LIFE HACKS – Agapi.Style

About food

I have been immersed in the topic of nutrition for a long time, both as a gastro expert, and as a cook, and as a healthy person. What I just did not try, what I just did not get carried away on this path. As a result, I came to the conclusion that there are no general rules in nutrition, honestly. I regularly come across confirmation of this.

I feel as comfortable as possible in my own power system that suits ME (which changes regularly with me), and I sincerely wish you to find YOUR OWN.

How to do it? To try) Look for specialists in the heart, experiment yourself. The main thing is to be careful of yourself and observe how the body reacts. If you are cheerful, you are in a good mood, you have a lot of energy, it’s easy for you, your body is healthy, then you are on the right track.

Although, there is one general rule: what you sincerely believe from the bottom of your heart will work for you.

How I became healthy

In recent years, I have hardly visited doctors, there is no need. In my life there were only standard preventive visits to the dentist and a general check-up once a year. Of course, I like to go to an osteopath and a cosmetologist, but, by and large, this is not a mandatory program.

Also, there are practically no medications in my life, except for painkillers for extreme cases and some occasional vitamins, which I also don’t really like.

But this was not always the case. I used to not leave the house without a huge first-aid kit, and in childhood I was generally some kind of eternally sick child.

I wouldn’t have told all this here in my life if a very cool doctor hadn’t told me at the next check-up that she was shocked by my state of health, like it’s rare. And she also said that I need to teach people how to live like this in order to be in the same health. Honestly, I was taken aback, because for me this transition from infirm to healthy was not noticeable, everything happened smoothly.

I thank my therapist for the motivational kick. I will try to tell you more about my lifestyle, I hope it will be useful to someone. I must say right away that I worked with myself mainly on a mental level. At the level of physics, I experimented with nutrition, physical exertion and climate change, but I won’t say that it’s fanatical. I am definitely not a fierce zozhnik and athlete. In general, I will try to reveal this topic, I hope my experience will be useful, will support, will give thoughts for reflection.

Below are the steps I went through along the way:

1. All my childhood and adolescence I was constantly treated. Nothing criminal, but a lot of all sorts of ailments that worsened the quality of life. It seems that I accepted such a reality, and I could not imagine another one. But the paradox was that the doctors changed, and my symptoms did not go away, from the word at all. And if at first I took the phrase “you just weren’t treated like that” with enthusiasm, then later I couldn’t hear it. I lived with the belief that I had zero immunity, and I was a complete wreck.

2. When I grew up, I started going to the doctors myself, buying pills and other similar “entertainments”. Then I realized a few things. No one can cure anything, for a fee / for free / on recommendation or without – it doesn’t matter, the effect is zero. I spend too much time on this, I spend a lot of money on treatments and pills. I see things in clinics and hospitals that frustrate me. As a result, I was tired of everything and decided to take a break. That is, I gave up on everything and decided that I was already normal. The most interesting thing is that gradually my sores started to score on me too))) The symptoms began to recede. It was only later that I realized that I had given my psyche a rest, allowed myself not to be sick, and indeed gradually became so.

3. One day I opened the closet and realized that my first-aid kits occupy 4 spacious shelves! This is not counting the two cosmetic bags with medicines that I always (just in case) carried with me in my bag. I am a young girl, and I have a pharmacy at home! It made me uneasy. I decided that I didn’t plan to get sick anymore, and that I never needed these pills (as a result, it really happened). I took and threw out almost all the medicines in the house. But this decision was not a superficial impulse, but the strongest cry of the soul. The most important thing is that at the same time I got the belief that the body itself knows how to regenerate, it just doesn’t need to be disturbed.

The desire to feel good and the belief that it is possible is the foundation of the basics in my case. Desire and faith are the first medicines that helped me.

4. Faith in yourself alone will not cure you right away. I realized that I needed knowledge about my own body. Having delved into this topic, I found that treatment protocols are mainly aimed at eliminating symptoms, and few people find and work with the causes of diseases. I also studied the effects of all the drugs that I have ever been prescribed. As a result, it turned out that for any sneeze, approximately the same groups of drugs are prescribed, only under different names. And often the effect to which they should lead can be achieved with a healthy lifestyle. I decided to experiment. I began to monitor the rest and activity regime, began to drink enough water and eat moderately. And, bingo, it worked!

5. Yes, it helped me feel much better, but it did not remove the illness until the end. And I decided to try alternative treatments. For me, some of them turned out to be effective. I spent a long time finding out why, and then I realized that their impact was not only on physics, but also on the mental component. I began to work in this direction with myself – just at that time I was learning the basics of psychology and various esoteric practices.

6. As a result of several years of research, I discovered that my illnesses had 3 causes. This is either the program I believed in (a cold sore throat, a draft will blow and a bunch of other more serious ones). This is a loss of energy. For example, she got nervous, got angry – she lost a lot of strength on this, weakened from this and became susceptible to the disease. And the third reason is a weak body.

7. At the moment, I have 99% closed the issues with those diseases that have been with me since childhood, and I do not plan to pick up new ones. I managed to do this thanks to a comprehensive work with thoughts, feelings, and the state of the body. That is, all aspects are important and related.

I want to note right away that just repeating after someone doesn’t work. We are all very individual. Everyone needs their own method and approach. The general thing is that you need to work with yourself comprehensively, as I mentioned above.

I also decided to write some of my general conclusions:

If you suddenly thought that I was denying medicine, then this is not so. I have a lot of respect for the work of doctors, especially those who are constantly developing, and in addition to knowledge has some kind of magical flair, each patient selects treatment very delicately and individually. Doctors from God speak about such people. I do not deny any methods of treatment at all, because everyone chooses them for himself. Whoever believes in what works for him.

In addition to work on the part of doctors and other representatives of helping professions, you need to work yourself. If you don’t want to be healthy, you don’t believe in this possibility, most likely no one will help you. You should always remember about your own responsibility to your life, and not put it on the shoulders of others.

Belief in your health is like internal immunity. If you believe in your strength, you spread it through all the cells of the body, if you doubt it, that’s it, you are susceptible to the disease. Admitting illness to the edge of thought is a great chance to get it.

Everything that happens to you in physics is always a consequence. And injuries, too, and exposure to viruses, and chronic, everything in general. The reason is always mental. Another question is that a strong body sometimes compensates for a sore head. Therefore, I repeat again, you always need to pay attention to yourself comprehensively: both soul and body.

About water

Everyone has long been aware of its properties and effects on well-being and life in general.

Here I want to tell you about my preferences and life hacks related to water.:

• The water must be clean. You can make a sample in the laboratory, but it is equally important how it tastes to you. If you don’t like the taste, don’t drink it. I determine purity on my own intuitively and have taught my loved ones to distinguish water by taste/ smell. They didn’t notice it before, but now they’re almost as scrupulous as I am in this matter.

• In Moscow, I have a 3-stage water purification filter. I drink it. And I cook on it. It’s not mountain water, but for me it’s the best option in the capital.

• I really like some brands of water, but since I am against unnecessary waste, I rarely buy it now.

• I also got a bottle in which I pour water with myself.

• I drink a lot of water, I don’t even count. I drink as much as I want. When I want to, then I drink. I always have water in access and in sight, so that it is convenient.

• I sincerely like to drink a glass of water on an empty stomach, and not because everyone recommends doing so.

• I rarely drink cold water. Usually I drink lukewarm or room temperature.

I rarely drink carbonated water. But sometimes I really want a fizzy drink.

• Technical issues. The water glasses at my house are large – 450ml, it’s inconvenient to drink from small ones, constantly adding more is a fuss. A bottle that is with you should also be comfortable and cute, otherwise you will not use it.

• Pour yourself some water before you start cooking. This is a very simple life hack, but very necessary. The fact is that during the cooking process we get pretty dehydrated, and if you don’t pour yourself some water in advance, then in the process you will spin and you won’t pour it exactly. Either your hands are dirty, or you just don’t notice thirst.

That’s probably all. If I remember something on this topic, I will supplement the post.

Aromatherapy, 2 important points

Once again I noticed that aromatherapy is very similar to me. For those who will try the method on themselves, I want to share two main nuances:

1. Essential oil is not a cheap oily substance. A real essence that really works is quite expensive, it has a document (chromatogram) and most likely you will not buy it in a regular pharmacy / healthy lifestyle store.

I will not recommend any brands, I will only say that if you are not in the topic, then first you should contact specialists in this field and consult with them, and then order a product from trusted manufacturers. Because synthetic oil with flavoring, which is passed off as a natural product, can do harm, sometimes quite a lot.

2. Despite the fact that essential oil heals not with aroma (!), but with its unique formula, property, I still recommend that you familiarize yourself with its smell before buying. If you don’t like it, then the magic between you and this medicine probably won’t happen. Fortunately, many oils are interchangeable, or instead of one, you can use several at once, which will create the desired effect in the union.

I wish you only pleasant aromas that fully correspond to you. I also wish you good health and competent specialists on your way.

P.S. These are roses from our dacha, they have a simply stunning aroma, subtle and multifaceted.

Knowledge, awareness and nutrition

Knowledge about nutrition is information that helps you navigate the abundance of food and make your diet balanced. Of course, everyone uses different knowledge, but the essence of knowledge about PP is exactly this. Help a person to be cheerful and healthy.

But knowledge alone is not enough. Awareness is also important. In my opinion, in the context of nutrition, it is the ability to feel hungry/full, and know the answers to the questions: what do you want to eat and why do you want to eat it.

When there is knowledge without awareness:

you can know that it Is bad to overeat, but not realize that you are already full, and still overeat. You can know that you are eating a conditionally useful product, but do not notice that you have a negative reaction to it, and continue to eat it, bringing harm to yourself, not benefit. Etc. etc.

When awareness is added to knowledge:

1. you will notice the true hunger and give the body the necessary energy.

2. you will notice a false hunger and that you are reaching for food from fatigue to calm down, etc. With this awareness, you can make a decision to eat or not to eat. Maybe you just need to rest, calm down, and there will be no need to eat. With automatic, unconscious eating, you don’t have that choice. You just eat and that’s it.

3. You’ll notice the point of saturation and will not overload the body with excessive amounts of food. Or you will overeat, but consciously, but you will enjoy it, for an important holiday, for example. If this happens periodically, and not systematically – why not! The main thing is that it will be your choice, you control it yourself.

4. You will choose what you want to eat based on their needs and goals. I know people who can’t choose what to eat, they don’t care, they can’t hear themselves. About what joy and pleasure from food here you can talk, and about health, too.

5. you will notice the impact of a particular type of product on you personally, and you will be able to make an informed decision whether to eat it or not.

So when there is awareness, there is choice. You choose not just your food, but how you feel, how much energy you have, how you look, and what emotions you get from eating. I think all this is very important.

How to develop awareness.

There are a million articles on this topic on the Internet, but it is about nutrition that I can recommend two of my proven simple ways:

1. Keep a food diary.

Especially when you notice discomfort. For example, bloating, skin rashes, puffiness and other “charms”. The main thing is not to jump to conclusions. To make them, you need to notice clear patterns. Sometimes it is not the product that is affected, but the product of a particular manufacturer, the method of preparation, or the combination of products. Everything is very important and individual. Also, thanks to the diary, you will be able to evaluate those groups of products that are not enough in the diet.

2. Ask yourself questions.

I’m really hungry/full, but what exactly do I want, why? And if I want something and I’m allergic to it. It really will bring me so much joy that I am ready to suffer a little, but to enjoy the food, or it is important for me that the body is comfortable. It sounds a little difficult, but in fact these are instant questions and answers, the main thing is to ask yourself and hear honest answers)

I wish you health and awareness in everything!

What to cook when you changed your diet

By changing the diet, I mean removing and/or adding a product or group of products from my usual menu. Anyone who has ever changed something in the diet, faced with the feeling that almost all the usual food does not fit into the new system, and “there is nothing to eat”. To avoid confusion, I will tell you how this process is organized for me:

1. the most important thing in any changes with yourself is to take your time and do everything as consciously and thoughtfully as possible. Understand why, and consult with specialists if necessary.

2. If you’re out, be sure to find a suitable alternative.

This applies both to the nutritional value of the product (remove the milk – include other products with calcium, do not eat meat-look for another protein, etc.), and emotional. If you had a great time having tea with your family, but decided not to eat sweets anymore, and empty tea is boring to drink, then you need to learn how to cook/find where to buy desserts without sugar. This way your traditions will be preserved, and the new diet will be observed.

3. Think through the menu.

Adding unfamiliar products to your consumer basket and learning new recipes is difficult as you change your habits. Of course, you need to give yourself time, but there is something you need))) Therefore, at the first stage, I recommend that you simply adapt your current menu. This is much easier than starting with “0”. What should I do?

* Write out everything-everything that you usually cook, so don’t be lazy.

* Then choose from the list what fits into the new diet.

• The rest of the dishes are studied to see if they can be adjusted to reflect the innovations. Sometimes, if something is removed/added/replaced, the concept of the dish does not fall apart, it may even taste better.

* Anything that can’t be modified and is no longer suitable for you – exclude.

In theory, you will have a fairly large list of dishes that you are familiar with. In the meantime, use it, and learn new things in parallel;) So you won’t have any stress, or almost none))

IMPORTANT. All the way through changes in the diet – watch the reaction of the body. Don’t hurt yourself.

About all types of rice from the point of view of cooking and health

In this post I want to talk about the nuances about rice, which personally were most useful to me when getting acquainted with this product.

So, what types of rice can be found in stores. I will list the color palette of the grain (and not specific varieties), and explain what is what:

1. White grain-processed grain without a top layer consisting of a hard shell and Bran. White rice is simply polished, and sometimes even steamed before that. Such a grain is obtained as a result of steam treatment, during which it absorbs vitamins and minerals from Bran. Steamed rice has a yellow-beige hue, a harder structure, cooks longer and turns out crumbly. Periodically I buy it for side dishes. Also from processed varieties I buy glutinous rice for sushi, Arborio for risotto and any round-grain for porridge.

2. brown or brown/red/pink/purple/black – a grain that has removed the hard outer shell, but retained the nutrient layer (Bran). The colors of rice are the pigment of the bran of each particular variety. I love brown rice, especially jasmine or basmati. The most fragrant varieties in the world! I use them for garnish or dishes like Stir Fry/pilaf. And I like black rice, because it looks very cool in some dishes.

3. Green-just unripe brown rice.

4. Wild (not to be confused with black, although they are the same color!). This is a really wild plant, called Zizania / Zizania, not seeded rice. But since the fruits of this grass also began to be called rice (Wild rice), I will write about it. Its grains are more like dry needles from a spruce, and not like rice. It is cooked for a long time and always turns out crumbly. In its pure form, I do not like, but in a mixture with other types of rice – very much.

5. Yellow (Golden) – a specially bred variety (GMO), the grains of which contain a large amount of beta-carotene. It is designed to improve the quality of nutrition in countries where the population is deficient in vitamin A. I have never eaten this, but I know about its existence.

When the trend for Whole Foods began, white rice undeservedly began to be deprived of attention and began to buy any just not him. In fact, each type of rice has its pros and cons in terms of micronutrient composition and digestibility.

Therefore, I came to the conclusion that it is best to simply alternate between different types of rice in order to take all the benefits from it as much as possible. Moreover, for different dishes, just different varieties are needed. You can also make a mixture of different types of rice, as long as they have about the same cooking time.

Basmati and Jasmine are most often bought in stores The Shanghai bowler and Indian spices and all other types of rice chaotically in supermarkets and online.

If you have some rice tricks or like some Maker, Share if you want. In the comments or in PM, as convenient. I will be very grateful)

Garlic life hacks

I’ll talk about how I peel garlic, preserved and baked.

Storage.

First, I must say that I am always very lazy to peel garlic to every dish I cook, and I need it often. So I just clean it in large quantity, thoroughly washed, dried and put in sealed glass jar. Store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks, it is perfectly preserved and always at hand. Try too, very convenient!

Cleaning.

Now it is logical to talk about how to simplify your cleaning garlic. Personally, I perfect method to soak it in water for hours. So the peel is softened and easier behind.

There is another way of blanching for 15-20 seconds, or heat in the microwave too for 15-20 seconds. After cooling, the garlic is much easier to clean. But this method is good solely to use the garlic immediately, and in hot dishes because when cooked it changes its taste and appearance is slightly different from fresh.

Baking.

I quite often use roasted garlic for sauces and various dips. He gives a very interesting aroma and flavor, delicately fresh garlic. For baking do not even need to turn on the oven. Simply roasting vegetables or hot dishes, usually throw a couple heads of garlic to them.

As I prepare it for baking:

My garlic, cut a bit of the rind from the top perpendicular to the slices, wrap in foil, spread on a baking sheet and baked at 180C for approximately 30-40 minutes. Then just squeeze the baked garlic cloves through the previously made cuts. This garlic is perfect stored in the fridge for a week exactly, it is possible to a few dishes at once bake.

Examples of dishes with roasted garlic:

My favorite hummus with roasted garlic Baba ghanoush/the babaganoush was Hummus with caramelized carrots Hummus with smoke from roasted peppers and garlic

My main rule defrost

Usually I defrost food in some kind of container (deep plate, bowl, tray, etc.).

I don’t know how it happened, but a couple of times I put frozen food just like that without anything, and for some reason on the top shelf of the refrigerator.

Once it was a bag of cherries, in which there was a micro-hole, and it turned out of course not immediately, and when everything melted, all the cherry juice poured out of the bag, and my refrigerator turned into props for a horror movie)))

And just recently I defrosted seafood, and made the same mistake. For a long time I had to get rid of the persistent aroma of the “sea breeze”…

After such entertainment, I even decided to write this post to always remember about simple things and not throw myself unnecessary work on washing the refrigerator and everything in it))

What I mean by the term PP (the right food)

I noticed that everyone puts in these “PP” letters are completely different meanings, and decided to share my opinion on this matter.

Get 10 points:

1. Why is this even necessary.

Proper nutrition for health, vigorous good health and, as a bonus, for an attractive appearance. That is, for me it is not a trend and not a way to lose weight, but a way of life.

2. Balance.

There are different food groups (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fruits and vegetables, dairy products/alterantive milk, rich in calcium). I eat them all and eat balanced.

3. The rejection of some types of products only in the most extreme case.

If something’s got to give, it is necessary to balance the diet with foods with similar nutritional value.

4. Variety.

I always enter into the diet of different types of products and experiment. For example, a protein not only from meat to as well as from poultry, fish, seafood, legumes. Similarly with all the food groups. Trying new things – very interesting and tasty)

5. Not eating/minimizing added sugar, fast food, fat (especially TRANS fats), processed foods, processed foods, dyes, flavorings, flavor enhancers.

All this “evil” there are alternatives, and they taste better. When I started to cook, I realized how high quality and tasty, you can make even the most “unhealthy” dish.

6. The detoxes and fasts – no.

Habit to bring himself to a terrible state, and then sit back on the juice or not eat at all, you need to reconsider. This pursuit of a quick result – the worst mistake. This stress on the body, which may appear not the most pleasant consequences. I’m all for proper nutrition has become the norm and routine, and not an event.

7. No to all the other extremes.

Do not overeat and do not starve yourself. No need to beat yourself up if you ate something “unhealthy”.

8. It is important to include critical thinking.

In many minds there are a variety of installation, proper nutrition “has had whites only”, “not eating gluten”, “not drinking milk”, “do not eat after 6 PM”… Can continue indefinitely. Each of these beliefs may be someone to hurt, someone to help. To be healthy, you need to think and try to understand the issue, listen to professionals, but be sure to look at the reaction of his body.

9. Physical activity.

The point is not about the food, but it’s important. Even if you do not live sport, then do your normal steps per day and do not neglect any physical activity (cleaning, playing with the kids and type).

10. I love the food!

The food is great. I do not understand how you can Hatice food or to avoid it, it’s necessary boon to us.