UMEBOSHI - JAPANESE PICKLED PLUM

Some years ago I was recommended to eat umeboshi because of a constant nausea that I was suffering from. This advice came from a nutritional therapist, specialized in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Back then I never got to try out the health effects of umeboshi. Yesterday, however, I came across umeboshi in the food store - and have decided to try them out for the next week or so. I will have one of these strange looking pickled plums every morning and every night - dissolved in some water to make them more 'eatable'.

An Article on Mitoku.com describes the Health benefits of Umeboshi: 

"Besides their dramatic flavor, Japanese pickled plums have remarkable medicinal qualities. Their powerful acidity has a paradoxical alkalinizing effect one the body, neutralizing fatigue, stimulating the digestion, and promoting the elimination of toxins. 

This is the Far Eastern equivalent to both aspirin and apple; not only is it a potent hangover remedy for mornings after; more than that, an umeboshi a day is regarded as one of the best preventive medicines available."

A CUP OF TEA FOR THE SOUL

One of my best friends use to say that I look so happy when I sip my tea, and I must admit - I enjoy those moments.

I truly enjoy everything about it. The scent, the flavor - even the company of my tea cup.. Yes, a little bit over the top, I know. But nevertheless its one of the favorite moments in the day, my silent mornings with a hot cup of a favorite tea in my hands.

Right now my preferred tea is one made of rosehip and hibiscus. This particular tea is full of vitamin C that lift the immune system and fight the drowsiness of the morning. The color certainly also serves its purpose well. And what could then be a healthier start of the day?

I get plenty of antioxidants that food and drinks with colors have enough of - and as teas are known to provide us with minerals, this doesn't make me enjoy it less.

I let my thoughts flow. I plan my day carefully. And I thank God for providing me with such an easy escape from all the fuss that can be a part of a daily routine.

I enjoy the tea - for the sake of my soul.

AN APPLE A DAY

I like to cut my apple in pieces. I like to eat my apple like snacks. 

By doing this I am remembering my grandfather that used to eat his apple in the same way. I remember how I - as a young girl - carefully watched how he took this small fruit knife and sliced a piece of the apple and then ate it, or gave it to me. 

Oh! Such happy memories. 

As the saying goes: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away". I live by that saying. Not because it is necessarily true, but because I like apples. Yellow, green, red - in every color they come; I always make sure they are at hand at my home.

The health benefits of eating apples are many. Bastyrcenter.org reports that: 

"A new study conducted at Cornell University suggests that eating an apple a day can keep breast cancer away, and that eating apples (and other fruits and vegetables) is more effective at preventing cancer than taking supplements. 

The reason for this is what is now being called 'food synergy' - the unique mix of balanced, complex chemical components found in foods.."

A TOUCH OF COLOR

I'm trying to get rid of my lazy habits of not caring much about cooking for myself.

Its one thing to cook for more people, but when I'm alone, I tend to neglect the fact that I need food. And when I do sense this little hunger feeling inside my stomach I mostly prepare the easiest meals possible. Not that they are unhealthy - cause they are not - but it tends to be boring. An act of repetition.

Hopefully the fact that I am writing this blog will help me escape those unfortunate patterns. I'll need to be more aware of eating a various selection of meals. And because I have some issues with my gall bladder I have been encouraged to eat at least three warm meals a day.

So this is my new scheme. My new routine.

I started off today by going to the organic store, and bought a lot of colorful vegetables. And since it was my first day, I prepared a fairly simple meal - but nevertheless nutritious enough.

Pasta with vegetables and pesto was on my menu. I prepared the vegetables in a wok, so they wouldn't loose too much nutritional value - the pasta was cooked as normal and then I added olive oil and pesto in the end. 

And Voila! A colorful and healthy meal was on my table.

INSPIRED BY A PURPLE DINNER

A good friend of mine were having purple dinner the other day. She was in a depressive mood, due to some difficulties in her 'wanting to be' relationship, and she needed to cheer up. So what else could she do than make herself a purple meal..?

I had to smile when she told me what she had done. She was in the store, and bought all the purple vegetables she could find. There were some purple cabbage, purple onions and then some more, which she managed to put in the same pot and cooked it as a meal for cheering up.

What a great idea indeed.

We should learn from this dear friend of mine. Why don't we use the inspiration of colors more in our preparation while cooking. I notice that I always get an extra inspiration when I cook with colorful vegetables. So it is not only about the antioxidants in the colorful fruits and vegetables after all. It is also very much about the visual input.

During the wintertime, these small things and habits make a big difference in the mood. It stirs up some sensations inside of us that we otherwise don't allow to come forward in this cold season.

I am not in for a purple meal today. I will stick to my favorite color for the moment. Red - the color of Love. I will sip my orange-raspberry drink with delight, and plan for a happy colored meal tomorrow.

Cheers!