Toothpaste

When I grew up we had a fluoride lady coming to our school every three months. She would give us a small cup of fluoride we had to gargle for two minutes, without laughing.

All toothpastes contained fluoride and most still do, even though it clear that it's not good for our overall-health, long term. It may have some benefits to the enamel, the outer layer of the teeth, but it also kills a lot of good bacteria we need in our mouth to start breaking down the food.

What we eat is really important to our dental health and that we brush our teeth at least twice a day, with a soft brush and a soft touch and at least I have switch to a fluoride free toothpaste. But, I'm not sure I dare to tell my mom...

Read more about fluoride in toothpaste here.

Watch a video here.

Kiwi

Kiwi isn't just tasty and easy to eat, it is also packed with vital nutrients like vitamin C and E, fibers, carotenoids and other helpful antioxidants.

It's good for the heart, benefits the digestion and boosts the immune system, among other things.

Read more about the kiwifruit here.

Watch a video here.

Tihar

Tihar, or Diwali in India, is called the festival of lights, and scary firecrackers, I might add. People put lost of lights on their houses and families meet for different ceremonies.

One day we celebrate all dogs.

The last day of Tihar we sisters celebrate our brothers.

Read more about Tihar here.

Suntala

Suntala is the Nepalese version of the mandarin. It is packed with vitamin C, antioxidants and beta-cryptoxanthin, a vitamin A precursor.

It's good for your overall-health and immune system. It may improve blood flow, lower blood sugar, increase bone density, reduces asthma, aid in digestion and much more, so take the opportunity to add this orange colored delicates to your daily diet.

Read more about mandarins here.

Watch a video here.

My Health Journey Has Begun, Part 1: The Issues

Now you can find my new book "My Health Journey Has begun, Part 1: The Issues" on Amazon.

Description of the book:

"Ani was suffering from depression, insomnia, stomach- and headaches. She lost all her hair and had a major breakdown, but how did it all begin?

Follow Ani when she investigates the roots to her problems. It all began in Sweden in 1970, when she was born to two pragmatic farmers. How has her upbringing, school years, careers and relationships affected her health?

In Part 1 we will dig deeper in to what shapes a person’s life. In Part 2 we will follow the steps Ani took to become a healthy middle-aged woman who sees every day as a challenge to extend her health-span."

Find it here on amazon.com and here on amazon.in. Enjoy!

Avocado

Now it's the avocado season here in Nepal so I will eat it intensely for a couple of weeks. I try not to eat fruits and vegetables off season since it has been transported long distances. For example are the avocados, when it's not season, from Uganda in Africa. For me it's important to eat local produced food, as far as possible.

Back to the avocado, that is packed with nutrients like vitamin C, E, K, magnesium, copper and potassium, so they are well worth eating.

Studies show that avocado may help reduce weight, lower blood pressure and improve gut and eye health, to name a few benefits of many.

Read more about the benefits of avocado here.

Watch a video about it here.

Stress

Stress is one of the most dangerous mental states we experience in modern society.

A long time ago, humans felt stress for a short period of time when they were, for example, chased by a tiger, the fight-or-flight response. But, people of today are in a constant state of stress. We stress over time, money, jobs, children, old parents, bills, cars, news, politics and even our health.

Stress releases the hormones adrenaline and cortisol and it doesn’t matter if the stress is life threatening or just in your mind, the body will react with the same chemical solution.

Chronic stress can cause insomnia, depression, headache, stomachache, diabetes 2, heart attack, high blood pressure, overweight, fertility problems and impotence.

Whatever it takes! You have to reconstruct your life and cut out stress. 

What in your life makes you stressed? What can you do to eliminate the stress from your life? Manage one thing at a time so you don't get overwhelmed.

Watch the video with Dr. Robert Sapolsky here.

Read more about stress here.

Happy Dashain!

Right now we are celebrating the biggest Hindu festival Dashain here in Nepal. Dashain is equivalent to our Christmas celebrations in importance to gathering the family and have a few days off work.

 Yesterday I celebrated Dashain with my dear friends Ellen and Sudan and Sudan's family.

Read more about Dashain here.

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds contain healthy fats, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc and different antioxidants. 

They may reduce the risk of some form of cancers, lower blood sugar, improve sleep and sperm quality, among many other things.

They are easy to add to your diet and are a great snack on the go.

Read more about pumpkin seeds here and if you prefer a video click here.

Advice from a Tree

We all need advice from older, wiser individuals and why not from trees. It's up to us to follow advice coming our way, but I'd say these are pretty thinkworthy.

You will find this sign at the Park Village Resort, Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu. Click here for more information.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is one of those little miracles for your health, that is available in most kitchens.

It aids with the digestion, to loose weight and to manage the blood sugar, so start a new routine today by drinking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water before each meal.

To learn more about the health benefits from Dr. Sten Ekberg, click here.

Mudra for Digestion

Yogic mudras are positions that can help with different ailments. Most mudras are performed by the hands. It can be ritual or activate different body parts and today's mudra will stimulate the digestion.

Watch Prashantj yoga's video here, to get a full explanation on how to perform it correctly.

Read more about mudras here.

Wim Hof

Wim Hof is a true character with a mission to spread his findings in order to increase the general public health with his own methods and I like his genuine personality.

Click here to watch an interview with Wim when he talks about his methods, but also about the tragedy that happened in his personal life.

Wim Hof has an app that makes it easy to practice his breathing technique and other things. Click here for Android and here for Apple.

Natural Soap

The skin is our biggest, external organ. It protects us and keeps the whole body together, in one piece.

We are constantly bombarded with temperature shifts, bacteria and poisons of all sorts, so it is very important that we treat it with love and respect.

One way of doing that is to use natural soap.

Read more about the skin barrier here.

Guava

We have a big guava tree in our garden and today my landlord gave me some ripe fruits.

Guava boosts the immune system, it may help with managing blood sugar levels, heart health, constipation and better eyesight. It is an anti-stress agent and may reduce the risk of some cancers and relieve painful menstruations.

Read more about the benefits of guava here.

Watch a video about guava here.

Baking Soda

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is one of the most versatile chemical compounds you can find, and to an affordable cost.

You can use it for baking, cleaning your home and your teeth, make deodorant and clean your vegetables from pesticides. It can be used to alleviate heartburn, improve exercise performance, sooth burns and much more.

So, make sure to keep a packet of baking soda at home. You never know when you will need it.

I use baking soda to clean my veggies.

Read more about baking soda here.

Watch a short video about baking soda here.

Walk Barefoot

I walk barefoot as much as possible and every day someone is commenting on why I don't have any shoes. Here in Nepal it's a sign of not having enough money to buy shoes when you walk barefoot, but they can clearly see that I can afford a pair, so it's a big mystery for the people I met, why I actively choose not to wear any.

I explain to each person who I met, who are genuinely curious to know why I walk barefoot, that I want to connect with Mother Earth and I even encourage them to try it sometimes. 

A couple of weeks ago a met a young man who's grandfather had the same philosophy regarding walking barefoot, so it's an ancient knowledge that has been lost over the years.

If you think about it. How good is it to walk on plastic soles all day, disconnecting with the earth we are born to live on?

You don't have to be as extreme as I am, walking without shoes everywhere. Just take them off sometimes and feel the different textures under your feet. Get grounded and absorb the positive energies Mother Earth is so generously sending out for anyone ready to accept them.

"Pain you choose, will only make you stronger", as a wise woman once said.

Walking on gravel will make you think. How do I balance my way through the less painful path? So walking barefoot will also activate your brain,

When you are barefoot you can give a cute street dog a relaxing foot massage.

Click here to find out how you can crochet barefoot sandals.

Yin Yoga

You don't practice yoga to show it off on Instagram. You don't do yoga in between a stressful day at work and a stressful evening with the family.

Yoga is a lifestyle you should introduce in your life with care and much thought. Of course you could say that doing some yoga is better than doing no yoga and of course that's the case, but yoga is not just about doing positions on a yoga mat. 

Yoga is a lifestyle covering so much more than exercise. It also involves breathing, sleep, relaxation, meditation, diet, thoughts and what you say to other people. It's about self-respect and loving yourself. 

I've found yin yoga that is a form of yoga that is meditative, with relatively easy positions, that you hold for several minutes. The slow pace gives you time to really go in to and feel each position. 

I can really recommend Aprille Walker at YogaRangerStudios

Click here to get to Aprille's Youtube channel.

Click here to try out my favorite yoga practice with Aprille.

Read more about Yin yoga here.

My Health "Tea"

Ever since 2020 I've had an extra interest in how to boost the immune system and since then I've made my special health "tea".

I have a lot of herbs, spices, roots and barks, so every time I make a batch I make a new combination, to make sure the diversity is as big as possible. 

Sometime it tastes like a soothing lemonade and sometimes it tastes like a bitter, used sock, but I drink it every time with good spirits, because I know there are a lot of good nutrients in there.

Yesterday I made a 5 liter batch with red onion peels, pine needles, bamboo leaves, Swedish rowan berries, white clover, cinnamon, ashwagandha, banana leaves etc.

I let it cool over night, so the nutrients really have a chance to come out, pour it in to glass bottles and store it in the fridge, easy to access when I need a refreshing drink.

Clouds

How often do you raise your gaze and look at the sky? 

I love looking at the sky and the formations the clouds create. Light or dark, fluffy or thin are they sailing across the sky, over our heads.

We are completely depended on the clouds for rain and shade, so take a moment today and look at the sky and see what the clouds tell you. I can guarantee that they are more correct than the weather forecast.

I took this photo the other day when I was out walking the dogs.

The sun is about to set behind the Himalayas.

Learn more about clouds here.