Showing posts with label Cooking on land. Show all posts

wellness from within


What's a better way to start a day than with a glass or plate of natural organic goodness from mother earth? 

Being exposed to cold weather like this, it is important to keep skin and body hydrated with natural oils. You can splash as much expensive creams and oils on the surface, but it is from the inside that you'll find balance and peace for everything in life.

I've lost quite some weight lately due to the fact that I very seldom eat meat and dairy, so I need to top up my oil levels with the help of other sources. Due to both weight loss and the fact that I'm not 25 any longer, my skin has lost much of the elasticity and fullness (baby face) it once had. It could be considered beautiful when a face gets more character with age, but once the production of collagen slows down as it does for everyone after a certain age, imperfections and lines will also be highlighted. 

I never had perfect skin, I've dealt with mild teenage and hormonal acne that I've been able to keep under somewhat control, and not before now (unfortunately this late in life) have I fully understood the importance of how my diet, lifestyle and environment impacts the look of my face.

I don't believe much in overpriced medication or expensive chemical treatments and branded cremes, but I embrace organic skin care products and think they do good in every day maintenance. What is of greatest importance though is a well balanced lifestyle and food intake.

My everyday philosophy is therefore:
  • To drink as much water that seems reasonable. I guess I could squeeze in almost a gallon/3l per day. Water is such a tricky question yet so necessary for our existence. If I don't have access to tap water with a good carbon filter on, I purchase spring water in BPA-free bottles which unfortunately is super destructive for the planet, not to mention expensive. To produce our own drinking water from sea water is obviously the best thing for us, but the water maker on the boat can't be used when in a marina due to the polluted water in harbour areas, and to purify the water that comes from the city, is also not an option as the membrane of the water maker would get destroyed with the high amount of chlorine that they use in the regular water circuit. In many developed countries you can still find good drinking water straight from the tap but I wouldn't trust it completely outside of Scandinavia and some other European countries. Not sure how it is in for example Australia, New Zealand and South Africa?
  • Brisk walks provide you with fresh air and oxygen, it increases heart rate and blood circulation and it also offers a good meditative time alone in the nature. Can never go wrong with a 40 min walk.
  • Vitamin D is obtained from sunlight, but as it is equally important to protect skin from the dangerous sun rays, you could top up your D-levels with shiitake mushrooms, wild caught fatty fish such as salmon, halibut, mackerel or tuna if you eat that. And it is also found in fortified organic cereals and soy milk.
  • A simple, de-cluttered life full of genuine love, peace and happiness, and as little disturbances and stress as possible is the key to everything, so also to good health. A minimalistic lifestyle is what works best for me, and my mantra is to have less and be at peace with every aspect, material, person that my life is infused with, rather than filling it with things, people or events that has no genuine, soulful or fulfilling meaning to me. 
  • Alcohol only on rare occasions. Good red wine doesn't do much harm if consumed in moderation, and I obviously love it when a good reason for it is given. But as with everything else, I have realized that no good things are to be overdone, which it has taken me many years to conclude. 


  • Vitamin C is an antioxidant that slows the rate of free-radical damage (free radicals are unstable molecules that damage collagen and cause skin dryness, fine lines, scar formation and wrinkles). I get my Vitamin C from citrus fruits, broccoli, kale, strawberries, avocados, papaya, brussel sprouts, pineapple. 
  • Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that helps keep the body's nerve and blood cells healthy, and which is especially important for us who eat very little or no meat and dairy at all. It can be found in soy milk, tempeh, miso, fortified cereals. Vitamin B12 also helps prevent megaloblastic anemia which can make us feeling tired and weak so be sure to get enough of this. I remember when I first quit meat from my diet, my eyes were often red and dry, and that was probably due to the lack of Vitamin B12.
  • Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin found in many nuts, fruits and vegetables. It's an antioxidant that both protects and repairs your skin, and it also helps boosting our immune system. I get what I need from almonds and avocados which provides some of the highest percentage of your RDI of vitamin E.

    • Omega 3 fatty acids for the important EPA and DHA that can be found in both fish and seafood but also in flax, sesame and sunflower seed oils that are good supplements for vegans and vegetarians. I take a spoon per day of this Organic Non-Gmo oil blend that I found at Whole Foods. Be very careful though when you buy American brand oils as a majority of them contain genetically modified organisms. Make sure it has the Non Gmo stamp and is produced in accordance with organic guidelines. 

    If you eat fish as I do 1-2 times per week, this is a good nutritious meal. Consisting of (only organic produce) - baby broccoli and tomatoes for Vitamin E. Cayenne pepper, parsley and kale for Vitamin A. Omega 3 oil in wild caught Alaskan salmon and in the coconut oil and olive oil in which I fried the fish. Shiitake mushrooms provide vitamin D as does the fish. Sodium from natural sea salt, vitamin C from freshly squeezed lemon and the potatoes. And some onion, leek, pepper and spices to taste.

    I sometimes wonder which planet I was living on before I fully embraced the practices and knowledge of how my diet and lifestyle affects my health, skin and well being. I guess priorities always change as we grow older. And good thing is that it's never too late to learn more.

    5 comments

    Magic mushrooms

    Made a simple vegetable and shiitake mushroom stew for dinner tonight (finely cut tomatoes, squash, garlic, onion, red pepper and parsley in addition to the mushrooms, and oil, water, salt and spices naturally.) Cook on low heat for a pretty long time so it's all getting soft and flavors blend well into each other. Alex contributed with his flavorful rice pilaf that he makes from time to time. If you want to try it the way he does it:

    Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add finely chopped onion and sauté until soft. Add salt, ground cumin, some nutmeg and curry for flavor. You could replace the curry with a mixture of other spices or herbs if you like, whatever goes, even a broth if you're in that sort of mood. Stir in rice and mix continuously. Let it fry until rice is almost starting to get burned. Pour over water (as much as your particular rice calls for) and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes more or less. Fluff rice with fork; add some pine nuts at the end if you have some available. 

    Mushrooms of almost any kind have become my latest must-have in the fridge. Could not get enough of the wonderful Swedish chanterelles when I was visiting home the other week. Having left meat behind me, it's sometimes a challenge to find something that stimulates the desire for meaty flavors which one normally is used to. But mushrooms, especially portobello and marinated shiitake works pretty good as substitutes. I'm also sold on seitan, the famous wheat protein that can taste real close to beef or chicken if done right. Will show you how I do it one of these days if that can be of interest. Have you guys cut down on eating meat at all?

    10 comments

    Another sort of freedom

    I don't know if you can understand how much this simple thing of having a good sized kitchen to mess around in again, means to me. It is a liberty being able to move around this freely, having plenty of place for storage and a rightly tempered fridge into which you don't have to climb down to reach for what's left at the bottom. Living on a boat has its pros most definitely but all the things we've missed with land living, has finally resurfaced in this new existence and I devour them like it was the first time I ever cooked or spent time in a kitchen. This house in which we'll be staying for some time now hasn't been in real use for a few years so it's taken some time to dust off shelves and pans, organize the space, and we've also slowly begun pimping this kitchen up with some new tools, porcelain and equipment. Look at that stunning green vintage blender for example. Made some forty years ago but works flawlessly and was only $3.99 USD at the local thrift store. Amazing what you can find around here for almost nothing, in the country of commerce.

    It is also amazing the variation and offerings in food markets. I compare of course with how our life on the boat on islands and third world countries has been in the previous three years, where you could def get a hold on fresh local fruit and veggies that tasted absolutely delicious. But most other things were often hard to locate, stores were hard to get to, and high taxes made imported products often much more expensive that what they should've been. Here in the US on the other hand, I still haven't really got used to the fact that everything and anything is available at all times, and I'm like a child in a candy store every time that I get to visit a properly stocked food market, especially the ones that have built their assortment around organic food and produce. 

    Since we won't be traveling too far or much in the nearest future as we'll mainly be focusing on work*, projects, organizing ourselves, writing, reading, training and eating well until we're ready for the next move - I will probably be sharing much food based posts here on the blog instead for some time. 

    That morning smoothie was a good way to kickstart the day - Organic kale, strawberries, banana, ginger, lemon, water and some coconut oil. Great way to prep for my morning run, a newfound love that is easy to make happening now that we're off the boat and have a beautiful forest, nice little towns surrounding us and the coastline not too far away. If only these beautiful bright summer days would last a little longer, I think we could easily get used to living here.

    *Update: SO many emails and comments are dropping in about this so just a quick note about my mentioned work above. As you nosy people always want an explanation on everything, here goes: what we're having our hands full with is mainly boat work, work on the house, work on our new website, work in the garden, some more boat work.... we have all sorts of work and projects that you can imagine around here, but mainly and foremost: BOAT work. Also trying to work-OUT as much as possible. My English isn't that good at all times as you know so I apologize for any confusions. I also have plenty of freelance job from back home in Europe that's taking my time and isn't it fantastic that you can work from anywhere you are in the world, with just a little laptop. No news with that, but still amazing.

    7 comments