Spring bowl to celebrate the best season with tahini lemon dressing.

I cannot wait to put all those coats and warm clothes away and start wearing spring jackets, sneakers and sunglasses. I am writing this on the first of May (took you long enough, Spring), and just finished this awesome spring bowl that my boyfriend kindly prepared for me after I dropped a large wooden board on the top of my right foot. After lying on the kitchen floor crying for five minutes, all I could do was get up on the couch, put ice on the foot and watch Mean Girls.

Thirty minutes later, I was served this amazing bowl of goodness, and it really made my foot hurt less. I hope all the healthy ingredients will help me fight this inflammtion that is going on in my foot right now. My favorite is the tahini lemon dressing, which is actually inspired by the peanut lime sauce from my summer roll bowl.

Did you know that tahini is one of the healthiest foods out there? Not only does it cover almost our entire daily requirement of copper, it also contains many other minerals such as mangenese, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium. But let’s talk a little bit more about copper, because it gets less attention than other minerals.

Having a copper deficiency is as bad as having iron deficiency – and we know how many women are iron deficient.

Our body needs cooper daily to produce red blood cells and to support the use of iron. So, if you have an iron deficiency, you might also have a copper deficiency as copper is needed for the absorption and use of iron. You can find copper mainly in leafy greens, raw cacao (yay, chocolate) as well as in fish and seafood. Copper is also very important for the transportation of oxygen and the production of antigens. It therefore strenghtens the immune system, which is extremely cool in my opinion.

Fun fact: without copper, we would all have grey hair as it supports pigmentation.

Since my foot is starting to hurt veeeery much right now, I am going to leave it at that today. Lesson from today: copper is great!

If you love bowls (and you speak German) please have a look at my friend Annelina‘s new cookbook “Buddha Bowls”, which just came out and which is absolutely amazing. Not only is it very informative, it also contains so many different recipes of bowls, that it makes me want to never eat anything else ever again.

Enjoy!

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

Merken

Merken

The post Spring Bowl with Tahini Lemon Dressing appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

A healthy rhubarb-strawberry parfait that’s perfect for Mother’s Day.

Before I start talking about today’s recipe, I want to take a quick moment to thank you for all the lovely comments under my last post “Healthy Inspiration in May“. Your comments were so honest, so real and so touching, and I feel truly blessed to have such amazing readers. I am honored that so many of you have shared their happy moments and their not so happy moments – it’s so important to note, that not everything you see on Social Media is real. Trust me, it’s not – nobody’s life is perfect.Now, on to this rhubarb-strawberry parfait. The timing could not be better, because this parfait is just waiting for you to make it for Mother’s Day tomorrow. As we all know, tomorrow is a big day for all the Moms in this world (or at least in Germany), and so I thought: why not treat your Mommy with a healthy but oh so delicious breakfast parfait. It basically screams “I love you, Mom” and “don’t worry, it’s healthy”. Besides that, why don’t you also cook your Mom a lovely lunch or dinner (find some inspiration here, and here), and treat her like the most important person in your life. At least that’s what my mom did for the past, well, 27 years.

If you can’t find or do not like rhubarb, you can easily use strawberries or other berries for the compote instead. Berries are also naturally sweeter than rhubarb, so you might not even need any coconut blossom sugar at all. However, I love rhubarb, it’s sour taste and the way it tastes combined with vanilla and strawberries. It reminds me that summer is just around the corner and waiting for us to embrace it.

If you do not tolerate the oxalic acid in the rhubarb well, then you might want to take the following precautions when preparing rhubarb: make sure to steam or cook the rhubarb in water for a couple of minutes before making the compote. This way, most of the oxalix acid will be absorbed by the water and leaves the roots. The water needs to be drained and you can start making compote with the already soft rhubarb. I tend to tolerate rhubarb fine, so I usually do not worry so much about it, but if you’ve had issues with rhubarb in the past, it might be due to the oxalic acid.

Now I wish you all a happy Mother’s Day and if you make this rhubarb-strawberry parfait, then do tag me on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

Enjoy!

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

Merken

The post Rhubarb-Strawberry-Parfait appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Asparagus Sandwich with Pea Basil Creme that will transform the way you think about asparagus.

You guys have got to try this sandwich.

I’m serious – if you’ve never had asparagus on bread before then you’ve been missing out on a lot of fun. I don’t know why I have never thought about it before, but asparagus and crispy sourdough bread go so increadibly well together. Since I love to cook seasonally, ’tis is the season for asparagus. I’ve already had asparagus soup this year, asparagus salad, plain asparagus with avocado hollandaise and another oriental asparagus chickpea salad (very delicious by the way!). Today’s recipe is perfect for leftover asparagus, which is pretty common in my kitchen as my boyfriend is not the biggest fan of the green stalks. My love for asparagus goes pretty deep. So deep, that I even participate in the yearly “asparagus relay” in my hometown.

Yup. You heard right. I said asparagus relay. And it’s everything you’re imaging right now.

The asparagus relay has become a real event in my town, and tickets always sell within minutes of its release. Every team has five runners, each one having to run roughly 2 miles, so it’s more a fun event than a real race. The winning team is drawn out of all participating teams, and they are all put on an XXL scale to measure – and the other side of the scale is filled with asparagus, strawberries, potatoes, sparkling wine and lots of other delicious goodies. What a win, hun?

So unfortunately this year, I won’t be able to run, because we didn’t get a ticket, but I will be cheering, eating asparagus and simply having a wonderful time. I think I should be suggesting that they add this recipe to the food booth lists, because it’s just so delicious. Apart from being delicious, asparagus is also incredibly healthy. 200 grams of asparagus already cover 70% of the daily requirement of folic acid. The b-vitamin is espeically important for cell division, so without folic acid, there would be no life! That’s why pregnant women have an increased need of folic acid. The demand of folic acid increases the older we get, so it’s never wrong to stock up on folic acid. Other sources of folic acid are green leaves such as spinach or kale, but also nuts such as walnuts or hazelnuts.

The real hero of this dish, however, is the super easy peasy pea and basil creme. It’s basically just a mix of peas, basil, some lime juice and salt. Super basic, but super delicious. It definitely gives this sandwich an instant upgrade.

I also like it a lot with the date-dijon dressing from my quinoa salad, but it also tastes delicious on its own.

What is your favorite way to enjoy asparagus? Let me know in the comments below.

Enjoy!

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

The post Asparagus Sandwich with Pea Basil Creme appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Naturally healthy strawberry muffins to welcome summer into your homes.

It finally feels like summer, the farmer’s market is selling local strawberries and you can see people wearing shorts and sandals all over town. I love the feeling of the first summer days. The warm temperatures have me craving berries for breakfast, lunch and dinner – and dessert. That’s why I came up with these healthy strawberry muffins that I know you’re going to love just as much as I do.

I find it strange that every café in my city is somehow offering blueberry muffins, but I never see strawberry muffins. I know that they are supposed to be too watery for baked goods, but I strongly disagree. Strawberries work just fine for making muffins. I made mine with the first local strawberries that I could get my hands on, and they tasted delicious without turning out too watery. You should definitely not try this recipe with frozen strawberries though as they will definitely make the muffins too runny.

For the batter, I used a mix of oat and brown rice flour, added some arrowroot powder as a binding ingredient and aluminum-free baking powder as a rising agent. I know that many healthy baking recipes do not have baking powder in them, but I think as long as you go for the aluminum-free powder, there’s nothing wrong with adding some rising ingredients to your muffins. It’s just something I prefer in baked goods – but of course everybody’s taste is different.

For sweetener, I used coconut blossom sugar as they are also suitable for diabetics because they do not have such a strong impact on our blood sugar level as refined sugar has. This has the effect that the energy is released more slowly and sustainably, giving us the power we need to get through a long afternoon at work without craving something sweet an hour after eating the muffins.

Of course you can also try mixing the strawberries with other berries such as raspberries, blueberries or blackberries, but I’m all about the delicious strawberry taste at the moment.

I hope you’ll like this recipe – let me know what you think about it in the comments below.

Enjoy!

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

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The post Healthy Strawberry Muffins appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Too lazy for summer rolls? Then these salad wraps are perfect for you!

Not that summer is finally here, it’s time to prepare four our bikini body. You know the drill:

How to get a beach body?

Have a body. Go to the beach.

I’m sorry, but I just love this joke so much. That’s exactly what I will be doing this week, because we are off to Bali for two weeks! I do not have a problem with my weight, but of course I have parts of my body, that I do not find all that attractive. I absolutely hate dieting – like I’ve never went through with a single one in my life -, but when summer comes, I find myself being less hungry, so summer is usally a good time for me to drop some points (if I wanted to). What I am always craving in the summer: fresh vegetables and a great dip. That’s why I’ve created these delicious 15 minute salad wraps, they are the perfect way to eat light and fresh and still feel satisfied. They are also great for cleaning out the fridge before you go on a weekend trip or longer vacation, so make sure you give them a try.

The making off these salad wraps starts with my pulling a forgotten bag of edamame out of the deepest corner of my freezer. Cool, I thought, but what should I do with these?? I was too lazy to make summer rolls and I didn’t even have rice paper to begin with. So I went over to the grocery store around the corner and got myself a nice big lettuce (the very dark green kind, not the almost white kind), because I wanted to make the lettuce wraps from the Cheesecake Factory.

I know. I know. I know.

How could I possibly love the Cheesecake Factory when I claim to be a healthy food blogger. Well, first of all, I’m German, and when Germans go to America, there are certain things that we just love to do, because it fascinates us. Visiting a Victoria’s Secret (used to be) is amongst these things, as is visiting outlet malls and the Cheesecake Factory. I believe it’s the size of the menu, the crazy rich cheesecakes and the completely different restaurant experience than the one we are used to back at home.

So, whenever my boyfriend and I would visit each other, we would go on a date night to the Cheesecake Factory, ordering either Thai Lettuce Wraps or Avocado Egg Rolls (I know, I KNOW!), as an appetizer. To my defense, I have to say, that the food really tastes delicious there. And those Thai Lettuce Wraps are so delicious, that I think about them often. Well, maybe not often, but I just really really liked them. So much that I just had to recreate them. And I think I succeeded quite well.

It all comes down to the sauce, which the Cheesecake Factory even shared on their blog a while ago. I wrote it down, but of course, it was anything but healthy. I tried to make it healthier, and I think I succeeded. The sauce is made up of garlic, cilantro, cashews and honey mixed with aromatic spices. It’s so good, folks, you have to try it!

If you do not feel like making the lettuce wraps, you could also use the sauce as a BBQ dip or marinade – it will give you lots of approving nods. If you do decide on making the wraps, make sure you chose a protein that fills you up such as edamame, chickpeas, lentils or GMO-free tofu. I also like to add avocado and rice noodles, but that’s totally up to taste. Just use what you have in the fridge, because these wraps are the best clean the fridge solution.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

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The post 25-minute salad wraps with the best cashew-cilantro-sauce appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

It’s Overnight Oats-time, everyone!

Now, please don’t think “Boooooring” or “Lynn, we know how to make overnight oats”.

Well, I’m sure you do, but I’m on a mission to promote healthy eating and well-being and I have a feeling that there are still many people out there who appreciate a simple basic overnight oats recipe. For me, making the perfect overnight oats is a science and they can be a hit or miss, all depending on the right ratios of ingredients.

When it comes to overnight oats, people seem to have lots of opinions. “They are too dry. They are too soggy. They taste weird.” – are all phrases I’ve heard people say about my favorite breakfast. But overnight oats are nothing other than soaked cereal. In fact, my boyfriend’s father used to soak his muesli in milk before serving it to him. So technically my boyfriend ate overnight oats all through his childhood, while I had not even heard about overnight oats six years ago.

Why are Overnight Oats healthy?

Oats contain many essential nutrients such as biotin, magnesium, iron, silicium and even B-Vitamins. Biotin is vital for healthy skin and hair, Vitamin B1 is responsible for a healthy nervous system and Vitamin B6 is required for healthy blood. It is also needed during the production of seratonin, a happiness hormone, so oats can literally make you happy.

By soaking oats overnight, they are much better digestible. The reason why you should soak them for a few hours before eating them, lies in the phytic acid. Phytic acid is contained in the outer layers of grains, beans, nuts and legumes and protects the food from sprouting in the pantry. Once sprouts are in the ideal environment, phytic acid helps them sprout because it is a source of energy for them. For humans, however, phytic acid inhibits the ideal absorption of many nutrients such as zinc, magnesium, iron and calcium. Soaking the grains such as oats, breaks down the phytic acid. Adding small amounts of acid liquid such as vinegar or lemon juice is said to activate phytase, an enzyme that breaks down phytic acid.

It’s all about the perfect ratio

I mix my overnight oats with a ratio of 1:1,5. For every cup of oats, I use 1.5 cups of oat milk to soak them. In grams and mililiters that equals 100 grams of oats and 375ml of oat milk. Sometimes it happens that I add just a little bit more milk until the oats are completely covered, but there is a small step between just right and too soggy, so be careful not to add to much milk. Then I add two tablespoons of chia or freshly ground flax seeds.

If you have a gluten intolerance, then make sure to use certified gluten-free oats as well as certified gluten-free oat milk. Unfortunately that one can be hard to find, so almond milk would work as well, or you can make your own gluten-free oat milk with this recipe.

Toppings-Party:

The next morning, you’ll have yourself a delicious pot of overnight oats, and this is where the fun begins. Now you can add all the ingredients that you love and that will nourish your body. As breakfast is, for many people at least, the healthiest meal of the day, it’s extremely important that we treat our body with extra goodness in the morning. Here’s a list of my favorite toppings, but feel free to chose your own.

• fresh berries
• banana
• nuts & seeds
• hemp seeds
• bee pollen
• homemade granola
• almond butter
• peanut butter
• cashew butter
• cacao nibs
• mulberries & goji berries

I hope this little guide was helpful and you’ll know enjoy your overnight oats much more than you have before. Let me know what your favorite healthy breakfast choices are, in the comments below.

Enjoy!

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

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The post Overnight Oats – my favorite basic recipe appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

* This recipe is sponsored by Alnavit.

Have you ever tried finding 100% buckwheat noodles in a regular supermarket or asian store? I’ve tried and failed misreably. All “buckwheat”-noodles that I found had a 20% buchwheat and 80% wheat label. To say that I was frustrated is probably and understatement. Sometimes labels are just so misleading. That’s exactly why I try to make most of my dishes with 100% natural ingredients. Making pasta, however, is simply too time-consuming, so I have to rely on high-quality brands that use the least amount of ingredients with the highest amount of flavor and nutrients.

But like I said, those brands can be so hard to find. One brand that I found and trust is Alnavit*. It’s a small almost family-sized business near Darmstadt, specialized in allergy-friendly and wholesome foods such as pasta, flour, bread mixes and gluten-free (and healthy!) snacks. I found Alnavit a few months ago, and I have been a big fan of their pasta products ever since.

If you’ve been following me for a while now, you know that I do not make recommendations light-hearted. If I recommend something – be it a company, a recipe, a blogger or a kitchen gadget – then I truly and with all of my heart support that brand and their mission. Alnavit is one of those companies, and I am 100% confident that you will feel the same way about their products as I do. The product that introduced me to Alnavit was their 100% buchwheat spaghetti, and I am so happy to have created a recipe featuring their signature pasta.

What makes this pasta recipe truly special is the combination of buckwheat and miso – a combination that is very common in Japan. Studies show that some of the oldest and healthiest people on this earth live in Japan, and most of them even follow a holistic natural wholesome diet. Now, I don’t know if buckwheat noodles and miso will let you live longer, but I do know that the taste will bring you joy. At least, it did for me!

The miso-cashew-sauce really has the potential to kick my peanut-lime sauce of its throne – that’s how good it is. Miso is a fermented paste traditionally made of soy beans, but you can also make miso with rice, lupins or peas. Miso is very rich in nutrients and it contains all essential amino acids – making it a complete plant-based protein. It’s become one of my stable foods and I could not recommend it more.

As I am writing this, I am already craving these buckwheat spaghetti with miso-cashew-sauce again, but before I will share the recipe, I have a very exciting giveaway for all German, Austrian and Suisse readers:

Alnavit Pasta Party Giveaway!

Together with Alnavit, I am giving away three pasta party packages including the following products:

Pasta

• Print

  Easy buckwheat miso spaghetti

  • Author: Lynn
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 35 minutes

  Ingredients

  For the miso-cashew-sauce:

  • 4 tablespoons of cashew butter or 50g of cashews
  • 2 tablespoons of water
  • 4 tablespoons of tamari
  • 2 tablespoons of white or yellow miso paste
  • the juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut blossom sugar
  • 1 clove or garlic
  • 2cm of fresh ginger
  • ½ to 1 teaspoons of chili-flakes (depending how hot you like it)

  For the buckwheat-spaghetti:

  • 250g of buckwheat spaghetti, I love Alnavit
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 200g of red cabbage
  • 200g of spinach
  • 250g of mushrooms
  • 2 teaspoons of extra-virgin coconut oil
  • fresh basil or cilantro
  • 2 of spring onions
  • 50g of cashews for topping

  Instructions

  For the miso-sauce:

  1. If you use cashews, you need to soak them for at least 4 hours. If you do not have enough time, you can boil them for 10 minutes as well. Soaked or boilt, drain them before you use them for the sauce. Simply blend all ingredients for the sauce (cashew butter or cashews) until a smooth sauce forms. Set aside.

  For the buckwheat-spaghetti:

  1. Bring about 1.5 liters of water to a boil. Add the buckwheat spaghetti and cook for about 8 – 9 minutes until they are al dente.
  2. Wash and cut the vegetables in small sized pieces. Wash and dry the spinach. Cut the spring onions in rings and rouhgly chop the cashews.
  3. Heat the coconut oil in a pan on high heat. Quickly sauté the vegetables and spinach until the spinach is wilted. Reduce the heat and add the drained buckwheat spaghetti and the miso-cashew-sauce. Mix until all of the spaghetti are covered with the miso-sauce.
  4. Serve with the spring onions, fresh basil or cilantro and chopped cashews.

  Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2

  Enjoy!

  *This post is sponsored by Alnavit. All opinions are my own, always. Thank you for supporting the brands that make hour-long recipe testings in my kitchen possible.

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  The post Easy buckwheat miso spaghetti and an Alnavit* giveaway! appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

This quick mexican-inspired salad is perfect for a summer BBQ potluck.

„We’re having a BBQ potluck – can you bring a salad?“

Panic. Sweat. Heart attack.

It’s BBQ season and along comes the yearly salad-contest.

If you’ve ever been to a summer BBQ slash potluck, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Of course for the men it’s all about the grill, but for me, it’s all about the salads. And if we’re being completely honest, it’s always a bit of a „who brings the craziest, most exciting salad to the event“ kind of thing.

Am I right?Of course, we’re all busy, independent, working ladies, mothers or grandmothers – but when it comes to food, we want to show-off. I consider myself an emancipated woman, but when I go to a BBQ, it’s like back in the 1900s with the women chatting near the buffet and the men gathering around the host’s newest Weber-BBQ. That’s just how it is, and I guess BBQing takes us back to the time when the men were the hunters and the women were collectors.

If you don’t already have your grandma’s secret ingredient salad in your back sleeve, then this salad is all you need to wow a crowd. It’s simple, requires no super special ingredients, and can be whipped up in thirty minutes. Probably even less, if you pre-boil the brown rice.

All in all, whenever I make salads, I tend to make sure to create macro-bowls containing all three essential macro-nutrients: carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats. This bowl contains all of the above, as well as vital micro nutrients such as magnesium, folic acid, potassium and even some iron. So you can even call it a macro and a micro bowl.

Yet another reason to take this salad to the next potluck BBQ.

If you want to upgrade it, here are my top-choices to get the most out of this Mexican-inspired salad:

• Jalapenos (the number one ingredient that makes you the master of all BBQ salads)
• Cilantro – for me not an optional ingredient, but some people do not like cilantro.
• Carrot Strips
• Roasted veggies such as sweet potatoes, carrots, red bell pepper or fennel
• Other beans or pulses such as back or white beans, black eyed peas, cannellini beans or even lentils

Don’t let my suggestions stop you from getting creative yourself!

Enjoy!

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

Merken

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Merken

The post Quick Mexican-Inspired Salad appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

It was perfect.

“Wanacasa”, or “Forest in the mist”

Glow – the Como Shambhala Restaurant

The Kedara came pretty close to my definition of “heavenly”…

COMO Cookbook Giveaway

In order for you to try the COMO Shambhala Cuisine, I am super excited to be able to give away one of their amazing new cookbook “The pleasures of eating well”. All of the recipes that we enjoyed at the resort can be found in the cookbook. It’s not exclusively plant-based, as it also contains a section for fish and meat, so if you’re vegan, then this cookbook is probably not for you. However, a good half of the recipes are completely plant-based, so even if you do not eat fish or meat, you will love the plant-based recipes.

Here’s how you can win:

1. Leave me a comment underneath this post until Thursday, August 3rd, 11:59pm and tell me about your favorite summer 2017 memories so far.
2. Please leave your name and a valid-email address so I can contact you in case you’re the lucky winner.
3. That’s it. You’re in and good luck!

Unfortuntely, the giveaway is only for Germany-based readers. You have to be 18 to enter the giveaway, or have the permission of a legal guardian. The cookbook is in English.

The giveaway is closed. The lucky winner is Lisa (from the German version).

For all readers from no matter where you’re from, I also have a code “COMOSocial”, which will get you 10% of the best COMO rate in any COMO hotel around the world. My tip: the COMO Hotels in Thailand, the COMO Point Yama and the COMO Metropolitan in Bangkok are pretty affordable as they start at 100 Euros/night for a room. Maybe that’ll be something for your next Asia layover.

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The post Healthy Cacao Mousse, a holistic resort & a cookbook giveaway appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

*Werbung. Advertisement. This post is brought to you by Alpro.

A few weeks ago, I had a sudden craving for waffles. If this happens, then there is only one thing a food blogger can do: make coconut waffles. This time with the delicious coconut drink from Alpro. Or first: make waffle batter. I did exactly that – before realizing that my waffle maker was at my parents house. Great, Lynn. Just great.So I was sitting there, eating my raw waffle batter, when my mother called. „Darling, what are you doing?“. „I’m sitting here eating raw waffle batter. How about you?“. That’s how the conversation started. It ended with my entire family standing in my doorway with the waffle batter and my grandmother Helga.

Eating plant-based plays a big role in my life. That’s why these waffles are made with only the best ingredients: oats, buckwheat, peanut butter and of course plant-based milk. For me, eating plant-based is more than just eating vegan. First of all, I am not vegan as I still eat honey and cheese, and secondly, eating plant-based is a choice I made for my health. Ever since I started incorporating plant-based drinks from Alpro in my life, I just feel much better, especially in the mornings. Plant-based milk is simply full of nutrients – did you know that almond milk contains a lot of vitamin E (the beauty vitamin)? So I chose plant-based drinks because they make me feel my best.

I also love that my family is becoming more and more open to plant-based drinks. When we were younger, our naturopath would have us drink soy drinks for a certain amount of time, and since it was kind of forced upon us, my sisters and I have always had a mixed relationship with soy drinks. Luckily, Alpro offers so much more than just soy drinks. After I graduated from college in the U.S., I was already so used to drinking only almond and cashew milk, that Alpro really helped me stick to my plant-based diet when I moved back to Germany. They were the first brand that I bought back here in Lüneburg and they have been a big part of my diet ever since.

While I was decorating my tiny tiny living room table, Jannis was in the kitchen making the waffles. My grandmother was watching me closely as she had never seen my food blogging activities in action. She was so proud of making it up all the way to our top-level apartment, that she did not even care about me taking photos of the waffles.

In fact, she loved being my model, my hand model and my recipe tester. I even served her coconut drink latte, which she happily enjoyed. I guess I am pretty lucky that even my grandmother likes what I serve, even though it is quite different from what she is used to. She even ate two coconut waffles, although she had already had cake back at home.

I was actually surprised that my grandmother waited so patiently for her waffles and coffee. She even hand-modeled for me, as you can see on the pictures. I’ll treasure this photo forever, I believe. Look at her elegant hand, and look at her smile. Approaching the 90s with grace and a strong will to live. I never thought that I could ever make my 89-year old grandmother try something so exotic such as a coconut latte. But she took a sip and approved with a simple „very apart“. I don’t think I would have ever thought that I could make my grandmother enjoy the things that I eat regularly and with great pleasure.

Oma Helga also loved the coconut peanut butter waffles. She even had two, even though she had already had cake at home. The great thing about these waffles with Alpro coconut drink is that they are good for your body and easy to digest. So you can enjoy another one without feeling guilty (just as my grandmother did).

To say that I love these Sunday afternoons is an understatement. All you need is a simple yet delicious waffle recipe, coffee with coconut or almond drink and a grandmother who loves to tell a story. My dad always teases that you need a license for Oma Helga as she is really something. You can be assured that life with her is anything but boring. But that afternoon she simply enjoyed being in my small apartment, eating healthy food and chatting about her grandchildren and her weird jobs.

What I am also so thankful for, is a family who supports me and who loves to try my healthy and usually plant-based creations. My dad is my biggest critic, and he will tell me quite straight forward if he does not like something. He has even spat out one of my cakes before. He is being totally honest.

But he loved these waffles, and even took a sip from my coconut latte. I don’t think he will be having coconut lattes on a regular basis from now on, but he had to admit that they tasted good. That’s all I needed to hear.

Now, if you also have a crazy family such as mine, then this recipe is for you. It’s best to be shared with friends, and you do not even have to tell them that it’s healthy. They won’t be able to tell. You can simply enjoy the time with them, chat, and relax. Fort he waffle recipe, you can chose any Alpro plant-based drink that you prefer. I have tried it with the regular coconut drink and the fresh one. Both waffles were delicious.

For the coconut latte, I did not bother to write down the recipe. All you need to do is steam the coconut drink and add a shot of espresso. Simple as that.

For 6 coconut peanut butter waffles:

Enjoy!

*Werbung. Advertisement. This post is brought to you by Alpro. Thank you for supporting the brands that make hour-long recipe testings in my kitchen possible.

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The post Coconut Peanut Butter Waffles – Alpronista* and Friends appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Have you ever heard of the term Poké-Bowl? I first came across this “thing” in Bali, when I was actually searching for Nalu Bowls in Uluwatu. We never found Nalu Bowls, but we did find this cute place that sold Poké-Bowls, called Coco & Poké. Poké-Bowls is basically the new Buddha-Bowl meets Sushi Bowl, and it was supposedly invented in Hawaii. The original Poké-Bowl includes raw fish with a delicious marinade, but if raw fish isn’t your thing, you can easily swap this with plant-based options such as roasted beetroot (which I used in this recipe), tempeh, or even watermelon.

I was looking through our Bali photos the other day, and I found a photo of Coco & Poké, and so I thought: why not create your own plant-based poké bowl? I did not want to include raw tuna, not because I do not eat it, but because a) I do not think fish would be appreciated on this blog and b) I had been suffering from a major 2-day migraine and I just did not feel like eating raw fish. So I came up with the idea of roasted beetroot, because a) it tastes delicious and b) it kinda resembles raw tuna, don’t you think?

Poké-Bowls are not really your typical leftover take-to-work dishes, which I know you all love, but they can be prepared in about an hour. All you need to do is cook the rice while you prepare all the veggies, the sauce and the garnishes. Ok, maybe you’ll need a bit more than an hour, but the result is definitely worth it.

So what’s so unique about this bowl? I guess I’d have to say the dressing. It was one of those “I have no idea what to make” kinda sauce attempts and I don’t want to brag, but it was quite a success. It’s actually kind of like a chili tahini mayo, but I do not like the word mayo that much, so chili tahini sauce it is. Jannis LOVED it so much, he licked out the dressing bowl (not kidding).

Oh, also, we have to talk about wakame. I know that making wakame should be a post by itself, but I just really wanted to put it into this post, because it goes so well with the poké bowl. You could of course buy your wakame salad, but since it almost always includes refined sugar, I prefer to make it at home. It’s really just a marinade of sesame oil, rice vinegar, coconut sugar and sesame, but it tastes so delicious. Algae in general are so healhty, too, as they are full of vital nutrients such as vitamin B12, magnesium or calcium.

Just keep in mind that wakame and most algae contain a high dosis of iodine, so if you’re suffering from a thyroid malfunction, please contact your doctor before indulging in any kind of algae (this includes sushi wrappers, too) as too much iodine can put a burden on the thyroid.

If you just took a quick peak into the ingredients list – please do not panic. The long list of ingredients is merely a suggestion. Have a look at my notes in the recipe box, where I explained a little bit about suggestions in detail. You do not need to use the exact vegetables that I used, and the wakame salad is also not a “need-have” ingredient though it does give this bowl something to remember.

If you made this bowl, then be sure to tag me on Instagram using #heavenlynnhealthy. I look forward to seeing all of your amazing posts!

Enjoy!

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The post Healthy Poké-Bowl with Chili-Tahini-Sauce appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

*Advertisement. This kiwi pistachio salsa is sponsored by Zespri.

Have you ever cooked with kiwis? I have to admit, I have only ever eaten them plain, seen them on glibbery cakes or in ice cream or smoothies, but I have never prepared them in a savory way. Almost shocking, because I freakin’ love kiwis. So do my sisters, and we would always fight about who would get the last kiwi. My mom could never buy enough of them.

If you’re a kiwi-lover like me, then you might understand the following weird thing that I do to my kiwis: I do not cut them in half when I eat them, but rather in 1/3 and 2/3 big parts.Why, you might understandably ask yourself now.

Because every kiwi has a „good“ and a „bad“ side (in my opinion) and the good side is way easier to eat with a spoon than the „bad“ side. That’s why I keep the bad side to a minimum, and enjoy eating the good side to the fullest. If you didn’t already know exactly how weird I am, here you have the final proof that there must be something wrong with me. But, the good side is so much easier to scoop out, believe me.

Anyways, when Zespri* asked me to create a kiwi-recipe for them, I went through a rollercoaster of emotions. Of course I’d love to do that – how fun! I always buy Zespri Kiwis anyways, because I just think they are the juiciest and most delicious kind and I LOVE LOVE LOVE their both their Green and their Golden Kiwis. And then it went downwards pretty quickly once I realized that I did not have a single clue how I could encorporate kiwis into a savory dish.

I tried to compare the kiwi taste to other fruits that I have created savory dishes with and finally found my mango-avocado-salsa. Now, why wouldn’t this work with kiwis too, I thought. And according to Jannis reaction, it worked more than perfectly. He loved it so much that we’ve had this salsa for lunch and dinner three days in a row. I’m not entirely sure how many kiwis you should eat per day, but I am sure we’ve exceeded the daily recommendation of kiwi and nacho chips by a bazzillion. But it was simply so delicious, you guys!

Let’s examine this dish from the nutritional standpoint. First of all, salsas are always raw, so they are bursting with nutrients. The kiwi provides a good amount of vitamin C, a natural antioxidant that protects our cells from free radicals. The avocado enhances the dish with high quality natural fatty acids that the body needs amongst many other things to built cell membranes. Jalapenos, red onions and cilantro give it the signature salsa verde taste and tangy lime juice rounds up the whole unique taste experience.

Oh and since I thought that the whole thing needed a protein-boost, I added the only green nut that I found: pistachios. They must not be left out, do you hear me? Please do not skip the pistachios, unless you are allergic or cannot find them anywhere. They are the final piece in this puzzle.

Have I pursuaded you to give it a try? I hope so, because I’m sure it will be your new favorite weeknight and weekday addiction.

Enjoy!

*This post is sponsored by Zespri. Thank you for supporting the brands that enable me to test recipes all day long.

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The post Kiwi Pistachio Salsa with Zespri*-Kiwis appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

*This post is sponsored by REWE.

Have you ever thought about where mushrooms come from? I recently had the pleasure to visit a local mushroom producer from REWE*, and he showed me the whole process of modern mushroom production.

First things first, the mushrooms that you find in the supermarket have never seen a forest in their lifetime. It’s an industrial process that allows mushroom producer to meet the demand of the consumers. Only few of us still have the time or the knowledge to pick mushrooms on the forest, hence, mushroom producers like Dohme in Lower Saxony enable us to eat mushrooms whenever we want to.

REWE Regional Ambassador – a matter of my heart

Eating locally grown food is a matter of my heart. I’m not saying that I’m perfect – heaven forbid – but since I work with and like to eat food a lot, I want to know where my food comes from. That’s why I love the REWE campaign that aims to make our locally grown food more transparent. You might have seen the portraits of local farmers in your REWE market, or you may have noticed the yellow REWE Regional logo that labels all locally grown products. I think it’s a great initiative that I absolutely support.

As a REWE ambassador, I get to visit local farmers this year and learn how they grow their crop. Even though I grew up on the countryside, these visits are always so interesting to me, because there is so much that I do not know about local agriculture. Last time I visited a strawberry farm, and this time, I learned all about the production of mushrooms.

The four phases of mushroom production

Growing mushrooms is not as easy as it may seem. A lot has to do with the right temperature, the right resources and lots of space. The first phase of mushroom production is the mixture of water, hay, and horse dung. Together they undergo a process that creates heat and steam, and eventually turns into a substrate that is rich in nutrients, a breeding ground for mushrooms. In the big halls that you see on the picture, the mixture has to be moved from left to right constantly to ensure the best results. In the second phase, the breeding ground has to be freed from unwanted bacteria. This happens with heat, similar to pasteurization. During the third phase, the mushroom spores are seeded so they can grow through the breeding ground. The whole process takes roughly 8 weeks before the mushrooms can be harvested. At Dohme, this happens by human hand – every single mushroom!

Mushroom production and sustainability

Before visiting the mushroom production, I was sceptical about industrial agriculture and sustainability. Though I am not an expert at sustainable agriculture, I leaned that the mushroom production is more sustainable than I thought. First of all, Dohme uses no chemicals for their work. Mushrooms only grow on dead organic material of horse dung, water and hay, which  makes a substrate that resembles forest grounds – no chemicals necessary. They also use bio gas for heating and cooling, and photovoltaic for parts of their energy needs. Dohme is also working on new packagings for the mushrooms to eliminate plastic use. It may not be perfectly sustainable yet, but it’s definitely a beginning.

Mushrooms and their amazing health benefits

The healing powers of mushrooms have been known to our ancestors for hundreds of years. Especially in the Chinese medicine, it is common to use mushrooms for treating illnesses. Even if you do not use mushrooms for medical purposes, they contain lots of nutrients such as proteins, and also micronutrients such as potassium, and even iron. Yet another reason to enjoy mushrooms on a regular basis, don’t you think?

I hope that I was able to give you a quick overview of how mushrooms are grown and harvested. It’s so interesting to learn about how our food ends up on our table, don’t you agree? By the way, I wanted to end this post with a quick “did you know…?”. Did you know that you shouldn’t wash mushrooms? If you want, you can brush them lightly, but washing them will decrease their flavor. Now you know how to properly prepare mushrooms.

If you live in Germany and grocery shop at REWE, then you will now know where your mushrooms come from. It’ll make for a good story at the dinner table, believe me.

Of course I also brought you a new and super easy recipe along with all this information about mushrooms. It’s such an easy weekday dish, and it’s just waiting for you to give it a try.

Enjoy!

*This post is sponsored by REWE. All opinions are my own, always. Thank you for supporting the brands that support my daily recipe testing sessions.

The post Quick Mushroom-Millet Stir-Fry and a visit to a local mushroom farm with REWE* appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus and a little life update

Guys, I have a confession to make. I am completely done with the world these days. Besides my Master studies, my studies to become a holistic health coach and another secret project, we are currently moving into a new apartment, and I am completely exhausted. I know, I know, this blog is supposed to be a happy place, and I do not want to complain, but I just had to tell you that I’m not feeling all that great these days. It all came down on me last Saturday at IKEA. When I was trying to configure my new PAX closet. The tears just kept coming and I think I had a litte meltdown there for a moment.I do not want your pity, guys, because I know that all of have to go through tough times. It’s not always sunshine and rainbows, and it’s ok not to be o.k. all the time. I am not suffering from any serious problems, I just needed a moment to let it all out, because it feels so good to talk about your emotions and not have to pretend there for a moment. For me, making decisions is always tough. I hate making decisions. They force me to be a grown-up, and being a grown-up is freaking hard.

Besides my dislike to make decisions, I have also been struggling to eat well these past few weeks. I have always been honest with you that I do not eat healthy all the time, and I will continue to tell you this, because it’s the truth and I do not want you tot hink that I am all perfect when it comes to healthy eating. In my opinion, balance is the key, even if some health coaches strongly disagree with this opinion. While Jannis and I were painting our new apartment, there was more than one pizza involved. There was non-vegan chocolate, beer and even a kebap involved. Yup, you heard right. I do not want to promote this kind of eating, but it’s my reality sometimes. What’s important to note is that there will be healthier days once we’ve fully moved in again. Lots of healthy and happy days in this new apartment.

Why am I telling you all this? Because I want you to know that it’s ok not to be perfect. It’s ok not to eat healthy all the time, it’s ok to miss workouts, it’s ok to admit that something is not right. There is no shame in admitting that we are feeling a little down at the moment. There will be better times when you can whip up all the healthy dishes in your kitchen after a sweat-drenching HIIT workout. But sometimes, we cannot be all healthy, all grown-up, mature and functioning at the same time.

After days of bad food, I finally took the time today to make a delicious roasted pepper hummus that Jannis and I will be feasting on this week while packing, DIYing and getting ready for the final move date this weekend. It will probably be the last recipe that I will have shot in my old apartment, which already makes me feel very sad, but also excited for the things to come. I cannot wait to show you our new home.

Enjoy!

Merken

The post Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus and a confession appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Wow, thank you so much for your overwhelming support on my latest blogpost. I never thought that writing down my exact feelings would have such a huge impact on others as well. It seems like we’re all in this together, aren’t we? So as I was reading all of your comments, I suddenly had the urge to cook something healthy and delicious. I went to the farmer’s market and got the most amazing-smelling tomatoes, packed a bunch of beetroots and some fresh rosemary and went into the kitchen.I had so much enery, so much love in me that this soup turned out especially great. All of you, with your comments here on the blog, on Instagram, personal emails and even phone calls from friends showed me that being honest can be so relieving. It also happened that I gave a workshop at a school that day. The kids had organized a day under the motto: crises and life. There were many workshops with topics such as healthy eating and yoga (moi), depression, stress management, mobbing and relaxation. It was such an inspiring day, and I wish that we would have had a day like that back when I was in school. I also really loved talking to these kids about healthy eating and many of them had really never given it much thought before. So we talked about what healthy eating means and why it is so helpful in stressful times such as their upcoming final exams in the Spring.

I really hope that I will have the chance to talk to more students about healthy eating in the future. It’s such an important task, because not all of them learn how to cook or eat fresh food at home. Perhaps there will be another workshop opportunity in the future – who knows.

Now back to this soup. Since it was the first real meal that I had cooked in a week, I cherished every bite of it. It’s super easy yet very fragrant and delicious. All you need to do is roast the veggies and then puree them with vegetable broth. That’s it. It could not be any easier. You also won’t need much more salt to season it as the roasted vegetables and herbs are so flavorful!

Oh and also, the soup is pink. Oh yes, you’re welcome. Everyone needs a little bit of pink in their lives, don’t you think? It really reminds me of the Indian summer colors that we will be seing everywhere soon. Oh dear, fall is my absolute favorite season, and I cannot wait for the cozy and cold weather. This soup will get you through the first weeks of fall, it will strengthen your body and it will make you feel your best. Just what you need this season.

Enjoy!

Merken

The post Roasted tomato soup with beetroot and rosemary appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

*This post is sponsored by Alnavit and includes an exclusive discount code for HLH-readers.

And just like that, fall is back.

It’s the season for colds, running noses and the flu. It’s the season to cuddle up on the sofa with a warming drink in our hand. I’ve already felt the first cold creeping up, but I deliberately sad no to this first cold of the season. I simply did not have time to deal with a cold right now. There you have it, Mr. Cold – you do not stand a chance in my life right now.

What helped a lot was a rescue package that my friends over at Alnavit sent me a few weeks ago. It was full of healthy juices such as this antioxidant-packed elderberry juice. The package was a gift sent from heaven considering my struggle with the first cold, and all the stress of our move and my not-so-healthy eating habits recently.

Since I still had a fresh root of turmeric in the fridge, I put it all in my blender, added some honey for flavor and tadaaaaa – my new favorite drink was born: elderberry-turmeric-drink. Perfect for the cold season. Did you know that elderberry can be considered a real powerful weapon against colds? Elderberry juice is probably one of the best preventitive measures when you feel that cold creeping up, because it is known for fighting bacteria causing throat infections and for fighting flu viruses effectively. The black elderberries are rich in vitamin C, one of the best known antioxidants, B-vitamins and folic acid (also a B-vitamin). Vitamin C is one of the best vitamins for a healthy immune system, but one should not underestimate the power of B-vitamins when it comes to our metabolism and immune system. If you suffer from a lack of vitamin B, then your immune system is quickly unable to fight off germs and other infection-causing bacteria.

That’s why my grandmother already knew how important it is to stock up on elderberry juice during cold and flu season. She used it prophylactical and during acute infections, and I think we should all learn from her wisdom. If you’re looking for a high quality elderberry juice, I can highly recommend the elderberry juice from one of my favorite healthy eating companies Alnavit. Their elderberry juice is organic, of the highest quality and it tastes so delicious. It literally saved me from a cold these past two weeks, and it is the perfect addition to your new morning routine.

Since I have gotten quite a lot of emails after my last post about Alnavit, saying that you cannot find Alnavit products in your city, I talked to the company, and they have given me an exklusive discount to be used at their partner store FoodOase. From September 12th – September 14th, you get free shipping on all Alnavit order above 15 Euros with the code ILOVEALNAVIT. You just have to be quick, because the code expires on Thursday.

Now back to our star of the day: the elderberry-turmeric-drink. Since I wanted to try something new, I added turmeric to my elderberry juice and it turned out to be a great match. I’ve had this every morning for the past weeks (even during the move!) and I have really fallen in love with it. I highly recommend using fresh turmeric, since it really gives it a unique taste, but if you cannot find fresh turmeric in your supermarket, ground turmeric will work as well. Its anti-inflammatory properties make it the best companion during cold season.

Before I’ll give you the recipe, I quickly wanted to make a quick detour to the holistic health approach, since I promised you some tips to stay healthy during cold season. The holistic health approach focuses on three pillars: healthy eating, exercise, and healthy psyche. We can only stay healthy if we pay attention to all three of these pillars. It’s not enough to eat healthy, but neglect exercise completely and working non-stop towards full exhaution. This will quickly take a toll on our health, resulting in sickness and a feeling of disbalance. Of course I am not a prime example when it comes to the last point of stress management, but there are a few things that I do try, to keep stress levels to a minimum.

Healthy Eating

• Do eat lots of vitamin C, but be aware, that the body needs other nutrients as well. Many people suffer from a vitamin D deficiency, which can result in decreased stress resistance and even depression. I recommend having your blood analyzed by your physician to check what nutrients you lack, and then find a high-quality supplement that works for you.
• If you feel a cold creeping up, try a zinc supplement. Zinc has been known to decrease infections by at least one day as studies have shown that zink strengthens the immune system. Zinc works best when combined with vitamin C, so you can take it together with your new best friend, the elderberry-turmeric-drink.
• Drink lots of hot fluids such as elderberry-turmeric-drink, turmeric lattes, herbal teas. Hot drinks help the immune system to fight infections.
• Eat lots of soups and stews, because they are the easiest way to eat a pound of vegetables a day during the cold seasons.
• Do not stop drinking smoothies. I have to admit that I love smoothies during the summer, but not so much during the winter. However, smoothies are one of the easiest ways to get in all the nutrients you need to stay healthy. Try making a green smoothie every morning with spinach, nut butter, almond milk, superfoods such as ground flax seeds (for healthy fatty acids), and some blueberries and you’ll start your day perfectly prepared for harmful outer influences.

Exercise

I cannot stress it often enough. Exercise keeps you healthy. And I am not talking about weight management at this point. Exercise enables the nutrients that we eat to reach all parts of your body. Exercise is also known to decrease blood pressure, the blood sugar level, it strengthens our heart muscle and enables higher absorption of oxygen through our lungs. You do not have to be a professional athlete to benefit from exercise – taking a daily walk to work is already enough. Moving your body will also help release stress and it triggers the release of mood-enhancing endorphins.

Reduce stress

I am clearly not an expert when it comes to managing stress, but there are a few things, I do daily when I feel most stressed. Perhaps you’ll find them helpful, too.

• Yoga and meditation in the morning. I know that we all have to be up early to get to work on time, but we all have 10 minutes to spare in the morning. I like using meditation apps such as headspace or YouTube videos, such as Mady Morrison, to squeeze in some yoga and meditation in the morning. It helps me to clear my head in the morning or even during the day.
• Identify stress factors. There are a few stress-causing factors that we cannot easily eliminate. These include work hours, existential fear or psychological overload. However, there are some inner stress factors that we can identify and work on, such as perfectionism, self-doubt, jealosy, competitive thinking. Changing your perspective on these things can work wonders.
• Find a new stress-releasing hobby. For some people this might be knitting, crafting, or coloring mandalas. I have always loved mandalas, and their calming effect. Call me crazy, but you will find me knitting or coloring the stress away.
• Listen to positive podcasts such as Happy, Holy & Confident. I swear by Laura’s calming voice. She instantly brings me down, and makes me feel like everything is not as bad as it seems in the beginning.

Stay healthy this season and do not forget to tag your recreations with #heavenlynnhealthy on social media, so I can find them!

Enjoy!

* The code includes a discount of 4,50 € (the standard shipping costs within Germany) and is redeemable in the FoodOase Online-Shop www.foodoase.de for all orders of 15 Euros and more from September 12th – 14th 2017. Code is not changeable in cash. It’s not possible to combine the code with other discount codes. Only one code per person. It’s forbidden to use the code comercially.

Merken

The post Elderberry-Turmeric-Drink and tips to stay healthy and fit during cold season appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

With these healthy plum muffins, fall has officially started on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Three weeks ago I got to spend a girls’ weekend in Duesseldorf with my best friends from high school and it could not have been more perfect. We laughed, we chatted, we hugged and we enjoyed spending time with the people that we’ve known for such a long time. Even though we have all chosen different paths, we’re still friends and this is something I do not take for granted. Right before we left, I decided to quickly bake these healthy plum muffins (because I felt like this was my food blogger duty), and we spent the whole 5-hour car ride catching up and munching on the juicy muffins. My girlfriends approved, and I hope you will too!

Our car ride was already so much different than it used to be back when we were 19. There would have been loud music playing, probably one or the other glass of champagne would have been involved together with lots of candy and other convenience products and there would have been lots of boys talk and other seemingly important topics. Now, 8 years later, one was finishing her thesis in the car, while the others were talking about work, insurance, our grandparents and the war, nutrition and body problems, and of course babies. It’s crazy how our priorities have shifted in these past years.

It’s not like we do not know how to party or enjoy ourselves anymore. Of course we enjoyed one or the other glass of wine, but we felt like it was so much more important to catch up, to talk and to listen than it was to dance the night away. Since I’ve never been particularly interested in partying anyways, I was very relieved to find that my girlfriends have changed as well. Our priorities have shifted drastically in the past 8 years, and I find that we’ve actually gotten a lot closer ever since we all have taken on major responsibilities in life.

Even though all of us admitted that we would have rather stayed home because life for all of us is so busy, we realized that taking this trip was much needed for all of us. Especially during busy times, it is so important to step out of your comfort zone and do something for yourself even though it requires a little push.

Before I’ll share with you the recipe for these delicious plum muffins, I just wanted to add a quick disclaimer for my healthy treats. Even though they are made from healthy ingredients, they are still treats and should be enjoyed in moderation. I’m not saying that you can’t indulge, but rather enjoy them one piece at a time :).

Now that we’re all on the same page, go make these now. You’ll love them.

Enjoy!

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The post Healthy plum muffins appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

*This post is sponsored by Alpro.

Wow, seems like I introduced fall season a tad bit too early here on the blog. This week is supposed to be really warm and sunny, so I thought it was time for a little farewell to summer with a post I wrote at the end of summer.

A few weeks ago, summer also actually decided to pay us a visit again. If you’ve ever lived in or visited Northern Germany, then you will understand why we were so excited about this. This year, our summer was rather cold and wet, and so we enjoyed the warm sun and cloudless skies to the fullest. Luckily, we were all home at my parents’ house for my cousin’s wedding and got to enjoy a few family days. Both my sisters came to visit, too, and we spent some wonderful summer days at home with lots of laughter, teasing and of course lots of delicious food.I don’t know about you, but in my family, food always comes first. Since my sister has to eat gluten-free, we always prepare all of our foods sans gluten, so she does not have to miss out on anything. This is also much easier for all of us, since we do not have to prepare everything twice. As we are quite an active family, our Sundays usually begin with a family run followed by a delicious and healthy breakfast. Even our 13-year old dog Balu and our boyfriends tag along, so Sundays are always special in my family.

After a Sunday morning run, breakfast always tastes much better than usual, which is why breakfast is so important to all of us. We usually prepare lots of fruit, fresh buns and something special such as these lemony almond pancakes. They make the kitchen smell heavenly and they taste delicious.

Since I get so many questions about what I eat and what I don’t, let me repeat my food philosophy once again. My main reason to eat healthy is that I want to nourish my body with the best possible ingredients. I believe that food should be fuel that helps the body master everyday life, but also to protect our body from harmful outer influences. Healthy eating for me is not a trend, it’s the natural way of eating that keeps our body alive. Most of my diet is plant-based, but I am not 100% plant-based all the time. Moderation is the key in my opinion, and I do eat cheese or eggs from time to time because I love goat’s cheese and a good scrambled egg. However, I feel that the plant-based diet suits me and my body the best, and it enables me to get better through every-day life than other diets. Another thing that I believe in, is the elimination of processed sugar in our meals. That’s why I try to cook most of my meals from scratch in order to know exactly what’s in it.

What I love most about the plant-based diet is its huge variety. If we take milk for example, all I ever drank was cow’s milk. These days, there is such a diversity of plant-based drinks that we can choose from, which is amazing! From almond, to oat all the way until cashew milk, there are so many different kinds of drinks, which foster my creativity in the kitchen. Due to a lack of time, I do not always make my own plant-based drinks, which is why I love Alpro’s range of plant-based drinks. Its variety of drinks reflects the plant-based diet so well.

Back to these lemony almond pancakes. They combine both my sister’s favorites: my middle sister LOVES everything with fresh lemons and my youngest sister is the biggest pancakes fan. When I made these pancakes for them a few weeks ago, we really celebrated them with a little breakfast picnic in the backyard. It was already pretty warm in the early morning, and so we really enjoyed the sun and the pancakes in our parents’ garden. It was such a special moment that we will cherish and remember for a long time.

The best part of the pancakes, however, is the lemony maple syrup drizzle – if you ask my sister May. She loved this addition and even prepared a second batch, because she loved it so much. Such a compliment for me, and I have to admit that I was a little bit proud of myself.

Another big plus of these pancakes is that they are only sweetened with banana, which you almost cannot taste because of the intense lemony-flavor. Such as plus of Alpro’s plant-based drinks, in my opinion, because I love the idea of eating to feel good.

It would be my greatest pleasure of you made these pancakes for your loved ones and if you shared your special moments on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy. I cannot wait to see your photos.

Enjoy!

Merken

Merken

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*This post is sponsored by REWE. Thank you for supporting Heavenlynn Healthy’s sponsors.

There are moments in life, when I wished, I lived in a big city. When I look at our small fitness program for example. Or when I want to try a new restaurant. And then there are moments in life, when I’m super happy to live in the countryside. Well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration since my town is not that small. But I’m only 5 minutes away from a real forest, which is pretty much the countryside for me. During my visit at a local apple farm a few weeks ago, I once again realized that my heart beats for nature, and not for the big cities.My countryside-heart got so excited during my visit at Ralf zum Felde’s apple farm near Jork. That morning I saw deer, fawns, birds of prey, and marten dikes. Oh and of course I saw one or the other apple.

As REWE Regional ambassador, I got to visit a handful of local producers this year. You can say that I’m a bit of a fan girl when it comes to farmers, because, hello, they produce our food! Something that we all consume every single day. Without them, we would pretty much starve, so I am thankful that there are people that work day and night to keep us satisfied.

If you grocery shop at REWE occasionally (or daily like me), then you might have noticed the regional banners hanging above the produce section with photos of the local producers. Or you’ve noticed the little yellow truck on the local products, the logo of REWE Regional. Many of the producers have been in a cooperation with REWE for many years.

Just like Mr. zum Felde who has taken over the business from his father who has stepped into the shoes of his father and so on. Ralf zum Felde grows all the well-known apple brands such as Elstar, Braeburn, Jonagold, as well as boskoop or Holsteiner Cox. (I really do not know what they are called in English, sorry).

If you did not happen to grow up next to a large area of apple farms (like I did), then you might think of apple trees as large, majestic tress. These days, conventional apple trees are small and tiny, and easy to harvest without needing a ladder to climb. That’s the truth, people. Everything is standardized in modern agriculture.

When you think of locality and seasonality, I instantly think of sustainability and environmental protection. Of course these topics are also predominant in the area „Altes Land“, Northern Germany’s largest contiguous fruit-growing region. During our walk through the apple rows, Mr. Zum Felde explained to me that they have implemented various measures over the years to protect the environment and to make apple agriculture more sustainable. Such measures include poles for the birds of prey, natural lakes, marten dikes, bee hotels,, falcon houses and blossoming stripes along the apple rows. I don’t really know the English word for it, but blossoming stripes are clearly pictured in the photo below. It’s purpose is to attract wild insects. For me as a fan of birds of prey, the morning on the apple farm was especially fascinating, because I’ve never seen so many wild birds of prey in nature before. Why birds of prey, you might ask yourself now? Because they keep the mice away, who like to nibble on the roots of the trees, which makes them ill.

The highlight of the day? Definitely seeing multiple deer, does and fawns! We were able to get really close so I could take this magical photo. I think that my excitement definitely broke the ice between the farmer and the little blonde food blogger ;-).

If you’ve come this far in my article, then I would like to thank you big time. With a delicious recipe for homemade cinnamon apple rolls. They are the perfect treat for a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Enjoy!

*This post is sponsored by REWE. Thank you for supporting Heavenlynn Healthy’s sponsors. They keep me recipe testin’ all day long.  

Merken

The post Healthier Apple-Cinnamon Rolls and a visit to a local apple farm with REWE appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

*This post was created in partnership with the Kooperationsgemeinschaft Mammografie.

Recently, I realized that my blog was missing a couple of smoothie recipes. I love smoothies and I make them all the time, but for some reason, I forgot to actually add my favorite smoothie-creations to the blog. That’s why today, I am going to change that. Here’s your new smoothie recipe: it’s a pink antioxidant-smoothie for breast cancer awareness month October. When I received an email a couple of weeks ago, asking if I wanted to support this month with a blog post, of course I said yes! I believe that bloggers have such a wide reach and with that comes the responsibility to talk about what matters. And breast cancer awareness matters to me.

However, since this blog is supposed to be a happy place, this post won’t include one of those breast cancer stories. We probably all know someone who was diagnosed; hence, we know how such a diagnosis changes lives.

Today I would like to talk about mammography. When I talked to my mother about the topic a few weeks ago, she told me that she hasn’t been to a mammography screening in two years. In Germany, every woman over the age of 50 can go to mammography once a year, paid by the health insurances. So of course I got really angry at her. How can she miss such an important appointment? But then I quickly realized that I had absolutely no right to be angry with her.

I am not yet old enough to go to mammography appointments. I do not have children. I do not have such big responsibilities in my life that I simply forget doctor’s appointments. Nor am I particularly afraid of breast cancer (yet). After all, I’m still young.

Going to a mammography appointment sounds anything but fun. I completely understand why some women chose not to go. After all, it’s not like you get the test results right away. No, you have to go home and wait for a couple of days or even weeks until you receive your results. Hence, you’ll remain in the dark even after you’ve taken the courage to go to your appointment.

In addition, I recently read an article in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung about women who have their breasts removed after benign tumor cells had been discovered in their lacteal glands. According to the article, such cells increase the risk of breast cancer, but changes of them developing into harmful tumor cells are very slim. And then women with a genetic predisposition have their breast removed prophylactically. If this is the right decision, I don’t know. I guess everyone has to make such decisions themselves.

Still, I would want my mother and my friends to go their mammography appointment every year or at least to have their gynecologist check their breasts periodically. 95 % of screenings are negative and the earlier breast cancer is diagnosed, the higher the changes of a complete recovery.

Just as I would love to see people taking care of their bodies before signs of illnesses appear. That’s why I’m sharing this pink antioxidant smoothie today. Of course healthy eating cannot cure or be the only preventative measure against cancer. But healthy eating can help protect our body from free radicals, which have been shown to cause cell damage and in some cases perhaps even cancer. Free radicals are molecules that lack an electron. That’s why they preferably „steal“ electrons from our cells, which become damaged as a result. But worry not, because there are nutritional knights called antioxidants, which have a spare electron that they happily give to free radicals. This way, they protect our cells from free radical-caused damage. Berries such as raspberries are amongst the riches foods in antioxidants that’s why I called this smoothie antioxidant-smoothie.

Again, healthy eating is not the cure for everything, but it helps strengthen our body from the inside. And pink smoothie bowls can brighten up any day. So if you’ll receive the breast-screening letter when you turn 50, then get informed so you can make this decision for yourself. And if you’re younger than 50, then try to be supportive of your mother, your sister, aunt or your friends. No matter what they decide to do.

Enjoy!

*This post was created in cooperation with Kooperationsgemeinschaft Mammografie. All opinions are my own. Always.

Merken

Merken

Merken

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