All PYRENEES · France, Spain, Andorra * Eat to live, live to eat: best food, nutrition and diet with Carolina Kramer

The production of saffron is very labor-intensive, requiring mostly manual labor. To collect one kilogram of spices, you need to process a plantation with 200,000 plants. The main producer of saffron is Iran. There are also crocus plantations in Greece, Spain, France, England and in the state of Pennsylvania USA. The plant grows well in loamy soils. If you plant an onion in May, it will be possible to harvest it in November. The flower stamens are picked (usually three in each flower(, then the gathered stigmas are dried under the sun.

Saffron has a rich spicy aroma, so it is often used to flavor pastries, desserts, and drinks. The taste of this spice is bitter, so it should be added very carefully to the dishes for taste. Saffron is used to make pilaf, lamb meat dishes, and added to veal and young lamb. Before using saffron, it is pre-soaked in water or milk. You can also add saffron to melted butter. Saffron consumption is very small. One gram of this spice is enough for not one dish. If for cooking, saffron is used, then there is no need to add other spices and spices. Also in cooking, it is best to use saffron tincture. It is a bit cheaper than the spice itself, but its dosage is not so small.Intuitive nutrition is a system that does not involve dieting or severe dietary restrictions. This principle of nutrition has helped many people to reach their desired shape, get rid of food addictions and “make peace” with food. So, what is this magic method?

For the first time, the concept of “intuitive nutrition” was introduced in 2005 by American professor Steven Hawks, when, after conducting a study on himself, he managed to lose 23kg. Intuitive nutrition includes several rules, but these rules have nothing to do with the rules of diets or other food systems. This is what my post is about today.

Hunger is a condition of the body in which the stomach remains almost empty, requiring new portions of food.

Frequently, people confuse physical hunger with psychological hunger. Indeed, many people are accustomed to eating when they experience some kind of emotional feeling or are with company, that is, during moments when external or internal circumstances force one to eat. But this hunger is always sudden and depends on the circumstances, while physical hunger, which occurs gradually, is accompanied by a rumbling sound and a feeling of emptiness in the stomach.

To recognize real hunger, it is recommended to use a ten-point saturation scale, where 10 points is recognized as strong overeating, accompanied by feeling heavy or even nauseous and 1 point is extremely hungry. Of course, you should never be at the extremes. You can start eating at 4-5 points and finish at 7-8.

Often, diets end in failure and if it is possible to reach the bitter end then there is no guarantee that the lost kilograms will not return. The reason lies in the fact that a person is in disagreement with food and his body. Intuitive nutrition allows you to harmonize these relationships.

You do not need to punish yourself with grueling workouts to not feel guilty about eating one sweet. Listening to what you want at the moment is very important, because, perhaps, the body is experiencing a shortage of some substances and it is what is needed in that moment.

When a person eats slowly, enjoying the taste of food and every bite, the signal of saturation is fed to the brain much faster. With a quick meal, saturation will take much longer, and a person in such a situation will want to eat something else.

“Sticking” of stress, joy, sadness, of course, has an effect, but not for long. Most often, emotional relief leads to overeating. It is worth trying to find other ways to relieve tension, for example, dancing, sports, a walk in the fresh air or doing your favorite hobby can help.

Naturally, everyone has different body constitutions. Someone is lucky with a waist, someone with hips, so it makes no sense to torture yourself by over-doing it with sports. Loving and respecting your body is very important.

Intuitive nutrition is not a reason to forget my body and think “I am who I am.” Fast food or sweets in large quantities obviously will not bring the body anything good. However, this does not mean that they should be excluded, the main thing in this case is moderation. The same with sports, you should not ignore physical exercises, because they heal the body and increase endurance. It is necessary by trial and error to choose the appropriate sport – it will be found. Some people like yoga, while others like more active physical activities such as aerobics.

Thus, the main purpose of intuitive power is to make peace with food and your own body, learn to listen to your needs and find your perfect figure forever.

A person needs a whole range of complex vitamins and microelements for the normal functioning of the body, but some of them play a special role in our body’s vital activity.

Calcium is needed for bones and teeth, without it, the body will not get stronger. In addition, it takes part in the muscles, immune and nervous systems, by contributing to blood clotting. Phosphorus is also necessary for bones and teeth, and for muscles, it participates in the reproduction and division of cells, reduces the likelihood of sand and kidney stones, and is involved in all bodily processes. But the human body is not able to absorb calcium and phosphorus without vitamin D. This is what my post is about today.

Due to a lack of vitamin D, bones become weak, immunity goes down, and a variety of diseases can develop, including cardiovascular and cancerous ones. Its deficiency leads to health problems ending in death.

In many countries, the shortage is compensated by special treatment with ultraviolet rays of some products: milk, mushrooms, cottage cheese, kefir. This allows you to exclude some health problems among the population. Countries are particularly at risk where, due to climatic conditions, there is a clear lack of sun.

It is very important at an early age to give children enough Vitamin D, otherwise, in the first months of life, rickets can begin to develop, leading to serious complications. In adulthood, a person needs 600 IU per day of vitamin D, children need 400 IU, and older people up to 800 IU.

It is possible to provide the body with this substance in several ways: by means of direct exposure of the skin to ultraviolet rays, by taking multivitamin complexes, and also by adjusting the diet.

Food

To saturate the body with vitamin D, you need to be in the open sun for about an hour a week, without using protective agents. Ultraviolet rays, reaching the open skin, help a person to synthesize this substance.

With food, it is problematic to fully supply the right amount, but still, the diet needs to be diversified with products having a high content of this substance. These products include chicken, eggs, sardines, tuna, mackerel or salmon.

If you take vitamin D as a separate component, then there is a risk of overdosing, which also adversely affects health, leading to intoxication. Therefore, sunbathing is considered the best option, but too much is also harmful. It is enough to be in the sun 2-3 times a week for 15-20 minutes.

Toss and turn in bed at midnight, but can’t sleep? Before you start taking pills, try natural sleeping pills. This is what my post is about today.

Milk has traditionally been used for this purpose, very often by grandmothers. A glass of warm milk with a drop of honey soothes not only our childhood memories but also due to the content of tryptophan. It is needed for the formation of melatonin – a hormone that soothes.

Some foods can improve the quality of sleep, others improve sleep. Products containing magnesium and potassium increase the concentration of melatonin.

1. Almond. This protein source is rich in magnesium which relaxes the muscles. It also contains proteins which help maintain blood sugar levels. Almonds contain riboflavin and L-carnitine, essential for the brain. It is easily digested, which contributes to a peaceful sleep. Other nuts work the same way. Choose nuts unroasted and unsalted.

2. Tea. The best choice of tea before bedtime is a herbal tea without caffeine. Mint, chamomile, tea from lemon balm or hops will work well. Even in the case of herbal teas, consult your doctor about their use. They may affect other medications being taken.

3. Cottage cheese supports and helps us to fall into a deep sleep. It contains a large amount of protein, vitamins and minerals.

4. Banana. You can use it instead of a sleeping tablet because it contains potassium and magnesium. Both of these minerals relax muscles. It also contains tryptophan. Drink a banana cocktail in the evening – a combination of milk and honey will be ideal for sleeping.

5. Oatmeal. It contains calcium, magnesium, silicon, potassium and phosphorus, that is, minerals that are very important for good sleep. Cook porridge with milk and add fruit instead of sugar.

7. Gelatin. Ideal without sugar and dyes. It contains the amino acids proline and glycine, which not only benefit the health of the skin, hair and nails, but also accelerate wound healing, improve immunity and sleep quality.

8. Grape wine. As they contain melatonin it means that sleep is guaranteed. Even a small glass of wine will help you fall asleep, but be careful because alcohol can also work as a stimulant.

10. Eggs. If hunger comes before bedtime, ideally eat one hard-boiled egg. Eggs contain tryptophan. If you add an egg to a salad, it will be just the perfect light dinner and a ticket for a good night’s sleep.

Escudella is a typical Catalan broth and, essentially, it is the same dish as the putxero with meatballs or broth with meatballs from Valencia. It is made by simmering meat in a pot with vegetables such as chickpeas, potatoes and cabbage. Usually, onion or leek, celery, carrots and one or two cloves of garlic are also added. Because it is a hot dish, it is usually eaten in winter. It has an intense, moderately salty flavour depending on the variety of ingredients that are used. The level of saltines depends on the taste of each person, although generally it is advisable not to add salt as its already contained in the ingredients. The texture of escudella is usually very soft, although it can be thickened with meat or by adding grains. It does not have a specific recipe since it is a traditional dish and each person, family or town preppers it in their own way. At Christmas, it is usually cooked with soup de galets, a large pasta that is sometimes stuffed with small meatballs.

Carn d’olla (traditional stewed meat) is usually made up of black and white sausages, pilota (meatball), lean beef, a bit of lamb, chicken breast, some pork cheeks or ears, and bacon.