Food & Recipes
Mindful Eating: How to Cultivate a Healthy Relationship with Food
On December 19, 2023 by marghevivianiIn a world filled with fast-paced lifestyles and constant distractions, cultivating a healthy relationship with food has never been more crucial. Mindful eating, an ancient practice rooted in mindfulness, offers a holistic approach to nourishing our bodies and minds. In this blog post, we will explore the principles of mindful eating and provide practical tips to help you embrace this transformative lifestyle. Understanding Mindful Eating Mindful eating involves being fully present during meals, paying attention to the sensory experience of eating without judgment. This practice encourages individuals to savor each bite, fostering a deeper connection with the food they consume. By promoting awareness of hunger and fullness cues, mindful eating empowers individuals to make informed choices about what and how much to eat. Benefits of Mindful Eating 1. Weight Management: Research suggests that practicing mindful eating can contribute to weight management by reducing overeating and promoting healthier food choices. Read moreSustainable lifestyle. Tips on ‘how to’2. Improved Digestion: Being present while eating aids digestion as the body can better assimilate nutrients when in a relaxed state. 3. Enhanced Enjoyment: Mindful eating enhances the enjoyment of meals, as individuals savor the flavors and textures of their food. How to Practice Mindful Eating 1. Create a Nourishing Environment: Choose a quiet and comfortable space for meals, free from distractions like electronic devices or television. Read moreYoga during pregnancy for normal delivery2. Engage Your Senses: Take a moment to appreciate the colors, smells, and textures of your food before taking a bite. Engaging your senses enhances the overall dining experience. 3. Eat Slowly: Chew your food thoroughly and savor each bite. Eating slowly allows your body to recognize when it’s satisfied, preventing overeating. 4. Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues. Eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re satisfied. 5. Mindful Food Choices: Select foods that nourish your body and align with your overall well-being. Consider the nutritional value and how the food makes you feel. Incorporating Mindful Eating into Daily Life 1. Start Small: Begin by incorporating mindful eating into one meal a day. As you become more comfortable, expand this practice to other meals. 2. Practice Gratitude: Take a moment to express gratitude for your food. Reflecting on where it came from and the effort involved in its production can deepen your connection to your meals. 3. Mindful Snacking: Extend mindful eating to snacks. Choose nutrient-dense snacks and savor each bite. By embracing mindful eating, you embark on a journey toward a healthier relationship with food—one that nourishes both your body and soul. Make small changes each day, and soon you’ll find yourself enjoying meals with a renewed sense of appreciation and awareness. Remember, the key to mindful eating lies in being present in the moment, fostering a positive and sustainable connection with the food that fuels your life. Please feel free to comment below with your thoughts about this and remember to subscribe to the newsletter to be updated! Or follow my Instagram. Yours Marghe
Relationships
Unwrap Joy: Unique Christmas Present Ideas for Everyone on Your List
On December 11, 2023 by marghevivianiTis the season of giving, and what better way to spread holiday cheer than by finding the perfect Christmas presents for your loved ones? In this guide, we’ve curated a diverse list of thoughtful and unique gift ideas that are sure to bring smiles and warmth to hearts. Whether you’re shopping for family, friends, or colleagues, our Christmas present ideas cover a wide range of interests and preferences. 1. Personalized Keepsakes: Make this holiday season unforgettable with personalized gifts. From custom photo albums to engraved ornaments, adding a personal touch creates a lasting memory that will be cherished for years to come. Explore online platforms that offer a variety of customization options to tailor the perfect present for each recipient. For example, I print 2 calendars every year with our family photos to present to grandparents. They love this idea 😉 2. Tech Gadgets for the Gadget Guru Read moreSustainable lifestyle. Tips on ‘how to’For the tech enthusiast in your life, consider cutting-edge gadgets that enhance their daily experiences. Smart home devices, wireless charging stations, or the latest wearable tech can make for exciting and practical Christmas gifts. Dive into the world of innovation to find the perfect match for your gadget-savvy loved ones. 3. DIY Gift Baskets Crafting a personalized gift basket adds a touch of warmth and thoughtfulness. Tailor each basket to the recipient’s interests – be it gourmet snacks, spa essentials, or a collection of their favorite books. DIY gift baskets show that you’ve put effort into curating something special just for them. 4. Experiences over Things This year, consider giving the gift of experiences. Whether it’s tickets to a live performance, a cooking class, or a weekend getaway, creating memories can be more valuable than physical possessions. Look for local events or unique experiences that align with the recipient’s interests. 5. Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Gifts Read moreYoga during pregnancy for normal deliveryFor the environmentally conscious individuals on your list, explore sustainable gift options. From reusable kitchenware to eco-friendly fashion, these gifts not only show your consideration for the planet but also align with the values of the recipient. Conclusion This Christmas, let your gifts speak volumes about your thoughtfulness and love. Whether it’s a personalized keepsake, cutting-edge tech gadget, DIY gift basket, memorable experience, or eco-friendly surprise, the joy of giving is truly in the details. Unwrap the magic of the season with presents that reflect the unique personality and interests of each person on your list. Happy gifting! Subscribe for newsletter to be updated or follow my instagram. Let’s stay in touch! Yours Marghe
Casual
5 sustainable essentials for a newborn (tested)
On November 24, 2022 by marghevivianiAre you excited about the baby arriving in your family? And maybe you already start searching for the best solutions for the bed, stroller, and diapers. First of all my congratulations 🙂 Then go ahead and take a look at my post where I will give my honest feedback about 5 sustainable essentials for newborn, which I tried myself and am ready to recommend. In a couple of more months, I am going to become a mother for a second time. And even though I got many presents from our friends who already have bigger kids, there are still a few things I was needing to buy. And here I will talk about sustainable solutions for new parents according to my own experience. I don’t like the concept that you have to buy new things every three months, as the baby grows. But I like the concept of buying something useful that will last years. Better to invest in quality and durability. I won’t add dresses to this list as I prefer to take already used dresses from my friends, as all the baby clothes remain almost new after use. And in this post, I wanna share 5 sustainable essentials for a newborn baby with links where you can buy them. I attached two links: one for stores in the US and one for Italy. Keep in mind that Black Friday is arriving and you might catch good discounts. But don’t worry if you aren’t in time, before Christmas there will be a huge sale again. Read moreSustainable lifestyle. Tips on ‘how to’Read also: How to find yourself after having a baby. This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 5 sustainable essentials for a newborn baby with links Here is a list of baby must-haves that I have tried myself and I am completely satisfied and happy about my choices. I’ll give you a very honest opinion on each of them 🙂 Go ahead and take a look! 1. Baby crib up to 10 years old US | Italy Read moreYoga during pregnancy for normal deliveryI fell in love with the concept of a baby crib 7 in 1 which you can use up to 10 years old and even more! Unfortunately, I didn’t find the same model for the US, but I substituted it with another similar brand which also can be used until 10 years old, it has just fewer ways of transformation. Of course, it makes a lot of sense to buy one bed and use it for 10 years, instead of buying a “next-to-me”, baby crib, then a bad one for a bigger kid. Plus it has a very nice rounded aesthetic look. 2. Sling Baby Bjorn US | Italy This sling you can use only until 1 year old, but I don’t see it as a problem as I didn’t want to carry my kid on me all the time. I was using this sling exactly until my first daughter turned one and I am completely happy about it. Moreover, at that time, we were living in Bali, the paradise place where you won’t use your stroller, basically never. So I carried my girl on me all the time. I tried also wrap slings, ring slings and other more complex slings, but to Baby Bjorn I give all 5 stars. It’s easy to use without the help of anybody, has simple and secure connections, comfortable for you as for your baby. And my favorite discovery is that if a baby fell asleep inside of the sling then it’s super easy to put your baby on the bed and disconnect the belts of the sling without waking up your little one. This sling can use from the first day of your newborn as it has a special fixation for the head. 3. Stroller Yoyo Babyzen US | Italy Another 5-star purchase! Simple and minimalistic look, super comfortable to open and close just with one hand. When it’s closed it take so small space that you can carry it on the board of an airplane with you, which means it won’t bother you while you are traveling. Plus product of Yoyo has excellent quality, which means one stroller can use by all your next kids 🙂 It can be used from 0 to 6+. 4. Washable and reusable diapers US | Italy Ok, this is a great idea, I tried it, It is a sustainable solution for the environment and your wallet. Just imagine how much money you would spend for tons of usual diapers for your newborn, and how much pollution can create for just one baby. But… here is one but. It takes a lot of time to wash them, and is not the simplest solution, as cloth diapers won’t keep your baby dried for a long time, they must be changed more often. So how I did do? I used cloth diapers at home and single-use for sleeping and for going out. After I start teaching my first daughter to use a pot when she turned 7 months old, I didn’t want to use more diapers. After all, this creation was made for the comfort of parents, and the child does not need to stay in diapers until 3 years old. If you decide to use cloth diapers I suggest you buy at least 10-15 of them, do not be overwhelmed washing two times a day 🙂 5. Diaper balm Earth Mama US | Italy I love this brand, as it’s completely natural. I even decided to become their partner to help to spread the concept. To continue the topic of diapers, until you child use them he or she will have irritated skin most of the time. But with the use of this balm and baby powder, I could reach perfection with my daughter’s skin. Recommend it for
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