Daily Reflection
Daily Tasks
1. Remind yourself of the commitment you have made to work on the needed lifestyle changes that will boost your immunity. Keep persevering! You probably have noted some changes already in your health, and the result is surely worthwhile the effort.
2. Take a sheet of paper and write down all things that stress you out or worry you. Include the following areas into your list:
- Finances
- Relationships
- Work overload
- Health problems
- Noisy environment
- Technology overload
- Disruptive events
- Uncertain future
- Spiritual issues and guilt
- Lack of purpose
3. After having done a complete list of your stressors, rate them from 1 to 10 according to their severity. Analyze also what kind of symptoms of stress overload you may feel in your life.
4. Make a plan on how you could resolve some of those stressors in your life. If you need further help, have a look at this free resource:
The 10 Minute Guide to Stress Management
5. Plan to celebrate next Saturday as a day of rest. It is an invitation of God to put aside all your worries of this week and trust that He will take care of it all. Invite your family for a nature outing if possible. And plan to put aside all work activities including household chores. If you want to find out some more on the subject, check out this site:
Recipes
Today we were talking about stress. Cortisol is one of the hormones causing damage in case of chronic stress. Did you know that there were actually food sources that can help in reducing cortisol? Vitamin C is one of them, and we covered it already yesterday. Omega 3 is essential to reduce inflammation and lowers cortisol levels. Flaxseed and Chia are excellent sources.
Oatmeal and bananas are feel-good foods that lift your serotonin, which is an antagonist to cortisol. Garlic and olive oil are other good cortisol reducers. Microgreens have much higher vitamin C levels than their grown-up counterparts and should be considered as well. Garbanzos are another excellent option.
Below a few simple options to get those stress relieving foods into your diet.
Avocado Toast
This simple breakfast uses three ingredients, is easy to prepare, and is tasty and nutritious.
Avocado Dip
2 avocados
½ cup cashews/ 1 cup of water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ medium onion
salt
garlic (optional)
Blend cashews well then add the rest.
Guacamole
1 large or 2 small ripe avocados
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. lemon juice.
Use a fork to mash the avocado and seasonings together. To maintain the green color, leave an avocado pit in the guacamole
Garbanzo “Tuna” Salad
This recipe is a great filling for a taco shell, or to use as a dip, or to add as a filling for sandwiches.
Ingredients
Salad filling:
2 cups chickpeas, cooked
2 ribs celery, chopped fine
1 tsp dill, dried
1 tsp salt
1 avocado, diced (optional)
Cashew mayo:
1⁄2 cup raw cashews
1⁄2 cup water
1⁄2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp onion powder
Using a food processor and the ‘S’ blade, pulse the chickpeas until you have a chunky texture. Do not over process, otherwise you will have a humus texture. Place chickpeas in a separate bowl.
Next, using a high-speed blender, add all ingredients for the cashew mayo into the blender. Blend on high until you achieve a creamy texture. Pour over chickpeas.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir until everything is coated with the cashew mayo. Serve over your favorite gluten- free bread or add to lettuce cups. You can also use this filling as a dip.
Serves 4-6
Hummus
Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
2 cups rolled oats
3 large overripe bananas
172 cup peanut butter
Preheat the oven to 175C/350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl add all ingredients and mix well. Wet your hands and form 8 balls. Press them into cookie shape and bake for 10-12 minutes until slightly golden on the edges.
Chia Overnight Pudding
1/4 cup chia seed
1 cup coconut milk or any other of your favorite milks (almond, soy, oats, hazelnut,…)
Put chia into a medium bowl and gently add the milk with constant stirring. Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes in order to avoid clumps. If you want you can stir in some raisins. Keep overnight in your fridge. The next morning give it another stir to be sure no clumps have formed. Top it with fruits and serve.