I would like to share a recipe with you that seems perfect for these hot spring days: a creamy avocado tart with a hint of lime. 

And not to forget about the energetic value of what we eat, this tart has  a refreshing, relaxing and comforting effect.  Enjoy!

Creamy lime and avocado tart

Ingredients:

Crust: ¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut, ½ cup chopped pecans, ½ cup dates, 1 to 2 teaspoons lime zest, a pinch of sea salt.

Tart filling: 1 ½ cup avocado puree, ¼ cup of fresh squeezed lime juice, ¼ cup rice syrup, 1 table spoon coconut oil, 1 teaspoon lime zest.

Instructions:

1. Process the crust ingredients in a food processor into a thick paste. Take the mixture out of the processor and press evenly into two mini (10cm wide) springform pans. Place the pans in the freezer.

2. Blend the ingredients for the filling until creamy.

3. Pour half of the filling over the crust in one pan and the remaining half over the crust in the second pan.

4. Place pans in the freezer to set up at least for 2 hours.

You can decorate the tart with lime slices and lime rind strips.

5. Take out of the freezer, remove the spring form, let sit for 5-10 minutes, cut into slices and serve. Enjoy!

Why eat seawed?

The reasons to eat seaweed, apart from enjoying their delicious taste and recovering an ingredient now forgotten in the West but that used to be present in our traditional gastronomy, are mainly three. First, they help us get rid of toxic metals, radioactivity and pollution thanks to the alginic acid they contain. Secondly, due to their high content of minerals, they have an alkalizing effect in the blood that can help balance the acidifying effect of modern diets. 

Also, they can help dissolve fat and mucus deposits in the body resulting from an excessive consumption of dairy and meat. 

I highly recommend introducing them in your diet. There is a big variety, from the mild taste of the wakame to the salty and very tasty hijiki. You need to know how to use each type- some need only to be soaked and are ready for consumption while others have to be cooked -  and maybe start following some recipes and then follow your own intuition and add them to your favorite dishes or create new ones.

Is macrobiotics all about exotic Asian foods?

I have realized when talking to people about macrobiotics that a significant number of them have the belief that a macrobiotic diet is based on exotic Asian ingredients. This belief unfortunately establishes a prejudice against it and they miss the chance to improve their health and well being greatly.

Among the principles of Macrobiotics, I will mention only two that will make you understand how ill founded this belief is. One is eating according to our geographical situation. When we eat foods that grow in the climate we live in, it is easier to be in harmony with nature. It is better to consume local fruits and vegetables than those imported from distant countries. The second one has to do with eating according to the season, and the reason is the same: eating according to nature’s changing cycles will make us flow with the flow of nature.

If you look at macrobiotics recipe books, you will find such ingredients as miso, shoyu, tofu or different kinds of seaweed. Being George Ohsawa, the father of Macrobiotics, and his pupil Michio Kushi  Japanese, this was only  to be expected. However, the two principles stated above and which, in my opinion, should apply to any sensible approach to eating point at the fact that in our everyday diet the main ingredients have to be those that have fed our ancestors for centuries: local seasonal vegetables and fruits, grains, pulses, seeds and meat, eggs and fish from animals that have been raised and fed properly. Tradition is another principle of Macrobiotics.

There are some “superfoods” such as umeboshi plums, miso, Daikon which are very useful to restore health, but the staple diet that will make us healthy and vital should be made of the local foods we can easily find around us.  

Yoga and macrobiotics

I have been practicing yoga for  about 15 years and. Both the practice of yoga and following a macrobiotic lifestyle  have changed my life for the very best and I see them as complementary in my search for health, balance, happiness and greater awareness. 

Both are precious tools to reach the harmonization of the yin and yang energies, ida and pingala as they are known in yoga, which together regulate the various glands and organs of the body influencing the emotions and states of consciousness.

This is post intends to be some food for thought for people that like me practice yoga or some other kind of exercise that helps them find balance and enhance life force such as Tai Chi, Chi Kung, etc., but have not yet become aware that the  energetic and healing  work they are doing with such practices can be enhanced or diminished depending on the way they feed themselves. My point is that whatever practice you choose, it would be contradictory to feed yourself in such a way that would create in your organism the contrary effects to those you are looking for. Just a very simple example: it would not make sense to do breathing exercises to open and clean your lungs and eat foods that would contract or generate fat and mucus deposits in these organs.

So I invite you to discover the energetics of food, how they affect your physical, emotional and mental bodies and how they will help you reach the goals you have set for you with your yoga practice.

Here is a link to an  article of yogi Swami Gaurishankara Saraswati  talking about the common  features  of yoga and macrobiotics.