Tag: Food

My Anti-Aging Recipes — Fast and Healthy

The 10 best quick meals for long-term health and fitness!

These days, when it comes to cooking, there are three important benchmarks:

  1. It has to be quick.
  2. It has to be healthy.
  3. It has to taste good.

Here are 10 recipes for dishes that more than satisfy all three of these criteria. Each recipe serves 2 people and takes about 15 to 20 minutes to make.

  1. Russian Borscht Stew with Buckwheat
Feel younger with healthy food. Here: Russian Soup with vegetables , buckwheat, humous and sour cream.
Russian Stew with buckwheat
  • 1 medium-sized head white cabbage
  • 1 fresh red beet
  • 1 large carrot
  • 2 medium-sized tomatoes
  • 1 thick slice celery root
  • ½ a leek
  • 2-3 large mushrooms or 1 handful chanterelle mushrooms
  • 150 grams buckwheat grains
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable broth powder
  • Olive oil
  • Parsley

Slice the vegetables and the mushrooms. Boil 1 liter of water and add the vegetable broth powder to dissolve. Add the sliced vegetables, mushrooms, and buckwheat grains. Cook for 10 minutes at low heat. Finish with a generous dash of olive oil and a handful of chopped parsley.

Serve with a spoonful of hummus and/or sour cream.

  1. Fish fillet (for example, smoked mackerel, as shown here) with Fried Pimientos and Blue Cheese Porridge
Feel younger with healthy food. Here: Fish-filet with mush potatoes and roasted pimientos.
Fish-Filet with mush potatoes and roasted pimientos
  • 1 smoked mackerel
    • Alternative: use salmon or any other fish you prefer, season with salt, pepper, a tablespoon of olive oil, and a few drops of balsamic vinegar, then bake in foil for 20 minutes at 185 °
  • 1 bag of green pimientos (a.k.a. pimientos de padron)
  • 2 or 3 potatoes
  • 50 grams of blue cheese
  • 100 milliliters milk
  • Salt, pepper, and olive or rapeseed oil for sautéing
  • Fresh tomato slices for garnish

 

Remove the skin and bones from the mackerel. Fry the pimientos in oil with salt and pepper. Boil the potatoes in salted water, drain ¾ of the water, add the blue cheese and milk, and mash together with a fork or a potato masher.

Serve with a few slices of fresh tomato.

  1. Vegetable Pancakes with Herb Quark, Hummus, and Mixed Green Salad
Vegetable Pancakes with Herb Quark, Hummus, and Mixed Green Salad
Feel younger with healthy food

Vegetable pancakes (or potato pancakes), hummus, and herb quark from the deli counter at your favorite supermarket

  • Salad ingredients: organic mâche greens (a.k.a. lamb’s lettuce), ½ cucumber, 2 tomatoes, green onion
  • 2 tablespoons olive, sunflower, or MCT oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and pepper

 

Warm the vegetable pancakes in the oven at 180°C for 15 minutes. Combine the greens with the chopped cucumber, tomato, green onion, salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar.

Remove the vegetable pancakes from the oven, place on large plate, top with herb quark and hummus, and serve with salad on the side.

  1. The Classic: Fried Potatoes with Eggs Sunny-Side-Up and Fresh Sauerkraut
Antiaging with healthy food. Here roasted potatoes with fried eggs and sauerkraut-salad.
Fried potatoes with eggs and sauerkraut-salad.
  • 2 or 3 new potatoes
  • Organic eggs
  • 150 grams fresh sauerkraut per person (barrel-cured is best)
  • 1 or 2 green onions, chopped
  • Seasoned salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • Caraway seeds
  • 1 tablespoon flaxseed or sunflower oil
  • Rapeseed or olive oil for frying

 

Peel potatoes and slice them as you prefer. Place potatoes in a skillet with olive or rapeseed oil and chopped green onion and brown for 7-10 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, combine the maple syrup, a pinch of caraway seeds, and flaxseed oil with the sauerkraut. Place the fried potatoes on a large plate with the sauerkraut on the side. Cook the eggs in the same skillet you used to fry the potatoes, sprinkling them with seasoned salt. Lay the eggs atop the fried potatoes and serve.

  1. Red Lentil-Vegetable Soup
Antiaging with healthy food! Here Red Lentil Soup with fresh vegetables.
Red Lentil Soup with vegetables
  • 500 milliliters organic vegetable broth
  • 200 grams red lentils
  • 50 grams fresh ginger
  • 100 grams chanterelle or porcini mushrooms
  • 200 grams broccoli, green asparagus, or another favorite vegetable
  • 1 bunch of “soup vegetables” (1 rib celery or 1 piece of celery root, 1 leek, 1 handful curly parsley, and 1 carrot, as needed)
  • 2 tablespoons olive or MCT oil
  • Parsley

 

Bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Rinse the lentils and add them to the broth. Grate the ginger directly into the broth. Wash and chop the mushrooms and vegetables, and add them to the pot. Cook for 10 minutes. Finish with oil and a handful of parsley.

Serve the soup with a spoonful of sour cream.

  1. Tortellini with Jumbo Shrimp
Antiaging with healthy food! Here Tortellini with Jumbo Shrimp, Carlic, Tomato and Parmesan-Cheese.
Tortellini with Jumbo Shrimp
  • 1 package fresh tortellini pasta
  • 400 grams jumbo shrimp
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 2 medium-sized tomatoes
  • 4-5 marinated sun-dried tomatoes
  • 100 grams whole green olives
  • 1 chili pepper
  • 1 tablespoon organic vegetable broth powder
  • 30 grams of Parmesan cheese
  • Olive or rapeseed oil for sautéing

Add shrimp, vegetable broth powder, chopped green onions, olives, and chili to a wok and sauté in olive oil. Meanwhile, chop the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh tomatoes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt, and add tortellini, cooking for about 4 minutes. Drain the pasta. When the shrimp are red and cooked through, add the rest of the chopped vegetables to the wok, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Add the drained tortellini to the wok and stir to combine.

Serve in pasta bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan.

  1. Mixed Green Salad with Seaweed and Tofu
Antiaging with healthy food! Here green leaves salad with seawead and roasted tofu.
Green salad with seawead and roasted tofu
  • 250 grams mâche greens (a.k.a. lamb’s lettuce)
  • 2 or 3 medium-sized tomatoes
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 green onion
  • Seaweed salad from the deli counter
  • Your favorite salad dressing
  • 200 grams firm tofu
  • 50 milliliters soy sauce
  • Rapeseed oil for sautéing

 

Cut tofu in to large pieces and marinate for 10 minutes in soy sauce. Chop the salad ingredients and combine with the dressing. Serve on two large plates, spooning the seaweed salad over the top. Heat oil in a wok and cook the soy sauce-marinated tofu until well browned.

Arrange the browned tofu pieces over the salad and serve.

  1. Kefir-Spelt Pancakes with Cottage Cheese
Antiaging with healthy food! Here Kefir-Spelt Pancakes with cottage cheese.
Kefir-Spelt Pancakes with cottage cheese
  • 250 milliliters kefir
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 heaping tablespoons spelt flour
  • Cottage cheese
  • 1 container fresh raspberries
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Flaxseeds (about 1 tablespoon)
  • A pinch of salt
  • Butter, plus oil for cooking

 

Preheat oven to approximately 70°C. Combine the kefir, eggs, and spelt flour, and add a pinch of salt. In a small pan, fry the pancakes in a little oil, brush them with butter, and place them in the preheated oven on a plate to keep warm. In a bowl, smash the raspberries and combine them with honey and flaxseeds.

Serve the pancakes with cottage cheese and garnish with spoonfuls of the raspberry mixture.

  1. Pasta with Stir-fried Zucchini and Mozzarella
Antiaging with healthy food! Here Fresh Pasta with vegetables and Mozzarella
Pasta with vegetables and Mozzarella
  • 2 small zucchini
  • 1 green onion
  • ½ red bell pepper
  • 100 grams of your favorite mushroom
  • 2 medium-sized tomatoes
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tablespoon organic vegetable broth powder
  • 2 large balls of fresh mozzarella
  • 30 grams Parmesan cheese
  • Oil for sautéing
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Tagliatelle noodles for two

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the package directions. Drain. Chop the vegetables, mushrooms, tomato, and garlic and sauté in a large skillet with oil, vegetable broth powder, and ground pepper. Add the cooked, drained pasta to the skillet and stir well to combine.

Divide into two pasta bowls, top each with a ball of mozzarella, and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan.

  1. Sautéed Vegetables with Chicken Strips
Antiaging with healthy food! Here fried vegetables with chicken strips and fresh tomato
Roasted vegetables with chicken strips

300 grams boneless, skinless chicken breast

300 grams green asparagus (or another favorite vegetable)

Green onion

1 yellow bell pepper

1 rib celery

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

Balsamic vinegar, approximately 1 tablespoon

1 tablespoon organic vegetable broth powder

1 medium-sized tomato

Marinate chicken breast in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste for 1 hour. After marinating, cut chicken breast into strips.

Chop the asparagus (or other vegetable), green onion, yellow bell pepper, celery, and garlic and sauté in olive oil for 5-7 minutes. Divide the vegetables between two plates. While the pan is still hot, brown the chicken strips for 3-4 minutes over high heat. Place the browned chicken strips on top of the vegetables. Garnish with slices of fresh tomato.

Voilà.

Bon Appétit!

 

Biohacking – optimize yourself!

Thanks to a tip, my interest in an extraordinary movement—still relatively new in the German-speaking world—was aroused. In July 2019 I followed up on that tip and attended the international biohacking conference, the “FlowFest 2019” in Munich.

During the conference, I familiarized myself with a range of topics and practices in the biohacking scene.

What is biohacking?

It refers to our individual power to increase our physical and mental potential—as well as that of the environment—in order to enhance well-being and performance.

On a beautiful sunny July morning, hundreds of cheerful, healthy-looking, multilingual people flocked to the courtyard of the old factory on Munich’s Prater Island. Their aim? To exchange ideas about new health trends and further increase awareness around issues related to body and mind.

The host was former high performance athlete Max Gotzler.

He is the founder of “FlowGrade” and one of the leading representatives of the biohacking movement. Conference participants spoke German, English, Dutch, and Finnish, along with other languages I couldn’t identify. There were various lectures and multiple workshops on offer.

The conference also brought together a number of outstanding speakers and guests. A sun-worshipping neurosurgeon from the United States, a scientist and keto nutrition advocate, and a self-made biohacker from the Netherlands. He climbs into a tub of ice water for 2 minutes every morning and doesn’t eat his first real meal until 2 p.m.

There was also a scary-looking bodybuilder who won over the audience by lovingly demonstrating stretching exercises to relieve back pain.

Equipment vendors and various representatives for a range of nutritional supplements were also part of the festivities.

I was especially impressed with a red light lamp that supposedly has miraculous biohacking effects beyond heating. Vitamins, magic-powder concoctions, special mattress covers, and magnetic field-zapping devices were naturally part of the offerings, too.

Completing the picture were numerous books about advanced forms of exercise and sports equipment. During lunch, there were only organic and natural lemonades to drink, of course.

Despite feeling slightly critical, I still learned a lot and took away plenty of lessons from the conference!

Here are my everyday biohacking tips for everyone:

  • Every morning after waking up, a yoga sun salutation, followed by a 30-second cold shower
  • A 10-minute walk before breakfast, if possible
  • 1 hour of exercise 3 times per week: ¾ cardio and ¼ strength training
  • After exercise, 400mg magnesium plus calcium in the form of a sports drink
  • As often as possible, choose only steamed vegetables or salads as side dishes for a protein source
  • Spend 20 minutes in the sun every day, even when it’s cloudy
  • Avoid elevators whenever possible
  • Meditate for 10 minutes before going to sleep

Violà.

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FLOWFEST 2019, MUNICH

Away with micro-inflammations!

Its common knowledge that as we get older the body’s repair processes take longer—and sometimes don’t function as It’well as they should.

What’s lesser known is that countless, barely detectable micro-inflammations are often the cause of the body’s inability to repair itself. These micro-inflammations are small accumulations of immune system.  Cells and substances that, in line with their purpose, get rid of the body’s own “waste.”

In the process, the body disposes of immune system cells.  They creates an even greater amount of waste, which in turn attracts other cells. This can put a strain on the body.

If we want to lower our biological age, we want to improve the body’s ability to repair itself and clear out what we don’t need.

As I mentioned in my post BioAge: How you can lower your Biological Age  regular exercise and good nutrition can have a positive impact on your body’s repair processes.  It help you create less waste in the first place.

Besides incorporating exercise and practicing good nutrition, it’s important to prevent the body from overreacting to inflammation—and getting rid of valuable immune system cells in the process.

Anti-inflammatory substances can be helpful here. Cortisone, for example, is one of the greatest discoveries in modern medicine. For some inflammation-related diseases, it’s the remedy of choice.

For healthy people, however, natural substances—such as those contained in plants, fruit, and berries—represent a perfectly adequate way to reduce inflammation. Cherries, raspberries and turmeric are particularly good sources of anti-inflammatory substances. Red wine, which contains a polyphenol called resveratrol, is also a well-known source of anti-inflammatory nutrients.

Here’s my recipe for preventing micro-inflammations:
  •  A handful of cherries or raspberries every day
  • Every 3 months for two weeks: turmeric capsules OR a delicious dish with turmeric twice a week
  • Twice a week: a glass of red wine or resveratrol supplements

Voilá.

 

Do we need nutritional supplements?

If I had to answer this question with “yes” or “no,” I would say “yes.”

However, it depends on which nutritional supplements you’re considering, as well as the dosage and the time of year.

First and foremost, I want to talk about vitamin D. These days, there’s a lot of debate about vitamin D, and experts often have opposing opinions about it. In this case, I would go with golden mean and recommend 500 I.U. of vitamin D every other day during the winter months from November to May. Ideally, combine it with calcium and vitamin K.

At this dosage, you’re neither in danger of exceeding the recommended daily allowance nor of having a deficiency (which is due to a lack of UV radiation, which ultimately leads to the formation of vitamin D in the skin).

Vitamin D with calcium promotes strong bones, a resilient immune system—and can improve your mood.

In addition to vitamin D, I recommend a 4-week B vitamin treatment every 2 months. If you’re a vegan, B vitamin treatments are indispensable, especially vitamin B12 (which you should take on a daily basis).

For women, along with B vitamin treatments, taking iron supplements is also a good idea.

For people over age 60, every two months I recommend a 4-week treatment with supplements that promote cartilage formation: 500 mg glucosamine hydrochloride and 400 mg chondroitin sulphate per day. In combination with moderate exercise, this regimen can considerably delay cartilage decay, which in turn helps you avoid (or lesson) arthritis-related pain and reduce the need for a possible operation in the long-term.

As part of this cartilage-building regimen, I also recommend taking 12 mg of vitamin E per day. During periods when you’re not taking vitamin E, make sure your diet is rich in flaxseed, pumpkin, or sunflower oil. You can easily sprinkle these oils over your food, for example.

I also want to mention the importance of taking  selenium, which prevents micro-inflammations and can thus help counteract the development of cancer cells. 50 mg of selenium per day is sufficient.

In summary:

  • Every 2 months for 4 weeks: B vitamin treatment (for women, in combination with iron supplements), plus 50 mg selenium per day
  • From November to May: 500 I.U of vitamin D + calcium and vitamin K every other day
  • For people over 60, every 2 months for 4 weeks: cartilage-building supplements + 12 mg vitamin E per day
  • On days when you exercise, I recommend a sports drink that contains 400 mg of magnesium

What about “designer” supplements that claim to boost your mental faculties? I classify them under the motto, “take them if it helps.”

For  women who happen to be in a menopause mood Menopause; a myth?

Voilà.

LOSE WEIGHT THE RIGHT WAY!

“Weight loss” is a powerful term that leads many people to believe they’re carrying around “more than they need.”

Being at a lower body weight means being in good health, looking good, and enjoying a higher quality of life. Which is partly true. Inevitably, when we’re thinking about weight loss, the first thought that comes to mind is: which diet is best? That is, which diet is the fastest way to melt away those cushions of fat?

The answers to this question—in the form of dietary suggestions and tools—are all over the media, in pharmacies, and on the market. This helps generate big sales in the diet and wellness industries.

In my opinion, however, no diet on its own is capable of helping us lose weight!

Besides that, women in particular need a certain amount of body fat to stay healthy. My post Love your fat cushions! has more information about this idea.

Instead of starting with diet, we want to approach weight loss from the other end. In other words, we want to ask ourselves:

“What do I do?” instead of “What do I eat?”

First and foremost, when it comes to weight loss, we have to give up our “I’m feeling lazy” diet! Why? One of the best ways to decrease body fat is to increase muscle mass through exercise and sports.

Even when we’re at rest, our muscles burn energy. In other words, our muscles are the best natural weight-loss remedy that comes from within.

But this doesn’t mean that exercising gives you permission to pig out. There are still a few rules to follow here. Still, there’s nothing wrong with indulging yourself now and then. In fact, it’s a good idea to do it occasionally. Why? Giving yourself permission to splurge contributes to feelings of inner satisfaction—and to your long-term success!

Here’s my strategy for successful, long-term weight loss:
  • 3 times/week: 1 hour of exercise (45 minutes of cardio and 15 minutes of strength training)
  • 2 times/week: 20 minutes of stretching and/or yoga
  • 1 time/week: 15-30 minutes of dancing
  • 1 time/week: Rest
Nutrition: not so many carbs, lots of protein, fresh vegetables, 2-3 liters of sugar-free/alcohol-free fluids per day

Voilà.

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NUTRITION – The perfect day

Breakfast

● Low-carb muesli with plain yogurt and nuts
● Strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries
● Large cup of green tea

Lunch

● Red lentil vegetable soup with a dash of sour cream and flaxseed oil
● 1 apple or 1 orange

Afternoon Snack
● 1 protein shake
● 1 piece of fruit or a handful of berries

Dinner

● Salmon filet baked in parchment with a side of steamed vegetables or potatoes
● Spinach and tomato salad with pumpkin seed oil

Throughout the day, drink two liters of still water and unsweetened tea. Allow 16 hours between dinner and breakfast—an interval fasting quickie cleanse!

Voilà.