The Perfect Sugar-Free Oatmeal Recipe - with green apple, blueberry, cashew and yogurt!!

Trust me. I know better than anyone that oatmeal is boring. When I was doing my part-time finance master I fed myself enough oatmeal for dinner that I thought I would never touch it again for the rest of my life.

Well, never say never.

I now have an awesome way to transform regular oatmeal into something really exciting. And this is the magic ingredient.

Here is all you need:

• a green apple
• half a cup of plain yogurt
• a cup of milk (you can use soy milk but I think milk tastes a lot better)
• 1/4 cup of blueberry
• a handful of cashew nuts
• 1/4 cup of instant oatmeal
• honey and vanilla extract are optional

 Step 1 - Transform the texture of your instant oatmeal  

I believe one of the reasons why people don't like oatmeal is its texture. It's extremely dry if you don't give it enough time to soak up the water. But if you give it too much time, it will end up being really thick and slimy.

The trick here is, soak 1/4 cup of oatmeal in 1/4 cup of milk the night before and pop it into the fridge. By doing so you will let the oatmeal absorb just enough milk to become soft. We will later add in more milk for a thinner and smoother consistency. 

 Step 2 - Chop, Chop and Chop  

Did I mention I am obsessed with chopping fruits and veggies? One of my favorite morning activities is to chop things lol. Chop a green apple anyway you like. There is no right way to do it, just make sure you are not making apple puree. You want the apple to remain crispy and fresh to compliment the creamy oatmeal. 

If you haven't already realized, the blue background of my pictures, is in fact my chopping board...LOL

 Step 3 - and Chop Chop Chop  

Now it's time to chop some nuts. You can use any nuts you like. But I prefer cashew nuts because they are sweet and go well with fruits and yogurt. 

Don't try to put the nuts in a food processor, they will just lose the texture and flavor altogether. You just need them to be coarsely chopped. You want them to be crunchy so you can taste them.

 Step 4 - Mix them all!!  

Toss the yogurt, blueberry, green apple, cashew nuts, soaked oatmeal and the remaining 3/4 cup of milk into a large bowl and mix them using a spoon (not mixer, not blender). If you happen to have vanilla extract at home, add a few drops and it will do magic. Sprinkle flaxseeds on top to finish. 

If you don't have a sweet tooth, this fruity oatmeal mix is already perfect to serve. Since the fruits are not blended, you will be able to taste their natural sweetness. Otherwise you can also drizzle honey on top. 

This is by far the best oatmeal I have ever had. You will be amazed by how the green apple adds texture and flavor to plain oatmeal. The result is crispy, crunchy, smooth, creamy, sweet and fresh. Don't forget it's SUGAR-FREE, very nutritious and really fun to make too!

I hope you all enjoy it :)

XOXO

  Nutritional Information :  

Protein     19 g

Fat           11 g
Carb         70 g
Sugar       36 g (naturally from fruits, milk and yogurt. Low GI)  
Calories   397 kcal

Quick maths behind the ice bucket challenge...

Despite the number of psychology books that I read, sometimes I find human behavior is indeed quite difficult to understand. For example, the ice bucket challenge that went viral.

I know this thing is here for a good reason: to raise the awareness of ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). But honestly, how many people who tried to freeze their brains by throwing ice water over their heads bother to know what does ALS stand for?


But I am not here to discuss whether it's stupid or smart to do the challenge. I am here to do some simple maths:


**********************************************************

Each person in the ice bucket challenge nominates 3 other people to do the same within the next 24 hours. So the number of people pouring ice water grows 3 times every day.

• Assume there are 7 billion people in the world, in 21.27 days the entire population would have poured ice water once.

• Assume only the people living in developed countries have access to clean water, and 10% of them did the challenge, using a 20 cm X 30 cm X 40 cm ice bucket. We could have wasted 2.4 million cubic meter of water (or 960 Olympic-sized swimming pools), in a little more than 2 weeks.

OK. This is all I want to say. Judge it yourself : P

Florence 101 - Dante

Dan Brown's new book Inferno, which is set in Florence, has reminded me of my best memories in Italy. It motivated me to continue writing my travel journal (before I go on another trip lol). Here I am going to slowly refresh what I have learned during my vacation in May. And I hope it's going to help you better prepare your next trip to Italy too.

Florence played a crucial role in the development of Italian art, culture and the language itself. It's often regarded as "the cradle of Renaissance".

The city, of course, is very beautiful in her own right. But if you want to get the most out of your vacation in Florence, I'd suggest you to take some time and learn about a few names that you are bound to come across: The Medici Family, Michelangelo and Dante

I am going to start with Dante.

 Dante Alighieri 

He was a widely loved Florentine poet in the middle ages, a century before the Renaissance started (some called him "the frontrunner of Renaissance"). His works had remarkable influence over the Renaissance artists and the Italian culture. He also represented the people's love and pride of the Florence city.

i. The Father of the Italian Language
He was considered the father of Italian, mainly because of his epic work "the Divine Comedy". Comedy here doesn't suggest his poem was about something funny. At that time the "high" literature was called "tragedy" and "low" literature "comedy". High literature was written in Latin. However, Dante's Divine Comedy was first literary work written in Italian. Due to the success of his poems, the Italian language also became an important language in Europe.

ii. The Inspiration of Renaissance Artists
His works, particularly the Divine Comedy, inspired a lot of Renaissance artists. He created new visions towards the heaven and the hell, and acted as blueprints of many famous religious works of the Renaissance, including Michelangelo's Last Judgement on the wall of the Sistine Chapel. His work was admired by the most prominent artists in the world, including Michelangelo, who was also a poet himself, and Botticelli. 

iii. The Star-crossed Lovers
The life of the poet was a romantic tragedy. He fell in love with a woman named Beatrice at the age of 9 at first sight (yes. 9!). However instead of Beatrice, he married the daughter of an influential family in Florence at 12 (yes. 12!). Beatrice died at the young age of 24, buried at the church where she first met Dante. Much to the poet's grief, she was often mentioned in Dante's work. In Dante's Divine Comedy, he reached the paradise under the guidance of Beatrice. He devoted his work and much of his life to the woman he loved (hmmm...his wife, however, was never mentioned in any of his work).

iv. Florence and Dante
Dante was born, baptized, and raised in Florence. He loved his homeland dearly. However he took the wrong side in a political conflict and was exiled from Florence when he was in his mid-thirties. He was later invited to Ravenna, where he finished his Divine Comedy, and died 3 years later at 56. Until the very last moments of his life, he wished one day he could return to Florence with honour. Years after Dante's death (and success), Florence finally wanted his remain back from Ravenna, but in vein. Despite the fail attempts, Florence built a massive tomb for Dante nevertheless, with a quote from his work Inferno "Honour the most exalted poet" and "His spirit, which had left us, has returned". (so sad!!)

Sugar-Free Gluten-Free Blueberry Yogurt Cashew Smoothie

 

I have been having the chocolate smoothie almost the whole week. There is no reason not to make myself a new smoothie today since it's Saturday! Yay!!

There are lots of blueberry yogurt smoothie recipes around. Of course! everybody knows yogurt goes really well with berries: strawberry, blueberry, raspberry... you name it. But there is one problem with it: both (natural, plain) yogurt and berries are sour. When you put them together, especially without adding sugar (or honey), you can imagine it will taste REALLY sour. So, besides blueberry, I put a banana as well. I don't normally put 2 fruits together because there can be too much sugar, even if it's from fruits. But, 1.  it's still better than putting refined sugar and, 2.  it's SATURDAY!  :)

My formula for healthy smoothies goes like this 

a) protein:  this time it's from yogurt  

b) anti-oxidant: blueberry!

c) healthy fats: cashew

d) as much as possible, minimize sugar 

e) limit the number of ingredients to not more than 5, because there is no point tossing everything in and tastes like nothing

I picked cashew for 2 reasons  1.  it's creamy with a natural sweetness, which can help balance out the sourness of yogurt and blueberry and,  2. it matches the colour of the other ingredients... yes I am serious, I am obsessed with colours ... : P

One important point to note is, you will have to get unsalted cashew that is not roasted, but steamed. And make sure you don't get raw, unprocessed cashew, it is TOXIC! I soaked the cashew in water overnight to make it softer and easier to blend.  

I sprinkle chia seed instead of flax seed on top to finish because, again, for the colour. I want it to look pastel blue/ lilac. The result is creamy, sweet and sour, just like the frozen yogurt you get in town but of course 10 times healthier.

You can add ice cubes to this smoothie too and I guess it will taste even more like frozen yogurt. Yum Yum Yum...

  Ingredients :  

1 medium sized banana

1 cup of blueberry (or other berries like raspberry and strawberry)

A cup of plain, unsweetened yogurt

A handful of cashew nuts, soaked in water overnight

Around 100 ml of soy milk (milk, almond milk... or anything you like. Ice cubes are optional)

  Nutritional Facts :  

Protein     15 g

Fat           11 g
Carb         51 g
Sugar       34 g * 
Calories   356 kcal

*half of this actually comes from lactose, which naturally exists in plain yogurt. It has no fructose by composition and has only half the GI of glucose. Unless you're lactose intolerant, I think it's alright to have lactose in your diets, especially from yogurt.

All about bananas

I love bananas, probably ever since I was a kid. If it is not the most delicious fruit in the world, it has to be the most convenient. You don't need any tools to crack a banana, you don't even need to wash it. Sometimes I am just amazed by God's perfect design. Don't agree? Read the Banana Fallacy.

Brilliant, isn't it?  LOL

I do not totally agree with the last point, though. Yellow alone is not just right, yellow with black spots is.

  Fact #1:   Ripe banana (sort of) helps prevent cancer  

If you don't believe me, read this. Banana produces TNF as it ripens which can trigger apoptosis via the extrinsic pathway, and promote the proliferation of leukocytes. Simply speaking, ripe banana contains a substance that is essential to get rid of unwanted cells in the body, which can be cancer cells. But is the amount significant enough to prevent cancer? very likely not. However, consider you are having one ripe banana a day, together with other anti-oxidizing super-foods and a healthy lifestyle, it may make a difference in the long run.  

  Fact #2:   Banana quenches thirst  

No, it is not a joke. I am sure you have experienced the thirst after salty meals before, and no matter how much water you drink, it doesn't help. This is because our body depends on an accurate balance of sodium and potassium to function properly (Wonder why? Read this). Even the smallest increase in the concentration of plasma sodium triggers signal to the brain for us to feel thirst, which intends to bring in more free water to the body. Ideally we should take in just as much sodium as potassium in our diet. However, modern diets often contain waaaaay more sodium (from salt) than potassium. To maintain the balance, we should eat more fruits as a natural source of potassium. A medium-sized banana alone contains more than 400 mg of potassium, doubles that of orange and apple.

  Fact #3:   Banana makes you happy  

Banana is known to help combat depression. It contains tryptophan something that can be converted into serotonin and melatonin, both neuro-transmitters something else that regulate(s) sleep and happy mood.

  Fact #4:   Banana does not make you fat  

Many people do not eat banana because they think it will make them fat. No it will not! because

1) it's filling, so you don't want to snack that often

2) there is no fat in bananas

3) there is only around 100 kcal in a medium sized banana

4) it contains both "simple" and "complex" sugar that will be broken down and released into the blood stream steadily. It's also very high in fibre and is often considered as a low GI food (Read this). If you don't bother to read about GI, just remember it's lower the better

  So...What to do with bananas?  

The bananas you get in supermarkets are usually green. To make it ripen faster I usually leave bananas with apples in the same bag. I love putting bananas in my morning smoothies, for the sweetness and the creamy texture. 

For me I don't have a problem finishing one banana at a time. But in case you have a tiny appetite, this can be your life-saver... 

* NANA SAVER *

Despite its usefulness, I am giving this product 2 thumbs up....lol

Sugar-Free Gluten-Free high protein all natural super-food chocolate smoothie

Every time I promised myself to write about something in my next post, it ended up to be something else. And this is one of the least likely topics that I'd talk about:

  BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE RECIPES  

I recently got a blender and started making breakfast for myself. Smoothies are gaining popularity nowadays because it is quick, can be very healthy and requires very little technique. All you need is an active brain to come up with good combinations of food.

(As you can probably tell, my brain is always pretty active : P)

So here is my very first smoothie recipe. It's very rich in protein, loaded with healthy super-foods that are anti-oxidizing, energizing, filling, healing ... and it tastes really good too!! It takes only 5 mins to prepare and it's the best way to kick-start a perfect day.

Instruction is simple. Toss everything into a blender and blend until smooth. Sprinkle flax seed on top for a perfect finish. The result is chocolaty, sweet and creamy. Imagine you're having a chocolate milkshake without the health hazards but instead gives your skin a healthy glow. How nice!


 Ingredients: 

1 medium-sized banana
(preferably full ripe banana with many black spots for the sweetness and the anti-cancer quality read here)

2 tablespoons of unsweetened cacao powder
(anti-oxidizing and YUMMMMY!)

Half a cup of black beans (canned, or preferably boiled if you have time)
(perfect source of protein and dietary fiber, makes the smoothie more filing too)

2 tablespoons of unsweetened black sesame powder
(source of healthy fats for perfect skin)

Around 100ml of unsweetened soy milk
(you can use milk or almond milk or anything else you like)

1 teaspoon of flax seed
(source of omega-3)

 Nutritional Facts: 
Protein    17 g
Fat          17 g
Carb        50 g
Sugar      12 g (mainly from banana, which has relatively low GI)
Calories   343 kcal


Stay healthy everyone!

XOXO

Awesome Saturday under HKD 150

I am going to share with you one of my favorite Saturday routine. If you enjoy reading, healthy meals and scenic walks as much as I do, you will definitely love Discovery Bay. It's totally affordable too!

5 things that I enjoy in Discovery Bay

#1 The Ferry

I know, the ferry is expensive (HKD 40). But it's definitely one of the most comfortable ferry rides in Hong Kong. It's quiet, clean, spacious with free wifi. And I loooove to read on the ferry. Oftentimes the 30 mins feels like a second when I get myself so absorbed in the book.

#2 The Animals

I think there are almost as many dogs in Discovery Bay as humans. From cute furry balls to giant bulldogs, you can find them everywhere. More importantly, the owners are usually very friendly and wouldn't mind you playing with their pets. 

#3 The Food

Life Cafe is my all time favorite restaurant in the universe. I go there at least once a week, either the one in Central or this one in Discovery Bay. They serve healthy, organic, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, yeast-free food that tastes like heaven. The place is relaxed and cozy, you can easily spend an hour or two here reading your favorite book.

Below is my lunch today: small mixed salad and sugar-free chocolate truffle. Yum yum yum.

#4 The Beach

I guess I don't have to say much about this one. The picture is self-explanatory.

#5 The Inspiration

The place is so beautiful you can take snapshots that look like postcards everywhere. Quoting Justin Kleon, the author of "Steal like an artist", here is the place where you can steal from the nature. 

(Book review of "Steal like an artist" is underway. I have recently become a fan of Austin Kleon, by the way :-P)

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And here is a tip for you: 

If you spend more than HKD 100 in Discovery Bay you can have a free ferry ticket that takes you back to Central. But you have to make sure you are seated at the restaurant after 12 p.m. 

In my opinion the best way to do this is to order a small mixed salad at Life Cafe for HKD 60, and a fresh pressed juice or coffee for HKD 35 plus 10% service charge, total HKD 104.5. Adding the HKD 40 ferry fare to Discovery Bay, you only need HKD 144.5 for a perfect weekend afternoon :-)