Last month in September i went to a trip to the Maldives for 2,5 weeks. Yes, you are right it is rain season in the Maldives during that time BUT i recommend travelling during this time, tho. It rained a couple times late at night or early in the morning, but never the whole day.

It rains heavily, but we all know that rain brings us flowers- the vegetation on the islands is AMAZING. I even went in the water for snorkeling when it was raining- the water is always very warm.

Generally, the weather can get pretty hot and I recommend bringing a lot of sunscreen (I did not bring enough, burned myself so heavy that I had to go to the local ”hospital”)

I don’t really know where to start but let me just say it was the PERFECT time this year to go there. A couple hotels were allowed to open back up during the pandemic and there really were only a few tourists. Whenever i had to leave, couple days earlier many people arrived and the couple i met there as well as me both said it has a different atmosphere now. Too crowded.

If you love snorkeling, diving and if you are not scared of only being surrounded by the sea, living on a small island in the middle of nowhere- then the island Lankanfinolhu is the place to go. I stayed at Paradise Island Resort and i made a great deal during pandemic.

I woke up in my little bungalow, sometimes had an outside shower first, then went early to breakfast and sat outside next to the water, next to little sharks and other great sea-animals.

Let me share these foods with you to eat during any meal. I try to integrate them in my meal plan all the time and not only because they are good for you- they are so delicious!

Generally, i always loved these foods and in my family’s house we used to eat them all the time. But it is important to remember yourself of these foods and their positive effects on your health. They have various disease-fighting nutrients, like for example antioxidant-packed blueberries. Whenever you make yourself familiar with the effects and realize that you should eat them everyday, you will automatically keep track of consuming them more frequently.

I won’t share any of those superfoods you probably heard of in some magazine (like goji berries) which are crazy expensive. Let me just list you some simple, affordable superfoods that are easy to incorporate into a diet. Of course there are way more healthy food choices besides these 10 superfoods, but for now i think 10 is enough.

Challenge yourself and try to incorporate everyday one new food item from the list below!

1 -Eggs

My all-time favorite food, since it is a high quality vegetarian protein source (6 grams of protein per egg). Especially egg yolks are high in antioxidants which are good for your eyes (lutein and zeaxanthin) as well as for your skin. Eggs are rich in Vitamins, such as Vitamin D, B12, K and Biotin as well as minerals such as iron and selenium.

2-APPLES

An apple a day keeps the doctor away– true true true. You load your body especially with Vitamin C and improve your heart health due to fiber and polyphenols!

There are so many kinds of apples with different tastes, which makes eating them never boring! ( i used to work with an apple farm who selled all kinds of apples on the weekly farmer’s market) You can easily integrate them for breakfast in your porridge, in a smoothie, as a snack in the afternoon, for baking, and so on.

3- AVOCADO

4- SWEET POTATOES

Sweet potatoes contain alpha and beta carotene which support your body with the convertion into vitamin A. Vitamin A is commonly known for supporting eye, bone and immune health. Furthermore, sweet potatoes are rich in Vitamin C and D as well as B vitamins. So just remember- GO FOR IT!

To make sweet potatoes even sweeter you can toss sweet potatoes with honey or maple syrup, some butter and lemon juice and roast them afterwards in the oven.

5- Spinach

When we think of healthy, we tend to think of the color green but the truth is to incorporate all colors, there are more important health foods than only green-colored foods like spinach and salad.

Although, spinach is commonly known for its high amount of iron. Truth is, there are a loooot of healthy foods richer in iron! BUT: spinach do a body good, is known for helping with weight loss and reduces risk of diabetes. Spinach has important nutrients like Vitamin C as well as some fiber.

6- NUTS

EAT YOUR NUTS. Many people try to avoid them because of their high amount of fat and higher amount of calories. BUT this does not mean anything- eating nuts gives your body HEALTHY polyunsaturated fats and magnesium (important for athletes and their muscle function as well as for women and their menstrual cycle). These nutrients are known for protection against insulin resistance.

Healthy fats have a positive impact on your beauty, your natural skin care. Polyunsaturated fats produce the skin’s natural oil barrier and help you look younger. Especially women can profit of nuts in one more thing: supporting a healthy menstrual cycle.

7- Bananas

When i used to swim up to 15 kilometers per day, my coaches always made sure we eat enough bananas. Bananas are not only a perfect snack and give your body energy due to its healthy carbs, they are also rich in MAGNESIUM.

Magnesium is important for regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, blood pressure and boosts exercise performance!

Furthermore, they are high in fiber and help your body burn fat. Your body needs healthy carbs that help curbing appetite. Bananas vary in their calorie density according to their grade of ripeness. But don’t worry about bananas and their calories: Trust me, they are good for you.

8- Kefir

Kefir is a fermented milk drink that tastes similar to drinkable yogurt and is FULL of calcium and probiotics. Calcium is very important for your bone health and probiotics support your digestive health. It can be mixed with other milk and yogurt (in smoothies) and can therefore be easily integrated in your breakfast dishes every day!

Probiotics help break down lactose and it might be easier for you to digest kefir. Further alternatives can serve as a substitute for those with dairy sensitivities: nut milk (almond, cashew, coconut).

9- Whole grain oats

It is easy to eat your oats everyday since they can serve as the perfect breakfast meal (porridge, overnight oats, smoothies with oats, cereal with oats, oat bars and so on). Oats are rich in fiber, which is good for your gut. They can help reduce cravings and appetite since they make us feel full and satisfied. To me, eating oats became an everyday habit!

10- BROCCOLI

The reason why i want to add broccoli to this list for you, is that it contains folate and is a delicious, easily-prepared side dish for you. Folate, also known as Vitamin B-9, is important in red blood cell formation. Support a healthy blood cell function and cell growth function by eating broccoli more frequently. Vitamin B9 is needed to make DNA and to divide your cells.

Cooking can sometimes feel like a chore at the end of a busy day. It’s often tempting to throw a ready meal in the oven or call for take out.

But preparing a simple and healthy family meal doesn’t have to be hard or time-consuming. Here are some quick wholesome dishes that you and your family will love.

Also, i will share some of my german recipes which can easily be prepared even if you’re living in the US.

The german potatoe salad can be prepared in advance and is a good side dish for many meals- all items are available in regular grocery stores like Walmart.

Ingredients (serving size 2)
* 500g waxy potatoes 
* 1 bunch of spring onions
* 1/2 onion 
* 1 tbsp mustard
* 1 tbsp organic honey 
* 50 g whole milk joghurt (alternative: whole milk greek joghurt)
* apple cider vinegar
* vegetable oil
* salt
* pepper
* pinch of red pepper spice (sweet)
* fresh herbs (parsley, dill)
Optional: add cooked bacon or ham (on the stovetop)to the potato salad at the end.

STEP 1
Boil potatoes in a large pot of water for 15–20 minutes until tender. Drain and cool potatoes. Dice potatoes into cubes or slices.

STEP 2 
Cut onion and spring onion into small cubes. Cut fresh herbs.

STEP 3
Prepare dressing: Mix together joghurt, honey, apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil, mustard, salt, pepper, pinch of red smoked pepper.
Mix with the herbs and onions.

STEP 4
Combine all ingredients and toss gently. Cover potatoe salad and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
Enjoy this creamy potatoe salad! 

Quick Lunch Recipes

POWER QUINOA SALAD

This salad can be made ahead and delivers a punch of superfood nutrition to make you feel good all day long. It is one of my favorite recipes since it only takes me 20 minutes for preparation. Quinoa is high in protein and makes this salad a protein- and fiber rich meal.

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potatoe, peeled and cut
• 1/2 red onion, cut into small wedges
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tablespoon garlic powder
• some salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons german mustard (alternative: whole-grain mustard)
• 1 chopped shallot
• 1 tablespoon honey (alternative: maple syrup)
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 4 cups baby greens (spinach, kale)
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• sunflower seeds
• some lemon
• fresh basil

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 425 F. Toss the sweet potatoe and onion with 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic powder and some salt and roast on a baking sheet for 15 minutes.

STEP 2

Meanwhile, cook quinoa as shown on the directions and let it cool off.

STEP 3

Mix all the ingredients together and prepare your salad dressing with some olive oil, cider vinegar, salt and pepper, lemon juice, honey, mustard, and some fresh basil. Toss over mixed ingredients and sprinkle with sunflower seed.

Refrigerate salad and prepare to-go boxes. Enjoy!

Honestly, i would consider breakfast as my favorite meal of the day.

Me personally, i wake up and latest after my coffee i am hungry. Time for some wholesome, filling breakfast that gives me enough energy for a good start in this day.

There are so many options how you can make yourself a quick breakfast before walking out the door and without feeling rushed.

How about a new challenge this week and setting an earlier alarm to actually have the time to do so? Let’s make this a new habit!

So, let me share you some of my favorite recipes which are quick& easy…

Chocolate banana peanut smoothie

Ingredients to mix in a blender:

* 250ml almond milk + 100 ml Kefir

*1/2 frozen banana

*2 tbsp. Hershey’s all natural cocoa powder

* 2 tbsp. Peanut butter

* (optional: some honey if you want it sweeter)

Classic fruit porridge

I love this simple recipe especially when it gets colder and I like having a warming breakfast. You can always change variations , add other fruit /milk and flavors.

Ingredients to mix together

* 60 grams of oats

* any milk you like ( should cover the oats)

* chia seeds

* 1 tbsp. peanut butter

* 1-2 tbsp.honey

* some cinnamon

* 1/2 apple cut into small cubes

*frozen berries

*(optional: coconut flakes/ spread)

After you mixed all the ingredients together in a bowl, you place it into the microwave and heat it up for about 2 minutes. Mix it again and see if you like the texture or if you want it even more creamy- if so, place it another minute in the microwave.

Let the porridge cool off and cover with frozen berries. Enjoy!

If you would like to change it up a little, you can put the apples and banana slices in a saucepan with some coconut oil first, roast it and then add it to your porridge. It’s very delicious, but it would need a little more time.