Food & Recipes
Diet to have more energy
On April 27, 2021 by marghevivianiAll our life is turned around the food. Is not only a joy, but the force. For me, food alway was something to nourish my body and mind, and only after is a joy. But sometime we seek a joy only and realise that food digestion takes a lot of energy. And in this post I would like to talk about a diet to have more energy. Check also post about Ayurveda. So what is a diet to have more energy? During my journey I tried plenty of diets and tips. And here what sticked to me the most: 1. Once a week – fasting. On that day, or I don’t eat at all, or drink juices or eat only fruits and veggies. Important to drink enough on this days. 2. Don’t mess with food, something must be eaten separate from other. Melon and watermelon only alone. Bananas and yogurt or milk doesn’t come together. I know is strange but together they create kind of toxins in the body. 3. Animal protein separately from carbos. If you are not a vegetarian, is better to eat separate. If it’s rice or bread then with fat, and animal protein alone or with vegetables. But grains together with beans open complete protein. 4. Fruits and salads as the first dish and only after the main dish. 5. Vegan detox once a year, for one month We are good to be vegetarian, but in the summer we clean a bit by following a vegan diet. 6. Last meal at least two hours before sleeping. But I prefer to do dinner 4-5 hours before sleeping. 7. Eating slowly, with only calm meditative music of some jazz. To really concentrane on the food. Also we never talk about heavy topics on the table. 8. Put less in the plate and enjoy small mount, concentrated only on taste and feeling of fulfillment. 9. Leave you stomach one third empty. You must leave the table with a pleasure not with the heaviness. 10. Eat only when feeling hungry. Here in Italy people follow the time of meal very strict. But I let myself sometimes to skip one meal, or to eat much less and light if I don’t feel hungry enough. 11. Try to eat less gluten meals or substitute your favourite pasta or bread with gluten-free solution. 12. Try to eat 3 kg of fresh fruit and vegetables daily. So that your body take enough vitamins. 13. Different meals and ingredients every day. Your diet must be diverse. Plus to all this no extra weight and a clean stomach. More over many years human population doesn’t suffer from hunger, but from the opposite. We can find any kind of products in every place of the planet. We are eating too much. The worst is that in some places exist people who has no food on their table. They even had no table, what’s to say. And we are still throwing tones of food in the garbage?! If you would like to learn more about plant-based diet, I have written a guide exactly for this occasion. It called Plant-based Eating: A beginners guide to optimal health, sustainable weight loss and increased energy. With the help of this guide, you will be ready to step into the world of plant-based eating in no time and set yourself up for success. The cost of the book is only $7. You can buy it here. Enjoy! I also recommend to read this post about Sattvic diet. Feel free to comment below or follow my instagram here. Yours, Marghe.
Relationships
Big age difference. If the couple can work?
On April 21, 2021 by marghevivianiYes, it works. But not for everyone, of course. You might find many stories of couples with big age difference, and you don’t find many inspiring stories. So I would like tell mine.. Here is a story of how we met TRUE LOVE STORY… STARTED FROM THE PLANE. My husband looks much younger than he is. And me, as everyone says, I think and act for the older age. It was hard for both of us to accept this difference at first. But our hearts were so much attracted that we decided to stop reading about broken couples with the big age difference and just follow our feelings. We also had to fight for our couple in the beginning. As there were too many judging eyes around. Nobody has believed in us. Also, my parents were trying to change my mind. But it was that moment in my life when I was not needing any approval. I felt that he is my person. After time passed, we only got more surprised about how great we are together. I am much older mentally, which makes us meet in the middle point. Yes, he has way much more experience and knowledge about many stuff. But it doesn’t disturb me to learn more by myself and sometimes surprise him. If I try to remember difficult moments connected to the age difference, it’s hard to find one. Now I also know how he can keep his youth. And everything is pretty simple. He is a vegetarian already 26 years, he never drank alcohol in his life, even that his grandparents were producing wine themself. He never smoked and never used any drugs. But what he did a lot is sport of any kind and a very balanced healthy diet. Plus to all, a good genetic. I don’t tell this story to say that it can work for everyone. Twenty-five years is an entire generation. And is a really big difference. But at the same time, I start meeting more and more couples like us. And we have not been shamed anymore. If you love someone and he or she loves you the same back, age is only a number after all. Inside we have completely different ages. I tell this story to show that everything is possible. That sometimes we must switch off our heads and follow the heart. Each person and each story is unique. I was afraid a little bit, but now I am super happy that I didn’t back off from my happiness. Only because my head was too reasonable 🙂 If you also have a similar story, please share it with me. Yours, Marghe.
Casual
Pros and cons of the life in Italy
On March 25, 2021 by marghevivianiCome to Italy once and it will stay in your heart forever. All my friends who have visited Italy say the same thing: “I wish to live here.” But when you start living here you find out that maybe is ok just to come for vacation. It’s a really beautiful country, but then life took me here very unexpected. I can not compare it to Asia, is completely another world. But in every place exist its positive and negative sides. And here I collected my impressions after I became a resident in Italy. Positives Taste of beauty I think Italians have it in their DNA. They do have very good taste in everything. It’s a fact and nothing more I can say here. Comfort zone out of the house From the sense of beauty comes comfort everywhere you are. Doesn’t matter if you are on the city street, on the highway, supermarket or in the village. It feels good everywhere because people are still respectful and trying to keep everything clean and new. People live long and with joy Everyone knows how Italians love life and if there is a time to rest, they rest. Not like us, Russians, even weekend or holidays we spent working. Here if it’s lunchtime means nobody thinks of work. And, very fresh air, good food, and no rush improve the health of anyone. I don’t talk about big cities. And hey, grandmother of my husband is going to turn 100 this July. Everything has fine quality I still don’t find anything that has a sign “made in Italy”, but has bad quality. If it’s a dress or a dining table, is done perfectly and will last long. Bidet is a standard in every house That’s my favorite 🙂 Usually, only rich people put bidet in their villas, but in Italy is a ‘must have’ in every house or apartment. First, it helps to use less paper. And second, you stay clean! High quality public medicine Here public hospitals have the same quality as private in Russia. And is for free! I had not much experience, but going through the pregnancy in Italy made me meet hospital walls few times. And you don’t wanna run away from there immediately 🙂 Negatives Everything is very expensive Houses, food, petrol are costing here. Yes, you might say that people here also have higher salaries, but not everyone. As everywhere in the world, prices only grow but salaries are the same as a few years ago. Many Italian families prefer to have only one child only because with second will arrive much more costs. High taxes for entrepreneurs My husband is a businessman. And he is not the only one who always has to find a way how to pay fewer taxes. You must be smart enough to prove to the government that you don’t own so much as in the reality. If not do so, all the income will be spent on a huge amount of different taxes. People are very materialistic Yes, we are all materialistic. But here things manage you, not the opposite. Especially the old generation likes to collect much stuff until there is not much space in their houses. Kids without vaccines can’t go to kindergarten If your child is not vaccinated with ten obligated vaccines he or she can not go to kindergarten even private. As you see there are more pros than cons. But is objectively my opinion after living here a while. I will never change my opinion that Italy for vacation is a perfect destination. That’s why many of my yoga teacher friends organise plenty of Yoga Retreats in all Italy. I prepared here a list of Yoga retreats in Italy if you consider Italy as your next holiday destination. Hope it was useful. Please feel free to comment or contact me straight if you have anything to share. I will be very happy to get in touch and to know what you think. Also you can follow my Instagam here. Have a great time!
Casual
Sustainable lifestyle. Tips on ‘how to’
On March 17, 2021 by marghevivianiHere I made a list of sustainable habits that helps us to consume less and to become more eco-friendly. For our family became normal to live this way. My husband lives like this already 30 years. So here are our sustainable habits: 1. Use textile shopping bags instead of plastic. This is easy and most of the shops start providing textile bags for free. Just keep in mind to have one-two with you when going out. 2. Drink coffee inside instead of taking it away. Read more5 sustainable essentials for a newborn (tested)Yeah, It looks cool to run for work with a Starbucks cup in a hand, but just imagine how many takeaway cups we throw daily. Just give yourself few quiet minutes to enjoy your drink inside of the coffee shop. 3. Cook as much as you and your family can eat. No need to make more and then leave for another day, and another day, and then throw away. Food has vital energy only three hours after being prepared. The same with ordering in restaurants. Order as much as you can consume in one time. 4. Sort the trash. I know that also sorting trash is not everywhere possible to do. In Europe there are all conditions and also the regulation to let you separate plastic from organic. But in the places like Russia or Indonesia is almost not possible. There, even if you find different trash bins for each material, it doesn’t mean that they are going to recycle them separately. So the sustainable option is simply to try to produce less trash is possible. 5. Keep tissues or paper towels from the restaurant. Read moreUnwrap Joy: Unique Christmas Present Ideas for Everyone on Your ListBelieve me, most of the time we don’t use them completely. Just take it with you. There are many situations when you might need a not perfect tissue. Just keep it in your pocket or bag. This trick I took from my husband. He never buys tissues, already many years. At home, we use only textiles tissues, and napkins also for guests. Try to think different, is not gonna show that you are poor. It showing that you think deeper and care about the environment. 6. No water in plastic. Use your nice bottle to refill with water at home, or some other places where is possible to get drinking water. In Kamchatka and Italy is fine to drink water from the tap, in other places we use filters, in Bali, we were buying 20 liters bottles and refilling them with water providers companies. There is always exist a solution. Again, since I’ve met my husband I have never bought a plastic bottle. Yes, maybe was once or twice because was special conditions, but only that time. Before in China, I used to buy many many bottles every day thinking is normal. 7. Be out of fashion Not literally 🙂 But lately, we buy more and more clothes even if we will wear them just once. I am like this, but let’s try to buy less but good quality. If not possibly find a way to recycle your dresses. There are now tones of eco-friendly fashion brands. 8. When going groceries choose products packed in less plastic possible. In Asia, they like mono dose packing. We don’t buy them! If there is a possibility to choose we prefer glass or paper packages. 9. If shopping, shop local. Imagine how much pollution produce big companies to provide you with what you are buying. I don’t think they use electric cars for the delivery. 10. Water instead of toilet paper. I love that in Italy is a standard to have a WC together with a bidet. It must become a rule for everyone’s house. We talk about less consume right? Think deeper, how many forests must die for all this amount of paper we use every day. 11. And the last one, is to switch petrol car to electric. Or the best is to ride a bicycle 🙂 But if you have your car, search how to make it more eco-friendly. Hope it is useful and please feel free to leave a comment with your own sustainable habits. You can follow my Instagram here. Read also 10 thing to be happy about. Have a great day! Yours Marghe
Yoga
How yoga changed my life. The story of a Yoga Teacher
On February 21, 2021 by marghevivianiYoga journey lasts forever. I remember that day when I went to yoga class first time, I was around 13, and I didn’t like it at all! And now I am Certified Yoga Teacher 🙂 But I came back to the idea of practicing five years later. At that moment happened everything together. I start having health troubles because of working in China, my heart was broken from love and I was simply lost inside. My yoga started with the Nike Training app. Yes yes, I was practicing on my own a good while before going for a class with a real teacher. But honestly, I took maybe three classes with the teacher which is my best friend. Practicing on my own seemed more fun. Especially when you travel a lot for work is much more convenient. So I start loving it! I felt my body more and more flexible, my chest more open and my back strong and straight. What was very important for being a model. After a while also a menstrual pain went away. I never struggled with it much, but like everyone, I felt uncomfortable these days. And yoga changed everything completely. Also now, if I have some cramps again I simply do the practice. One more, the coolest benefit is a calm and peaceful mind. The world becomes way more different inside of you. During super stressful work I was able to stay calm and happy. And even after few years, I was not going much to practice in studios. My best teachers were on YouTube and I could create a space for practice everywhere I was. And is true, you don’t need much to start. Is enough to have a yoga mat, some aromas, and your body 🙂 Now the internet is full full full of free classes of any style you want. You might visit few private classes only to check if you don’t do any mistakes. This is how I did. So, my body became better, my health improved and I got more conscious about myself and the world around me. I started to promote yoga to everyone. I was even leading few classes for my model roommates. At that point, I decided to quit the job of the model and go somewhere to study for a yoga teacher. I wanted to go to India. I still want, but something was changing my way all the time. And I went for a course in Bali. I studied Hatha & Vinyasa Yoga, together with breath and meditation techniques. And I became a member of the Worldwide Yoga Alliance as a Registered Yoga Teacher. Now, yoga is my life. I always have my yoga mat, essences, and yoga pants to be able to practice everywhere I am 🙂 I also encourage you to read this article Benefits from Yoga. And why people do Yoga? Please feel free to leave comments below or follow my instagram to stay in touch. Have a great day!
Female Health . Food & Recipes
Plant-based diet during pregnancy
On February 16, 2021 by marghevivianiI think the best what I could do for me and my child is to switch to a vegetarian diet. And I would like to share my story here, to give more confidence to women who are being worried to eat plant-based even during a pregnancy. Why I don’t eat meat anymore? My husband is a vegetarian for more than 25 years. And when we met I was still eating fish. But during my pregnancy I became a complete vegetarian. Someone decide to become vegetarian or vegan from one day to another, like my husband did. Me instead, gradually arrived to this stage. While living in Asia, my diet start consisting less meat and dairy products. After a while you notice a difference, that you body and mind becomes lighter and cleaner. You just feel better, that it. At that moment I was already practicing yoga. And I remember a phrase my teacher in China said: “When you start practicing a lot, every day, never skip you realise that you don’t wanna drink alcohol again or smoke or eat meat.” This is connected to our consciousness, which we develop while practicing constantly. If you start searching, you find out that yogi’s diet consist only of plant-based product. I write more about it in this post WHAT IS SATTVA AND WHY I CHOOSE SATTVIC DIET. Main tips on vegetarian diet during pregnancy Protein During your second and third trimester, you should aim to eat around 70 grams of protein each day. High-protein, plant-based foods include tofu, tempeh, beans, lentils and whole grains. Iron Iron improves your blood’s oxygenation and can help you feel less tired. And women during pregnancy need 50% more of iron as your body increase its blood volume. And vegetarian diet is perfect for it, remember to consume enough of dark green leafs, kidney beans, lentils or green peas. Plus is important to take enough of vitamin C, as it helps with iron absorption. Calcum High-calcium foods include calcium-set tofu, green leafy vegetables, beans, seeds, nut butter, and fortified foods as plant-based milk and cereals. Flaxseeds oil for Omega-3 I don’t wanna lie to you, but one table spoon os flaxseed oil contains daily amount of Omega-3. Is perfect substitution for vegetarians and vegan. Only thing, it tastes exactly like a fish 🙂 Another sources for Omega-3 are: flaxseeds, walnut or chia seeds on soups, salads or yoghurts; kidney beans or edamame beans avocado eggs (if you are vegetarian) Vitamin B12 and D Vitamin B12 is the only vitamin which is limited in vegetarian and vegan diet. Out of pregnancy I take supplements with B12 alone, but during pregnancy I switch to a B complex. As during pregnancy, especially first few months, is also important to take enough of folic acid which is vitamin B9. Just a reminder, folic acid helps to protect you baby against central nervous system defects, premature birth and low birth weight. Takeaway I meet more and more vegan and vegetarian women which decide not to change their diet even during pregnancy. But the most important thing here is to listen to yourself, to you own body, and you will find the answers. Don’t let somebody scare you, be sure about your own health. If you would like to learn more about plant-based diet, I have written a guide exactly for this occasion. It called Plant-based Eating: A beginners guide to optimal health, sustainable weight loss and increased energy. With the help of this guide, you will be ready to step into the world of plant-based eating in no time and set yourself up for success. You will learn about plant-based nutrition. You will learn about the science behind plant-based eating. You will discover the steps to transition to a plant-based nutrition. You will discover plant-based recipes. You will learn tips to reach success. And how to implement a plant-based nutrition in your lifestyle. And much more! The cost of the book is only $7. You can buy it here. Enjoy! Please feel free to leave comments below or follow my instagram to stay in touch.. Take care dear! Yours Marghe
Relationships
True love story… started from the plane
On February 14, 2021 by marghevivianiHow did I meet my husband? I like telling this story. And today Valentine’s day is a perfect time to remember it, the story of true love. We’ve met on the flight from Bali to Kuala-Lumpur. He was sitting right back to me. When I arrived, I saw him and our eyes met immediately. I smiled with all my teeth 🙂 and I thought: “Sweet guy, huh!” During the flight, we didn’t say one word. But I was feeling him with my back. And more I felt as if I wanna turn to him and take his hand. I felt as he is not the unknown person to me. Once the plane landed we knew we had to say something. He started first. He said that I was Russian, that I came to Bali to become a yoga teacher, and more that I tried to surf but I didn’t like it much. And he was right! I found out that he was flying to Australia for a two months surf trip. We walked out of the plane and arrived at the small spot from where on the right you go for transfer (for him) and on the left for passport check (for me). I went there just for a visa run, two days after I was supposed to come back to Bali to stay longer. So we sat in the corner of that small square and after 40 minutes of hugging, we were completely in love. Only four hours later we got apart! We wanted to stay together forever. There was magic growing between us with a light speed and holding us together very strong. But as the time went his next flight was arriving. We hugged the last time and I saw his shocked face. After he told me that he had a vision, in which was a blond baby on the beach playing with sand and me on the side watching with a peaceful look. As he is a very grounded man, not a yogi like me, he pushed me. I got surprised but at the same time, I felt that is what I was dreaming about. Two days after I came back to Bali, being completely in love. We stayed in touch all this time. Happy us that any kind of messengers exist 🙂 He is Italian, I am Russian, we met in third place and at the moment he was in Australia and me in Bali. He was always saying on the phone: “We buy a camper and we go for travel all the world. And when the land will finish we’ll buy a boat.” I got crazy from this idea 🙂 Another day on the phone, and he decides to take a flight back to Bali to see me the day after. I was so happy! Honestly, I dreamed that someone will arrive for me in any place of the world to prove his love. And he did! Since that, we are always together. We start even living together from the first day and surprising how is possible to meet a person like we’ve met and every day finding out that you are a perfect match. I do believe that I found a true love. After being together for seven months we got married. And we bought a camper as he promised and went along the seaside in Europe down to Africa. We traveled five months like this. And we came back in three 🙂 That’s all. Read also Big age difference. If a couple can work. Believe in magic and true love. Follow my instagram here. Your Marghe.