My Daily Ten Minute Mind Workout + Give Away 4 You!

As I wrote recently, this fall would be perfect to up some new skills and habits. Over the years I have been meditating on and off, at yoga or bodybalance classes, at workshops or at home, guided or unguided. Motivated by the sense of calm, clarity and serenity that (not always though;) came over me, but also thrown off track again by a lack of routine. It's amazing how easily one can feel lacking in time to do such a thing consistently. I got bored, restless or pretty annoyed by hearing the same guided story over and over again...

But as you are never too old to learn, I wanted to make meditation my new daily habit this fall. Lucky me, a dear dear friend of mine tipped me on a meditation course made by friends of hers, called Headspace.  

Headspace Founder Andy Puddicombe used to live as a buddhist monk for years, back in the western world now, he shares his years of knowledge with all who are interested in training the mind to become more calm and aware. Headspace is an online day by day meditation (mind) training to help you gain and maintain that sense of clarity and ease. 

The Free Headspace App

The great thing about the Headspace app (for Iphone or Android) which immediately won me over was that one can do a free ten day meditation try-out. During those ten days Andy takes you (from being either an absolute beginner or not) on a  ten minute meditation journey. Ten days - ten minutes a day, even I could fit that in in  my 'busy' daily schedule. It's a great way to try out whether meditation is your thing or not. Day by day - some days with some additional great animations - you get to uncover the basics of meditating and learn in easy steps how to quiet the mind, subtly guided by Andy's voice. By day ten I noticed ten minutes went by so quickly, I even wanted to sit more and longer every day, just to take a little holiday from my thoughts! 

Of course no one can create a new habit in ten days but sitting still every day consistently  and getting through those first ten days felt like a great achievement. In just as little as those ten days I started to notice little positive changes in my daily life. For one Andy's words popped back in mind on occasion - and made me more aware of my thinking at any particular moment. Even though my inner critic wouldn't always shut up, becoming more aware of my mind's workings did take the edge off a particular thought or situation. And there were also days I would simply feel calm, clear and happy after my meditation, and things wouldn't bother me that easily during the day. Overall my focus improved too, which is a good thing with an overactive brain:)

Win a month free Headspace Subscription

After my ten day trial was over I felt even more curious about enhancing the positive effects this practice provided me with. So I got myself a subscription, and I've been doing this for over 80 days now. Has it been easy? On some days yes and on other days not so much. But just by building in this daily routine definitely made me happier, more focused and aware. 

I would certainly recommend this app if you are curious about meditating but just don't know where to start..

In the additional subscription pack you get to do two more foundation courses, after which there are several themed packs to choose from for whichever area of your life you want to improve. There are also little extra 2 minute trainings or unguided meditations you can do throughout the day (if you want to go all overboard). There are at least as many sessions as to keep you busy for a year. The guidance will lessen gradually and you can also choose how long you want to sit - 15, 20, 30 or 45 mins. 

Now for the give away. Because I've done over sixty days I get to give away one month of free subscription!! So if one of you is truly interested in embarking this training for the mind, you can win a free month subscription. 

What do you need to do? Just do the free ten day course and mail me and let me know what you thought of it. And if you are as inspired as I am after those ten days, this month free subscription could be yours!! :)

Shhhhh... & Big Love, 

Nuri :)

More info @:

www.headspace.com

And check out Andy here:

Post Summer Clean Out: 5 Ways on How to Start Fresh in October

While the weather has changed drastically these past days — cold showers, wind and temperature drops, the ending of a beautiful prolonged summer season here in Amsterdam seems to have arrived. Has fall finally set in? For me it feels hard to welcome the winter... But as unavoidable as it is, we better cherish these cold wet days — and make the best of it while we can. Create some new space in your life either physically or mentally. To give you some examples..

1. Get rid of your unworn summer clothes

After a few months of summer it is easier to decide which clothes you actually did wear and still would like to wear next year around. So before putting all back into that box labeled summer clothes, not to be looked at again for 9 months, go through them and be honest to yourself and hey, maybe a little to fashion too..

2. Go through your kitchen cupboards

Seriously, how often do you clean out your kitchen cupboards? I for one, not often enough. Before you stock up on winter-goodie foodies, create some new space, by getting rid of utensils you never use, foods you apparently never eat, and herbs that expired their date about a year ago.

3. Pick a new thing to learn

Whether it’s a course, a habit, a language, a workout, a routine… pick one thing that interests, inspires or relaxes you and start adding that to your post summer indoor life. 

Feeling uninspired, maybe one of these vids can help you out..;)

4. Plan next holidays or getaways

Although I am a big fan of spontaneous last minute decisions in traveling, these might not always be the cheapest way to go. Pick a new date for in a couple of months (or weeks if you are that lucky) and have something to look forward to..

5. Make a top five (or ten) of your most cherished summer moments 

If you have pictures, make a collage of them or print them out. Go creative, glue, knit, photoshop them together, write about them or what not. Make a playlist with your best summery tracks and listen to them whenever you need.

So for now have fun, stay warm and healthy.. 

Have a great one,

Love Nuri

Get Clean The Natural & Organic Way : 100% Pure Product Review

For the last few months, showering has been a real fruity and delightful experience. After a big bathroom detox of my body products a few years ago, the quest for non-chemical body-, hair- and beauty products have led me to some strange, some disastrous, and some great new body care experiences.

To start with the disasters: I recall a month of washing my hair with baking soda and vinegar. Yes, it sounds awful, and it pretty much was. Despite other people’s claims that this is the bomb, good for your scalp's natural ph balance—hence good for your hair—my hair & scalp just got drier, week after week with no signs of the acclaimed lush shiny hair. Oh and let’s not forget that the horrible smell of vinegar, reminiscent of urinals, didn’t really make me feel clean and fresh either. Last but not least, the embarrassing moments on which I found tiny lumps of baking soda stuck to my scalp while adjusting my hair… You get the point, this was not my cup of tea.

I have to tell you, once you start checking products for their ingredients… be prepared, as you are embarking on a road one has to devote some time and energy to. Because, just as I discovered, a quick run to the organic store isn't going to do the trick. There are a lot of products out there that for instance might be called organic but still have chemicals—as in perfume or fillings—in it. Trust me lots of chemical ingredients have names that can't be understood let alone pronounced properly. I am happy that some other brave people have dug into these mysteries. I'll gladly share their findings with you soon. You can also expect a nice checklist of chemicals you should definitely avoid so keep your eyes on my page.

For body washes it was even harder to find a good alternative. Most of my organic body washes did contain some sort of chemical fillings, very disappointing of course, and thus far I haven’t bumped into any D.I.Y. alternative. So I got pure olive soap, but it just doesn't smell that delightful and fresh. Although my skin got used to it after a while, my nose didn't — and so my quest continued.

A few months back I came across a very delightful interview with Susie Wang, a Japanese / American (I would say super-) woman who has built her company to create a vegan, plant based, cruelty free, non toxic range of hair, body and beauty care products called 100%Pure.

Obviously I got very excited to try out her products. Unsurprisingly, they—as do a lot of other chemical-free products—come with an above average price tag. But considering your skin is your biggest organ that absorbs everything right into your bloodstream, your body and health are so worth it! 

100% Pure Vanilla Bodyshower & Apple Bodyshower

The first products I tried were the vanilla body shower and vanilla bean body cream. The vanilla body shower is absolutely awesome, smells like vanilla and leaves a soft vanilla smell on your skin after use. It comes out of the bottle as a little foam fluff, making it super easy to spread onto your skin, and feels silky soft. Same deal for the apple version which I bought for summer; I am totally smitten with any green apple smell, ever since I was a little girl. But this one is for once totally natural. Your skin will have a delicate smell of freshness and apples. Perfect for summer. 

100% Pure Vanilla Bodycream & Key Lime Bodycream

At first I wasn't too crazy about the vanilla bean body cream. By comparison to the rich but delicate after-smell of the wash, the smell of the main ingredient, cacao butter, overruled the scent of vanilla a bit too much. It does mean that this usually-girly smell could be very suitable for men as well. And I discovered that, hours later, you could still smell it on your skin. So yes, I had to adjust my opinion. In the key lime version—which I also got for the summer—the lime scent is very present, despite the same nutty undertone of cacao. It wraps your body with a super fresh fruity smell instantly, lifts your spirit and energizes.

The consistency of both creams is exactly the same. They feel a bit watery as soon as you rub them onto your skin, and get super easily absorbed. Perfect for summer when you don’t want to cover your skin in thick creams that seem to pour out of your skin the minute you sweat. 

Overall these body creams make your skin feel soft and nourished. In comparison to the usual perfume-laden body lotions this smell is subtle, but lasts a long time. I absolutely loved it. If vanilla or key lime is not your scent of preference, no stress—they have many more. I for one can’t wait to give them all a try soon. And yes, of course, I 'll share my findings it with you ;) So watch this page! 

For now I wish you a silky soft fruity summer! 

Big Love, 

**Nuri **

Ps. Check out the links for more 100%Pure and if you want to hear more about the story behind the products, listen to the interview with Susie!

For Dutch & Belgian Citizens order here:
www.natuurlijkecosmeticawinkel.nl
www.100procentnatuurlijk.nl/


For My Swedish Friends:
http://eleven.se/100-pure

Or more info on:
www.100percentpure.com:

Smile When It's Raining

It is that time of the year, when you can get totally drenched in soft, warm but none the less soaking rain showers. Lately i have managed to stay dry, but today i accidentally got caught in one of them. It was a wet one for sure, and after about five minutes my toes were already having a private pool party in my boots.

Getting drenched is usually not the most pleasant experience, especially when you just spent a fair amount of time fixing your hair, make-up and getting nicely dressed for an important meeting.

But I think there are some exceptions to this and when getting drenched can actually be quite sexy. Here are a few examples from the top of my head;

- while dancing on a hot day at a festival
- while making out with a lover 
- while wearing nothing but a silk dress (allthough this is foremost a female thing I guess)

Needless to say this only applies as long as the rain is soft and the temperature is pleasant. If you encounter a rainshower whilst not being in one of above mentioned situations, which I guess is 90% of the time, you have two options on how to deal with it.

Either you get  really irritated and annoyed (which of course doesn't make it rain less all of a sudden, or makes you any dryer) or you just smile, despite the feeling that you just jumped into a pool fully dressed.  Smile to other drenched strangers you meet on the road - I tell you, it helps - a lot! Wearing a smile on a soaked outfit just radiates some sunshine confidence upon others, and it spreads around making you both happy. Because "hey we're both out there getting soaked - it's fun!"

So next time spring or summer rain comes down like a soft spray from the sky, just go with it. Think of sexy rainy situations and smile to everyone you meet! And if your smile doesn't come that easily, then here is some musical aid to help you with that. So make sure you think about that while you are listening to these awesome dj sets on your media player and start smiling - happy wet times!

Big Love, 
**Nuri** 

A Night at Berns - Stockholm, Sweden

One of the things you definitely have to do -when in Stockholm- if you like great food, beautiful interior, good music and dancing, is pay a visit to Berns.
This hotel/club/bar/restaurant is huge, beautifully styled and nourishes all your senses. You can spend a proper night out there and sleep in royally afterwards without ever leaving the premises. 

I have been visiting Berns on several different occasions throughout the year now and the vibe has always been awesome. Most recently I was there to meet up with my friend from home - Amsterdam's sweetheart DJ Carlos Valdes - as he was playing an all night long B2B with Swedish artist Axel Boman.

It was a very busy saturday evening, and while we enjoyed a scrumptious, abundant meal together with friends, other DJ's and the evening's host, the restaurant and bar filled up with lots of people. The Asian cuisine they serve at Berns is a delight to the taste buds; the service always great, professional, attentive and kind.  

The dining area is luxurious and amazing, with gorgeous lights dangling from the ceiling. Despite the enormity of the restaurant and bar the space still feels intimate and cosy. Berns is also well equipped for smokers as they have a big smoking balcony on the top floor, with a bar and DJ booth. Whether you smoke or not, take a peek upstairs and enjoy the great view across the restaurant and its wondrous chandeliers. 

For dancing there is an equally huge and traditionally decorated room on the main floor. If you are into pop music you'll find your place here. For the more alternative clubminded people check out downstairs while you are at it and visit Berns Gallery 2.35:1, where Carlos and Axel were playing that evening.

Situated in the basement with low ceilings, and modern weird art decorations, Berns Gallery 2.35:1 is the opposite of all the grandeur from upstairs. Here a different kind of cool rules. The walls are decorated by local artists and spare corners are filled with contemporary art exhibitions. A nice way to keep things fresh and attract different crowds. 

While Carlos and Axel were getting things pumping, the atmosphere quickly turned into a warm bath of cozy sounds, with happy faces getting into the groove. A lot of international renowned great artists have played here, so check their website and make sure you don't miss a chance to see your favorite dj perform a sweaty set in this cosy club. Gallery 2.35:1 is also home for some other great talented young Swedish artists who, like Axel Boman, have a residency there.  Nima Khak is one of my personal favorites amongst them, so try to catch them too in this intimate setting!

Final word of advice, by three o'clock you have to be alerted that a lot of (insanely) drunk Swedes will make their way down from upstairs, so hold on to your drink, guard your spot on the dancefloor & just keep on dancing.

Big Love,

**Nuri**


For more info on Berns check:
http://www.berns.se/en/?lang=en

  
  

Asian Mushroom Stirfry with Red Cabbage Salad

A day with a chef

On tuesdays we have a  special workout - cooking day. I train a chef during his weekly workout and afterwards we prepare a delicious easy going vegetarian dish, according to the veggies in season. Mostly organic if we manage to get our hands on them. Although it is spring by now, this one definitely can be saved for some cold upcoming winter weather later this year. 

If you don't eat fish or oystersauce, try to get your hands on a bottle of mushroom sauce, it's perfect replacement for the non vegetarian sauces, they are mostly found in asian toko's. 

Start with preparing the salad, because the stirfry is really quickly done.

What you need for Asian Mushroom Stirfry for two:
80 ml soy sauce
1 tblspoon oystersauce
1 tblspoon fishsauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 red pepper chopped
10 cm ginger chopped
50 gr. tauge
150 gr shitake
50 gr oystermushroom
80 gr tofu cubed
frying oil
handful of salted cashew nuts
two green springonions (leave some green for garnish) roughly chop

Heat oil and stirfry garlic, pepper and ginger for a minute , add mushrooms and stirfry several minutes more, then add tofu. Than also add sauces and continue to stirfry, add vinegar, tauge and cashew nuts, stirfry just a little longer and take wok of heat, you want to keep the tauge crispy.


What you need for Red Cabbage Sesame Salad for two:
1/4 red cabbage, very thinly sliced  and sprinkeled with rough chunks of seasalt
2 tiny ramanas peeled and grated
1 carrot medium size grated
little leftover over ginger finely grated
1 springonion, finely chopped
2 tbls  sesame oil
1 tbls ricevinegar
1/2 tbls fish sauce
1 tbls black sesame seeds
1 tbls white sesame seeds

Sprinkle cabbage with seasalt and let it sit while you prepare the rest.
Mix grated ramanas, carrot , ginger and chopped onion together. Rinse salt of cabbage and mix all in bowl. Add sauces & sesame seeds and stir well. Add some leftover green of springonion to garnish.

Bon Appetita!
Nuri

Chocolicious Raw Chocolate Love - simple, fast, healthy recipe

Raw Chocolate Love - simple, fast, super yummie and also a bit healthy

Until recently I wasn’t the world’s biggest chocolate lover. Where most women would kill for a single piece, one could easily leave me with a bar of chocolate and guaranteed you would get it back untouched the next day. All this changed when i stumbled upon a bag of raw cacao during my recent kitchen cupboard spring clean. I started to experiment a little which resulted in this recipe.  Ever since then I am hooked.. This chocolate is filled with so many ‘good stuff’, it’s not only super tasty but - in comparison to a lot of chocolate out there even ‘healthier’. 

Also -as you need just a few ingredients - it’s easy to make this chocolate in a few minutes.  Ofcourse - chocolate will never be totally healthy - but these few organic pure ingredients will definitely make a better candy snack for your body in comparison to a lot of other chocolate out there. Once you have these few ingredients in your kitchen, you‘ll be able to turn any chocolate craving into a small party. 

What you need:  

2 Tb.spn. Raw Cacao 

2 Tb.spn. Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

2 Tb.spn. Organic Raw Cashewnut Butter (any other nut butter will do too)

1 Tb.spn. Maple Syrup

Pinch of Himalayan Salt

(optionals) 1-1/2 Tb.spn. Cinnamon / Maca / Coconut flakes / Goji berries / Raw nuts 

Raw cacao - Superfood

Raw cacao, where to start? Raw cacao is the non processed, unheated version of the cacao powder you ordinarily buy in shops, and is definitely a so called superfood. Raw cacao contains many essential nutrients for your body. It’s a long and dizzying list, but to name a few : antioxidants. Raw cacao contains 30 (yes you read it correctly) times more antioxidants than any other food, even more than green tea. Antioxidants fight diseases and boost your immune system. 

Antioxidant levels : Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC per gram). 

ORAC is an ultra modern way to measure the antioxidant-capacity of nutrients.

In comparison :

Alfalfa sprouts                        9,30

Black berries                        20,36

Blueberries                           24,00

Broccoli                                 8,90

Cacao powder                    260,00 (roasted/ heated, non organic)

Chocolate Pure                  131,20 (roasted/ heated, non organic)

Plums                                  57,70

Raisins                                28,30

Strawberries                       15,40

Spinach                              12,60

Raw Cacao powder           955,00   (raw, unprocessed / unroasted and organic)

Raw cacao also contains a big amount of magnesium, which protects the body against heart and coronary disease. Magnesium is also muscle relaxing and stimulates a good bloodcirculation. Some other essential minerals which can be found in raw cacao are sink, iron, mangan, sulphur, copper and chromium. And to top it off  vitamin A, B1, B2, C, D & E.  And last but not least it’s filled with feel good stimulants like theobromine which induces serotonine production. And as we all know serotonine gives you that happy feeling, who doesn't want that? 

In the case of the ordinary processed cacao, loads of these good nutrients get lost by overheating, roasting and the adding of sugar, milk and preservatives .So if you want the best for body and soul use raw cacao, a true superfood. 

Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil

I’m a big fan of this natural miracle nutrient, and it has a permanent residency on my kitchen shelf. You can use it in so many ways, and as far as I’m concerned it’s one of the best things one can use, both internally as externally. The extra virgin coconut oil is said to enhance your immune system, raise your metabolism and to give your skin a healthy glow. 

Coconut oil solidifies at room temperature and is  liquid above 26 degrees Celcius (78,8 F). I could write an entire blog about the many uses of coconut oil, but for now I’ll stick to its digestion advantages. In comparison to other saturated fats, coconut oil is an unusual blend of short and medium chain fatty acids.  It is this unusual composition that may offer some health benefits. These medium chains are, in comparison to the longer chained saturated fats, easier for the body to breakdown and digest. This makes coconut oil a powerful source of instant energy to your body.  Nevertheless there is still a lot of dispute about whether or not it increases your cholesterol levels. So my advice is, eat in moderation.

Organic Maple Syrup

Sugar accelerates the aging of cells and we should all try to avoid it as much as we can. Especially when we are feeling ill, sluggish or have a disease. Cancer cells for instance live on fast sugar, which most forms of sugar are. Most of us know by now we should avoid refined white sugar, cane sugar, cornsyrup, fructosesyrup etc. etc. Nevertheless most of us have a sweet tooth, thats why I made use of  one of the alternatives, maple syrup class A.As its still sugar I prefer to use just a little of it. Start with one 1 table spoon, and if thats not satisfying you can also use a bit more. Of course you can also use some stevia, but be careful with its dosage, it easily can give a synthetic taste. 

Cinnamon

This is optional but I love using cinnamon for its sweet warming flavour.  It also contains a lot of minerals, magnesium, mangan, calcium, kalium, sink and Vitamin A, B1, B2, and C.  All supports and aids your body to function properly. Recent research even consider cinnamon to be a superfood. Superfood or not, I love it. When you use cinnamon you wont need to use as much sweetener as you normally would.

Himalayan Salt

Himalayan  salt has at least 84 natural minerals and elements like calcium, kalium, magnesium, sulphur, sink and iron. Due to its high concentration its very strong in taste, so less is needed, compared to ordinary table salt.  Himalayan salt is millions of years old and more pure and free of toxins found in seasalt. 

How to make it:

Melt the coconut oil  au bain marie or on a very low temperature in a ceramic pan until its runny. Take of the heat and mix in nut butter, cacao, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt.  Stir until an even sauce. Now you can poor the runny sauce into an icecube holder or spread it out on a small tray, depending on the desired shape of your chocolate, let your imagination run free. You can now also add goji berries, nuts, coconut flakes, whatever fancies your taste buds, after all its your party.  Let it sit in your freezer for about two hours and there you go, chocolate heaven! 
Eat your chocolate straight from the freezer or let it sit for a bit. You can preserve the chocolate for quite some time in your freezer or fridge, if you can keep your hands of it for that long that is...

Welcome to NushiOne's Wonder World

Hej hey, hello and welcome to Nushione's Wonder World.
Please be patient just a little bit longer,  & join me soon for some adventures on my blog.

What those will be? Who knows... but I can give you a sneak peek at some of the topics I have on my mind and that are pressing to be written and shared with you... There will be stories about health, food bits, lifestyle, travels, recipes, reviews & loads more...Some will be typical dutch, some will be 'oh so human'.. It will be an adventure (for me at least ;)
Can't wait to get started..

Till soon,
love Nuri