Friday, January 6, 2017

Molecular epiphanies... and smoothie bowls

Hey all!

It's Epiphany today! Back to the roots; did you know that this blog was called "Molecular epiphanies" at first? Not referring to the Christian feast day (Three Kings' day), which indeed is today, but to the word "epiphany", which means "a moment of sudden and great revelation or realization." I had to change the name because pronouncing it is too hard for me, haha. It gave me some awkward moments when people asked me what's the name of my blog and I was mumbling some gibberish. 

Anyways. Would you like to hear about smoothie bowls?


Talking about passion: I went to Bali, Indonesia, before coming here to France and there in Canggu, the hipster heaven, I fell in love with smoothie bowls (and my ridiculously good looking and cute surf teacher but somehow managed to keep myself from eating him alive, hahaha). Those bowls contained a piece of heaven, I tell you. Then, when I came back home, I was missing Bali so much that I started making those smoothie bowls myself.

Usually the "base" of my smoothie bowl contains

1 banana
1dl soy yogurt
1dl berries/some other fruit

These I mix with a blender. On top of the bowl you can put pretty much anything. In the morning I usually like to add granola, just because I love it. And cinnamon powder <3 Here in the following picture I had added also some mini energy balls. Those are just made of died dates and figs, which I soaked first in a bit of water and then mixed with a blender and added some chia seeds and almond flour (and grated in a bit of frozen lemon, from which you get a lot of flavour when you can use also the surface of the lemon, organic option recommended) to make a paste firm enough to roll into little energy-rich and raw balls. Planning on making dem ballz as snacks for ski tours as well! Nams mums!!


If sometimes you would like to avoid using soy products too much (because modesty in everything, sometimes vegetarian or vegan diet can contain a bit too much of it) and would like to give your bowel a nice and cleansing fibre treatment, I tried also making a smoothie bowl out of almond milk and ispaghula husk powder (aka psyllium) by mixing them together and adding in banana and fruits. These also made a nice base, a bit fluffier in a way. Although, I must admit that I somehow really like the taste of soy yogurt...

My tea says:
"Doing something out of compassion, will never be wrong."

Anyhow, these smoothie bowls are a pretty nice and healthy alternative that I would recommend to try. Add some nuts or chia seeds on top to give more energy and protein, if you wish. Or treat your sweet tooth with some dried fruits when having your smoothie bowl as a snack. I'm at least completely hooked! 

PS: back to the roots also in another way today - held a yoga class to some of my friends here in Chamonix. Oh I want to teach again!! I love it! Wish me luck on finding a space where to teach!!!

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Resolutions for 2017 - the year of passion

Hello my dear readers and happy new year 2017!!

It has been long since I wrote the last time. Therefore, my first resolution for 2017 is:

1. Start writing. Again. More. 

New year, new things: I moved to Chamonix, France and I think that now it's more than appropriate to change the language and start writing in English. Why I moved here? Well... I like skiing and realised that now would be the perfect time to spend a season at the Alps (and finally actually lear to ski... or speak French). Since I don't have family or other obligations really, so why don't I take advantage of this freedom. So that's pretty much why I came here. I also thought that I need a timeout; a bit of time for myself so that I can figure out what I want to do with my life - especially what kind of a career I would like to have in the future. Do I continue in research and if so, what kind of research I would like to do? Or would I like to choose a different path? And what would THAT be?

I usually don't make any particular resolutions for the new year but this time I had something in mind. Because I feel that this year, as well, is something special.

First of all, I made this funny test in Facebook that was supposed to tell me what will I manifest in 2017. I got the word "PASSION". First I thought that "funny funny, the universe is making fun of me since I'm already starting to forget what passion even means, having been single for ages..." (yup, still single, what a surprise) but then a few days later I realised that "passion" is exactly my theme for 2017. Finding my passion. Finding the thing that excites me the most and preferably moving from passion to profession. I mean finding the thing that I'm really interested about and finding my future job in that field or area of interest (thus not going for adult entertainment, okay?).

So I'm asking myself now: what is my passion? Not only professional passion but maybe allowing myself to find some passion in private life as well? Who knows? Thus my next resolution is:

2. Finding my passion. 

I will write about the passion hunt a bit more later on but related to the subject is my passion about the Mother Nature. I know already that one of the things that I'm passionate about is taking care of the earth, on which we live on, and all the creatures sharing it with me. During 2016 I started moving towards a more plant-based diet and I nowadays I try to be vegan, although not being too strict about it, yet. I don't eat meat and I try to buy only vegan products from the grocery store but I still eat cheese and some dairy products when eating out, and very rarely also fish. First my idea was to become more ecological but the more I learned about intensive livestock farming, the more ethical my choices became. I'm kind of bouncing now between ecological and ethical choices, since I'm also concerned about the transportation of different kind of products and thinking which option is better for the earth: transportation of vegan products from all around the earth or consumption of local products, possibly including dairy or meat. Currently I've come to the decision on using as much local vegetarian products as I can and not stress too much bout it. But I will not lecture about this or try to make you do the same as I'm doing, because I read this:

3. "Be the change you want to see in the world."

Wise words by Mahatma Gandhi, I guess. My third resolution. I was thinking the options to do so that I could change the world and make it a better place for all of us to live on but I realised that I can't change it. I can but change my own actions, behave the best I can, and set example to others.

Talking about setting example, my fourth resolution is actually related to the third one:

4. Less is more.

Especially focusing on less consumption and less less less less PLASTIC. This is a continuum from 2016 since last year I started thinking about the usage of plastic products and the build up of plastic waste, by making choices that would decrease its usage, by setting for example a rule to myself that I would not buy clothes that would have for example polyester in them. Or as less as possible. Is cotton then more ecological since growing it consumes a lot of water (let's not even go into child labour and other ethical issues?) I don't know. But buying less would be. As much as I like fashion and buying new clothes and shoes etc. I'm trying to buy less this year. I really try. And to make buying harder to myself, I'm going to report to you, my dear readers, about every product I buy, with a picture of the product. Is it really necessary? Why did I buy it? Will not include food though but you know, clothes and that kind of stuff.

So there you go. Those are my aims for this year. What are yours?

Greetings from Mont Blanc <3