Baldige Buchung wird empfohlen. Per Email oder Anzahlung per Link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=LC4RURSWAXCC6
Yoga Retreat in Germany – 24.08. to 28.08.
Easy Gluten and Sugar Free Spiced Banana Bread
Hey there,
Sydney is in lockdown again so perhaps you’ve got some extra time for baking? Try this recipe using some leftover bananas. I added some winter warming spices to the recipe and I make this almost every weekend now. I love how the smell of cinnamon and baked bananas fills up the whole house and the spices have lots of health benefits. Here’s what you need:
Dry Ingredients
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup almond meal (I make my own flours using a high speed blender)
1.5 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon all spice or cardamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
vanilla powder or vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients:
3 medium bananas (very ripe)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plant milk of your choice (I use almond milk)
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Topping:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (almonds or pecan nuts)
1 tablespoon activated buckwheat
1 tablespoon pepitas or activated buckwheat (you can use also sunflower or sesame seeds)
1.5 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Method:
Mix dry ingredients, mash banana with a fork, mix wet ingredients and then add bananas. Mix with the dry ingredients and bake at 160 degrees for approximately 50 minutes.
Make your own version by adding some blueberries or apple slices. Enjoy with a cup of chai, coconut yoghurt or homemade almond butter (recipe on the blog): https://lifebalanceproject.wordpress.com/2018/09/06/almond-butter-and-smoothie-recipe/
Why You Don’t Need Willpower to Make or Break a Habit: 10 Terrific Tips
by Sandra Sperber
Welcome to 2021! Is your email inbox and social media feed full of tips for New Years’ resolutions, 21 or 30 days programmes to change your diet, exercise programme, yoga practice, etc.?
Most programmes are based on the assumption that we can create a new habit in just 21 days. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Unfortunately, it is probably going to take much longer than that unless it’s a very simple habit. According to statistics, 25% of New Years’ resolutions are gone by mid January and only 8% are kept until the end of the year.
Before I share some simple tips on how you can make or break a habit with you, let me explain a bit more about the nature of habits and what happens in our brains. It’s very useful to understand the biology and why willpower and motivation are not essential to change. It’s actually your environment that matters more. Understanding how habits are formed in the brain and making a plan can help you to change without relying on our willpower alone.
Habits automated behaviours that we learned and they are hardwired in our brains. By performing certain sequences of behaviour (or thoughts) we make our brains more efficient and reducing the mental load. We perform these action in auto-pilot mode without even thinking and we can use the time to do other stuff like writing a blog or inventing electrical cars for instance. Steve Jobs is said to have perfected habits and routines like wearing black turtle neck jumpers every day to reduce the mental load of thinking about what to wear.
This becomes very useful for skills like driving a car but there are habit that we might want to get rid off. Unfortunately, our brain treats all habit equally and neutral. That’s why it can be challenging to change habits that are not so good for us. In order to stop habits we can use the same principle and disrupt our autopilot mode by practising mindfulness and meditation. Let’s have a look at the four stages of habit formation:
This model can help us to tackle the difficult task of change. Understanding the mechanism gives you choices to make long-lasting change. Once you are aware of your trigger (or cue), maybe try to replace the routine (habit) with a healthier choice. Create a system of change rather than focussing on short-term goals, think about rewarding yourself. Repetition is key for habit formation.
Here are my top 10 tips:
- You can start small with the two-minute rule. It’s easy to stick to a habit that you can commit to. A tiny change can lead to remarkable long term benefits but patience and perseverance is key. If you want to write a book maybe you can commit to writing one page a day? If you want to meditate every day, try starting with just two minutes.
- Add a desired habit to something you are already doing. It’s called habit stacking. So maybe you can go for a walk while chatting on the phone to a friend or listen to your favourite podcast.
- Plan and prepare “what if” scenarios for any obstacles that might occur. For example: I’m going for a run in the morning, if it rains, I’m doing stretches instead. Be specific: I’m going to run in the morning on Monday, Wednesday and Friday before work.
- Start tracking your habits with a list or journal. Ticking boxes gives you a sense of achievement and keeps you motivated. Don’t forget to reward yourself. (Sign up here to receive your free habit tracker template via email).
- Your habits shape your identity and vice versa: Changing habits is really about becoming the person you want to be. Instead of saying: I’m meditating regularly, you can say, I’m a meditator. Instead of saying: I’m running my own business you can say, I’m an entrepreneur.
- Habits are more effective than setting a concrete goal. Recent research shows that there are advantages of setting “open goals”. Achieving goals is a momentary change and doesn’t necessarily lead to a long-term change. Setting a specific goal can also lead to frustration.
- Make your new habit irresistible by making it simple, obvious and appealing. You can reduce friction to create a new habit. If you want to go for a run in the morning, put all your gear out in the evening so you don’t have to think about it in the morning. If you keep forgetting to take your supplement or medication, put them in front of the coffee machine, for example.
- Behaviour is predictable: It doesn’t take any of my willpower (anymore) to avoid that aisle in the supermarket. I just don’t go there. It’s useful to know that businesses are using the science to make us buy more. Marketing researcher found out that when they put the healthy food and veggies at the entrance you’re more likely you buy snacks and processed food once you’ve put our veggies in the trolley.
- Think about your why: If you want to go to the gym five times a week- you could rephrase your goal to: I want to get stronger. If you are aiming to lose weight – maybe change your goal to: I want to be healthy. If you want to start with a meditation practice maybe change your goal to “I want to feel calm”. You get the idea.
- I’ve saved the best one for last: approach your habits with gratitude. Be thankful that you can make choices. Think of the people that support you to become the best version of yourself. According to psychologist David DeSteno, making gratitude a habit is a superpower. When you just rely on habits and discipline it can actually cause a lot of stress and problems of dealing with failure. If you build a habit to cultivate gratitude it will help you to value the future more than the present and making better decisions for yourself in all areas of your life. Practising gratitude and compassion is part of many religious and spiritual practices especially in Buddhism. There are many studies about the overall benefits for our health and wellbeing.
I hope you found plenty of inspiration on how to create lasting change in your life. Many of our habits are triggered by emotions. Practicing paying attention and mindfulness can help to observe your emotions in a non-judgemental way and can help you to break the auto-pilot loop. Why not take a deep breath and decide if the habit is serving you or not.
Wishing you all the best towards a successful 2021,
Sandra
Further reading:
James Clear: Atomic Habits
Charles Duhigg: The Power of Habits
If you have any questions, or want to get in touch contact me via:
lifebalanceproject@gmail.com
(c) Life Balance Project 2021
Why Being Kind Benefits You and Others: My 20-Day Challenge of Spreading Kindness and Positivity
by Sandra Sperber
“In a world where you can be anything, be kind” (unknown)
Thank you for being here!
I recently completed a fundraiser challenge of spreading kindness and positivity for 20 days, and noticed so many benefits for myself and others. Being kind can change how you see the world and relate to others, and that often takes courage. For example, speaking up when someone gets bullied, wearing a mask during the pandemic or letting someone merge into your lane when you are in a hurry. Often we are just too busy and not present enough to notice when someone needs our help.
Here’s the thing: as humans we are wired to be empathetic and kind, to connect with other humans. But did you ever go to a job interview and mentioned ‘being kind’ as one of your strengths? I didn’t. Instead, I said that I’m a driven, reliable, open-minded person etc. etc. While I am all those things too, being a sensitive and kind person was something I chose to hide as well as I could.
There seemed to be only downsides, and even as a kid I wasn’t encouraged to be kind. Sensitivity and kindness were often labelled as a weakness and I was warned that people would take advantage of me. As a result, I struggled to open up and be seen, and constantly mistrusted people while trying to please everyone. It took time to eventually change my attitude about being kind. Kindness is not a transactional thing and it’s not about pleasing anyone or getting anything in return.
So this month, when the opportunity came along to do a 20-day challenge fundraiser with a friend, I didn’t think twice about the motto we would chose:
We committed to 20 days of spreading kindness and positivity.
At the beginning, we barely came up with 3 things we could do but once we got started, we had more and more ideas of what we could do. Here are some examples:
– Beach clean ups
– Giving away free books
– Donating business outfits for “Dress for Success“
– Knitting for a charity “Wrap with Love“
– Cooking and baking for others,
– Buying coffees for strangers,
– Supporting freelance musicians,
– Teaching free meditation classes (read more about meditation in my previous blog post and book in a free session here)
We received so many message from people that looked forward to our posts about our acts of kindness. It made not only us and the people who received our acts of kindness happier, but also the people who saw the photos on social media.
Why being kind benefits you and others:
1. Being kind releases ‘feel good‘ chemicals:
Neurochemicals like oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins are released in the person that is acting kindly and in the person that is receiving the act of kindness. This cultivates positive emotions such as happiness, contentment, peacefulness, and compassion. It relieves stress and activates the
parasympathetic nervous system which is great for our mental and overall health.
“Positive emotions are the building blocks of resilience, physical health, everyday effectiveness, and fulfilling relationships. We need moments of positivity. Because those moments nourish growth, and they nourish learning.”
Barbara Fredrickson
2. Creating social connection:
Acts of kindness create connections. Humans have a fundamental need for connection. Based on our evolution as humans, being part of a community for farming, hunting and protection was critical for our survival.
3. Kindness is contagious:
As humans we respond to other people’s emotions as empathy. Empathy is the ability to sense other people’s emotions, and to imagine what someone else is experiencing. There are several theories why we pick up on other people’s feelings: Some scientists say that so-called mirror neurons in the brain are responsible for this connection. This is just one explanation that was derived from tests with primates but has not been scientifically proven in humans.
4. A Sense of purpose:
In our modern lives finding something that we have control over and that is giving us a sense of purpose can often be difficult. Simple acts of kindness can give us a sense of contribution to something bigger outside of ourselves. During our challenge we tried to add acts of kindness towards people with different backgrounds but also towards ourselves and the environment.
5. The bigger picture
For most of our lives we have been taught to follow our dreams and goals and our actions have mainly become a reflection for self-realisation and self-fulfilment. I found that the recent debate about wearing masks during the pandemic was a perfect example of this. The masks are mainly protecting other people. It was sad to see that so many people place their own interest in the centre of their actions and empathy is often not extended beyond a small family or peer group. During a pandemic it takes more than kindness to protect the community. Deeply caring for everyone requires compassion which is an unconditional caring that goes beyond the people that are close to us. Compassion is at the centre of Buddhist teaching and is about witnessing and holding space for others who are suffering.
“All joy in the world comes from wanting others to be happy, and all suffering in this world comes from wanting only oneself to be happy.” Shantideva
At the end of our 20 days, we raised over $2,000 for children in developing countries and we felt very proud. We had so much fun coming up with ideas and we’ll continue to add more acts of kindness to our lives beyond the fundraiser.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Please share with anyone who needs a dose of kindness, subscribe to my newsletter and connect with me on social media. I’d love to hear from you how kindness and compassion affected your life in some way.
Lots of love,
Sandra
10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started to Practice Meditation
by Sandra Sperber
In 2014, I attended a silent retreat surrounded by nature in a national park. I had a wonderful time and felt peaceful, happy and relaxed afterwards but this is not at all how my experience with meditation began 25 years ago. Back then, I signed up for a meditation course and all I remember is that my back was hurting from sitting cross-legged on the floor.
After my first course, I kept up my meditation practice for a long time, the back pain improved but somehow life got in the way and I stopped. The problem was that there were too many rules on when to meditate, how to sit, where to sit and what stopped me was that I focussed on the obstacles: being too busy, not having the perfect space, etc. After many more meditation courses and teacher trainings, my passion as a teacher is to make meditation accessible and enjoyable.
Since my first meditation course from way back, I learned from many different teachers and schools of meditation. Here is what I wish I knew before I started:
1. Meditation and mindfulness are not self-help tools
It’s not about becoming a different person or better person. There is so much in the media at the moment on how mindfulness can help to manage stress and improve sleep. Putting meditation and mindfulness on your to do list as another “thing” to do can often add to the stress and frustration. There are many other ways to approach your path to well-being. In my meditation courses I introduce participants to different tools and techniques including relaxation and breathing techniques as well as sound.
“Meditation is the only intentional, systematic human activity which at bottom is about not trying to improve yourself or get anywhere else, but simply realize where you already are.” Jon Kabat-Zinn
2. Mindfulness and meditation are not the same
Mindfulness and meditation are often used in the same context. They are related but not the same. A mindfulness practice focuses on bringing the attention to the present moment, using the senses to notice certain details like sounds, smells, taste, etc. We can become present in any moment during the day and interrupt when we are not fully paying attention to whatever we are doing or our surroundings. When we practice meditation, we are setting aside a dedicated time for stillness. We are using the skills of mindfulness to bring the attention to a single focus and connect with a deeper part of ourselves.
“Mindfulness involves the skillful use of attention to both your inner and outer worlds” Rick Hanson
3. You can sit in a comfortable position
Relaxation is an important part of meditation. When the body becomes still and relaxed, the mind can relax. Sitting in pain is will keep your attention on the pain. You can sit on a chair, a cushion, lean against the wall or meditate lying down if this is the most comfortable position for you.
4. You don’t have to meditate with your eyes closed
There are meditation techniques where you don’t have to close your eyes (for example softly gazing at a candle for object in front of you). Personally, I like to close my eyes during meditation because it helps me to draw my attention inward.
5. Thoughts are not the enemy of meditation
You don’t have to empty your mind. We are not trying to turn off our thoughts and emotions. However, thinking is what our minds are supposed to do and meditation gives us an opportunity to pause and become aware of our thoughts and emotions without judgement.
6. Be kind to yourself
Listen to your body. Whatever practice you are doing, be kind to yourself and start your practice with small steps. When I worked in corporate and came home in the evening, I jumped straight to my to do list of household chores, paperwork and preparing dinner. Simply taking the time to sit down for 10 minutes with a cup of tea every day became a practice that I was able to commit to.
7. Meditation is not only for the early risers
Many clients tell me that they have difficulties to meditate in the morning. It is very common that we go straight to action mode in the mornings and there is simply not enough time or mental space to meditate. Try to practice at different times during the day and see what happens and what works best for you.
I often adapt my meditation practice as I’m not early bird but I’m not a night owl either. I’m somewhere in between and therefore work around my personal body clock.
(If you are unsure about your “chronotype” you can take a test here.)
8. Meditation really works
Research suggests that meditation can induce an overall sense of well-being. A consistent practice will change the neural pathways in the brain and can improve concentration, create equanimity, a more positive outlook on life and compassion towards ourselves and others. The positive effects show not just during or immediately after we meditate, but in all areas of our daily lives.
9. Meditation is a part of yoga
Meditation is part of yoga, an ancient and system which means to “unite” and to balance the body and the mind. In the Western world, we tend to separate the physical part of yoga from the mental and spiritual practice. In my courses, I refer to the different parts of Yoga (Patanjali’s eight-fold path of yoga) and how meditation fits into the bigger picture.
10. Keep it simple
Some days it’s enough to take 3 deep conscious breaths.
So my advice is to approach mindfulness and meditation with an open and curious mind and to try different techniques. Make meditation a daily habit. The right practice for you is the one you do. It’s better to start somewhere than not at all.
Is 2020 Stressing You Out?
Welcome to July! It’s hard to believe that we are already halfway through 2020. Do you also feel like this year is really testing the limits of how well we are coping with change, uncertainty, stress and how well we are attuned to our emotional landscape through all of this? In this blog I’ll share my personal half-year check-in and we’ll look into the nature of stress and how to build resilience.
In Australia, we experienced a devastating bushfire season at the end of 2019 and into January 2020. I live in a rural area in the middle of a national park and after spending most of my life in Europe, I have never experienced bushfires before and had to learn how to prepare for this danger to my physical safety. We had several months with a weather pattern that exposed us to one or two days of extreme fire danger every week with over 40 degrees and strong winds. On the news, they were showing how quickly and unpredictable the fires were spreading in coastal communities just like the one where I live. I slept very lightly, was always on alert and woke up at night to the smell of fire and smoke in the air. The smoke and embers traveled over long distances forcing me to stay inside to avoid the effects of the smoke burning in my eyes and lungs. I wore a face mask when I had to go out. This all feels like this was ages ago now.
Soon after the bushfire emergency, the world was thrown into a global pandemic. Apart from the potential risk to our own physical health and the health of vulnerable members of the community, for many people the COVID-19 pandemic comes with financial uncertainty, isolation, loneliness, separation from family & friends, and missing out on regular lifestyle routines like going to concerts, theatres and restaurants etc.
So, how can we navigate these unprecedented, uncertain times?
Firstly, let’s take a closer look at the nature of stress and what it does to our body and brain.
There are two different categories of perceived stress:
- Physical stress can be due to accidents, blood loss, natural disasters and will trigger a fast response to an acute danger that will trigger the release hormones like cortisol and adrenalin. Our heart rate goes up, digestion slows down, more blood flows to the muscles to prepare us for a “fight or flight” response and the liver will increase the production of glucose to get the body energy to act. The body quickly goes back to baseline once the physical stress is over.
- Psychological stress such as work deadlines, social rejection, loneliness, negative thoughts, perceived failure etc. trigger a slower and longer lasting stress response that can easily turn into chronic stress, where our body does not easily get back to baseline resulting in high cortisol levels for some individuals or fatigue and a lack of cortisol at the other end of the spectrum.
As individuals we all have a very different threshold to stress based on our life experience, memories and genetic predisposition. We are particularly vulnerable to stress at different points in our lives, especially during periods of massive change and sudden transition. I’m sure 2020 qualifies for both massive and sudden changes for many people. Chronic stress can lead to a range of health issues, e.g. depression, short-term forgetfulness, cognitive decline and a higher risk of Alzheimers disease.
It’s important to note that not all stress is bad for us. A certain amount of stress and tension is good for us to achieve goals and learn new skills through personal challenge. (TED talk for reference). We don’t have control over many of the triggers for stress (stressors) but we can learn how to deal better with stressful events, become more resilient and turn adversity into advantage:
Here are some tips how to build resilience:
- Exercise,
- Social support network
- Self-care and self-compassion
- Sleep (more info on the
Life Balance Project Sleep Blog)
- Managing emotional response (e.g. journalling)
- Creating a sense of purpose and autonomy
- Create a positive mindset & thoughts
- Mindfulness, meditation & relaxation
And in the words of Banksy’s latest artwork on the London tube:
“I get lockdown, but I get up again” (Banksy on YouTube)
For those interested in how we can use meditation techniques to counter stress and build resilience I invite you to check out my 5-Week Meditation Intensive starting Monday July 20th at 6:30pm (Sydney time).
Meditation and mindfulness are powerful tools that help me navigate these unprecedented and challenging times.
I started my meditation journey more than 20 years ago and practiced a variety of meditation and mindfulness techniques. I developed a deep knowledge and understanding of the benefits of meditation including the latest neuroscience research and I’m very excited to share this 5-Week Meditation Intensive online course with you for the first time. All sessions will be live and you can access the recordings via a private Facebook Group.
Take care and carry on, carrying on!
Lots of love,
Sandra
Let’s Talk About Sleep! 10 Ways to Improve your Sleep
Let’s Talk About Sleep – Part 1
The science and benefits of sleep, and 10 ways to improve your sleep
by Sandra Sperber
The following blog is my personal journey, not medical advice. If you are suffering from insomnia or restless leg syndrome, contact a health professional to rule out any other underlying health issue that may affect your sleep.
Sleep is one of my favourite topics but only a few years ago, I only slept 6 hours at night, worked long hours in the office and travelled a lot along with regular jet-lags. I only got through my day with several coffees and sugary treats in the afternoon when coffee just did not get me through the long work days. I felt depleted on the weekends and tried to catch up on sleep that I missed out on during the week. What I did not know back then was that it is not really possible to make up for sleep.
Today, I’m getting 8 hours of sleep relatively consistently every night. My journey to get more and better sleep started when I read Adriana Huffington’s book “Thrive” and how she made sleep her top priority. The book really inspired me to prioritise my own sleep by creating boundaries and taking more self-care. It also inspired me to learn more about why we sleep and how much sleep we really need.
In our busy lifestyles sleep is often undervalued, labelled as laziness or a waste of time, so hopefully I can convince you that sleep can be your super-power. But first, let’s look into the sleep science:
So, why do we sleep?
Sleep makes up approximately one third of our lives and all living organisms on the planet, no matter how small, sleep. Sleep is the foundation of our overall physical, mental and emotional health and it’s vital for our brain health.
Nothing will affect your wellbeing as quickly as missing out on just one night of sleep. The short-term effects commonly range from brain fog, slower reaction times and a difficulty in concentration. To give you more reasons to continue reading, chronic insomnia can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, reduced function of the immune system, memory loss and depression.
During sleep our brains are not inactive or resting. On the contrary, sleep is a highly organised state coordinated by the brain, body, environment and behaviour:
- When we sleep our brains are consolidating, optimising and sorting through external and internal stimuli and information from our day. Sleep is an important component of memory and learning.
- Only in recent years scientists discovered the Glymphatic system in the body which removes metabolic waste such as toxic proteins from the brain. It’s like a detox that is happening when we sleep and these proteins are linked to an increased risk of developing Dementia and Alzheimers disease.
- The internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle over 24 hours is called the Circadian rhythm and is triggered by light and darkness. Darkness will signal the brain to start the production of Melatonin in the pineal gland. Melatonin signals the brain that it’s time to sleep but it does not actually help with falling asleep or staying asleep. Other mechanisms in the brain and body initiate sleep. Long exposure to artificial light especially blue light waves can delay the Melatonin production.
- The second body system that regulates sleep is the sleep/wake drive. The longer we are awake, we will create a need and desire to sleep. You probably can think back to a really active day in your life when you went for a long hike or did physical work and you fell asleep very easily at night.
My personal journey to better sleep
Before I delved into a more theoretical study of sleep by completing a Neuroscience study course in 2018, I tried many different approaches. I started with using a sleep tracker app that summarised my sleep pattern and apart from the apps not being very accurate, it was not helpful for me. The more information I had, the more I focused on a bad night’s sleep and stressed about it.
I had to look at my habits and my “sleep hygiene”. I reduced the number of coffees and had only decaf coffee for a few months. When I started to drink coffee again, I only had one cup early in the morning and never after midday. This small change made a big difference for me but I also had to look at some other areas of my work life balance. I signed up for painting classes to take my mind off work, I tried to walk at least 10,000 steps every day and cut back on long work days to improve my work life balance. Finding my way back to better sleep was a very personal journey. After I left my corporate job 3 years ago, I took time off to travel and study. Apart from my ongoing studies of Yoga and Meditation, I completed a course in Applied Neuroscience and Brain Health in 2018.
Here are my 10 favourite tips for better sleep:
- Avoid caffeinated drinks late in the afternoon. Avoid alcohol and heavy meals before sleep. Alcohol makes us sleepy but it is a sedative that does not induce a normal sleep cycle.
- Switch off screens two hours before sleep and read a book instead. Replace blue light sources with softer yellow light.
- Only go to bed when you are tired and try to go to bed and wake up at the same time even on the weekends.
- Remove clocks from your bedroom and avoid checking the time when waking up during the night as this can cause additional stress.
- Make your bedroom a cool, calm and relaxing space. Invest in a good mattress and pillow.
- Take a warm shower or bath before bedtime. Our body temperature needs to cool down to signal our brain that we are ready to sleep. If you are not allergic, try using a few drops of lavender essential oil in the bedroom or use in a shower-gel or lotion. It’s been known for its calming and soothing effects.
- Often our busy brains keep us awake and we tend to “rehearse” the events of the following day. Try disrupting the stream of thought with simple techniques, e.g. thinking of unrelated words starting with a certain letter when you lie awake in bed. This technique is called “cognitive shuffle”, there are also Apps and Podcasts that can help with the task. Check out the list of resources below.
- Regular exercise and a healthy diet help with overall health and sleep quality.
- Practice yoga, meditation and other relaxation techniques, e.g. progressive muscle relaxation, body scan meditation, breathing techniques, restorative yoga.
- Lastly, there is a lot of research and good results from CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) related to sleep. Please note that I’m not a medical expert, check with your health professional to rule out any other causes if you are suffering from insomnia.
You can probably tell that I’m really passionate about sleep and health topics! Thank you for reading this blog. Please make sure to subscribe to the Life Balance Project newsletter on the website to be the first to learn about part 2 of my sleep blog and my meditation and yoga classes. In part 2 of the blog I’ll talk more about the sleep cycles, dreaming and what you can do if you are a young parent or shift-worker.
Also I added heaps links and resources below for you to check out. Enjoy and happy snoozing 🙂
Yours, Sandra
Videos:
- SBS Insight Episode on Sleep Hacks
- Neuroscientist Dr. Sarah McKay on the Neurobiology of napping Indulge in Your Neurobiology
- Life Balance Project: Guided Body Scan Meditation
Books:
1. Matthew Walker: Why We Sleep
2. Guy Leschziner: The Nocturnal Brain
Cognitive Shuffle Tools:
1. Sleep with Me Podcast
2. My Sleep Button App
Other resources:
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-solutions/sleep-tools-tips
Easy-Peasy Ratatouille Recipe
Hi friends,
Most countries are still in COVID-19 lockdown and after some days I really struggled with cooking healthy fresh meals at home. Take away meals are not really available where I live and a bit heavy on the budget. I also did not have much times as I was setting up my online yoga studio and trying to limit grocery shopping to once a week and I definitely did not want to compromise my healthy eating habits.
So, I came up with a simple weekly meal plan I wanted to share with you. Great for batch cooking, freezing and without a long list of ingredients. Here’s recipe number one: Easy-peasy ratatouille with oven roasted veggies. I love roasting veggies in the oven because I can use the time to do something else and it also gives the veggies a nice caramelisation. Good to save time and add more flavour – a win-win 🙂
Ingredients (serves 4):
2 Eggplants- 2 Zucchini
- 2 Red Capsicums
- 2 Tins of Diced Tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp Dried or 2 Tbsp Fresh Herbs (e.g. Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Oregano)
- Olive Oil
- Half a Cup of Chopped Black Olives
- A Dash of Red Wine (optional)
- 1 Garlic Clove, 1 Onion (optional)
- Salt, Pepper
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (fan-heated). Cut the veggies into big chunks (about
2 -3 cms – including the onion), add to a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, mix through and spread onto two baking trays lined with baking paper. Bake for approx. 45 minutes until they are just about to turn dark brown on the edges – this really adds to the caramel flavour of the veggies.
Empty two tins of diced tomatoes into a big saucepan, (I always add some water to the empty tins and rinse the tins to get out the rest of the tomato juice) add the herbs, chopped olives and garlic and bring to a simmer. Add a splash of red wine if you like and season with salt and pepper. Add the roasted veggies, stir through and it’s ready to serve with pasta, rice, bread or just by itself. To serve you can add some fresh basil – I added a teaspoon of homemade basil pesto and some fresh green chilis. Yum!
It also works well with my Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu to add protein to you meal! http://atomic-temporary-118473392.wpcomstaging.com/2020/03/22/salt-and-pepper-crispy-tofu/
Salt and Pepper Crispy Tofu
Hi there,
We are in the middle of a global pandemic crisis and food choices for protein might be limited in your local super market right now. It’s challenging times and means we all have to do more home cooking, so I’m going to share some recipes with you that are easy to make and keeping up your healthy diet during this time.
I hear you: Tofu? It doesn’t taste like anything but this recipe is worth a try even if you are a tofu sceptic 😉 It’s very versatile and you can make a big batch and add it to salads, soups, stir fries, anything really.
Here’s what you need:
- Good quality organic non-GMO firm tofu block (400g or 500g)
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Olive or coconut oil
Method:
- Use a paper towel or kitchen towel to soak up some water from the tofu.
- Preheat the oven to 180 to 200 degrees.
- Cut the tofu into 1cm dices and fry in a hot pan with olive or coconut oil on medium-high heat.
- Stir frequently or turn with tongs and brown the tofu evenly on all sides. This will take about 15 minutes.
- Add half a teaspoon of sea salt and black pepper and toss through.
- Spread the tofu dices onto a baking tray and bake for about 20 minutes until golden and crispy.
- While your tofu is in the oven you can prepare your salad or soup.
- It’s best eaten fresh but you can keep it in the fridge for 2 days.
Too easy, have fun and enjoy!
Vegan Salted Caramel Nice Cream
Dear friends,
I haven’t posted many recipes here. My website and social media posts are all about yoga, wellbeing, happiness and every time I make a healthy yummy treat I feel that I MUST share it with you. No surprise it’s another salted caramel flavour and yes, I’m addicted and 3 out of 3 recipes here have a salted caramel component in it 😉
Another obvious reason to share the salted caramel nice cream recipe is that it is summer in Australia and I love gelato. However, most gelato and certainly supermarket ice creams are very high in sugar, especially the salted caramel flavours. So here is a healthy, vegan, sugar free alternative for you. Try it and send me your feedback if you love it as much as I do. Ah….and it’s super easy and cheap to make too.
Ingredients:
- 2 frozen bananas (cut into pieces and freeze over night)
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1/2 cup of nut milk (I use home made almond milk)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- Vanilla extract
Put all the ingredients in a high speed blender (I’ve been using my Optimum 9400 blender for many years) or sometimes use a powerful stick blender (needs to be at least 400W, I use Russell Hobbs)
Blend until smooth, creamy and thick and add toppings to your liking and serve immediately. I added walnuts, banana slices and drizzled melted good quality vegan dark chocolate over it. What’s not to love?
Tip: I use frozen bananas as a basis for my nice creams, instead of the salted caramel version, you can add fruit to the bananas, e.g. mango. I also tried avocado nice cream once… stay tuned I’ll share the recipe soon.
Enjoy and stay healthy & happy and do more yoga 😉
Sandra ❤
Life Balance Project 