5 Ways To Use Fresh Herbs

I love and enjoy the process of planting from seed to full grown flower or harvest. Bringing my presence into this process is beautiful because it connects me to the natural world in such a special way. Reaping the benefits of what we plant is like an added gift. Life and gardening is quite similar. We plant seeds. Water & nurture. Love & give patience. Let go. And then, suddenly, we get to harvest the fruits of our labor of love. But, we need to give our attention and presence to each step along the way. And accept and love it just as it is. The fruits are equal to short moments of pleasure, that eventually will be gone (eaten) Then, the cycle starts over again.

Fresh herbs like rosemary, basil, sage, oregano and thyme have been abundant lately and I am integrating them into different recipes. We have planted our herbs in alignment with permaculture principles in zone 1 so they are easy to access. I love to snip off the herbs straight from the raised garden bed and mix and match into my meals. Below are some ideas for ways I like to integrate the herbs. I am not a vegan. Nor am I a carnivore. I actually work to not label myself as anything that my ego easily can take and turn into separation from others. I like to eat plant based and avocado is often present in my choice of plant fat. Coconut tortillas (found these on amazon) are so yummy and I use these to substitute for bread. When my body is asking for more carbs, I source for sourdough bread (the real kind http://www.pragerbrothers.com

Brussel Sprouts and farm potatoes with fresh rosemary & cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

Okra Bowl with sauerkraut, avocado, sweet potato and farmers market lettuce topped with garden herbs

Farm Egg and avocado sourdough toast with garden herbs

Heirloom tomato and avocado sourdough toast with garden basil, thyme and oregano, garden chili, roasted garlic and drizzled with olive oil

Farm Egg on coconut tortilla, radish and fresh oregano and thyme (my friend has chickens and quail and these are amazing. So different than the store)

BREAKFAST BOWL WITH POACHED EGG

As I work out 6 times a week it is important to fuel up with good, nutrient dense food. Since I eat mostly a plant based diet and do not eat many grains (I have almost cut out all bread of my diet, but I eat real sourdough when available) I challenge myself to be creative with my meals. My favorite healthy, yummy breakfast bowl (that actually fills me up after a big run) is a yummy, healthy breakfast bowl, filled to the brim with good quality ingredients. You can add anything to this really, but check out the list below for what I love to add into my bowl. I eat eggs (happy chicken) so that adds a lot of value for me to this bowl, but if you are fully vegan, jackfruit,  is a great addition.

INGREDIENTS

(Organic, well sourced and local when possible)

Fermented Sauer Kraut, Red and Yellow Cherry Tomatoes, Mixed Greens, Cucumber, Lemon, Chick Pees, Spicy Avocado Salsa, Carrots, Macadamia Nuts & Blueberries

Drizzle over cold pressed olive oil, chia seeds and add the poached egg

I also like to add avocado and coconut yogurt, especially if I dont have the egg :)

FOOD IS MY MEDICINE

Food is my medicine. Food is my fuel. I can even stretch it to say that food is becoming my religion. Call me crazy but the more I experience what a profound impact the food I eat and what I drink has on my health, the more I want to fuel my body with only good stuff

“I want to use my platform as an athlete to showcase these companies and people, who are committed to providing us with products that are good for us and for the environment.”

So much of our food has/ is getting depleted and altered, and it is getting harder to find pure, fresh, non-chemical food. Our soil used to have over 52 trace minerals, compared to now when it's reduced to only 3 in most conventional agriculture. I started waking up to this (harsh) reality about 8-9 years ago, and it's important for me to keep educating myself. Knowledge is power and when I go to the store I want to be able to make choices I can really stand behind. I want to understand who and what system I am supporting with my purchases. There are many companies and people out there who are serving a purpose for the greater good. I want to use my platform as an athlete to showcase these companies and people, who are committed to providing us with products that are good for us and for the environment. If you are curious about this delicious superfood smoothie bowl in this picture please visit www.purps.com/blogs (see link in my bio) to find the recipe - It's made by myself as a pre-workout meal, with fresh ingredients and lots of intention to support good health. It provides me with clean every that enables me to adventure and use my body all day long

YUMMY & HEALTHY BREAKFAST BOWL

Here is a favorite breakfast bowl of ours that came to life by just having a good time in the kitchen. We are such big fans of eating clean and healthy, meaning using ingredients that are grown in pure soil, without all the chemicals and GMO's 🌱

Our bodies are depending on us to take care of them and through our food we can create a healthy environment. This will show both on the inside and outside of ourselves. We also believe that the food has to taste good, so by using high quality ingredients like this is also a ticket to successful, simple and delicious meals. 

This breakfast bowl involves organic fresh greens at the bottom, sourdough artisan whole grain bread, avocado and eggs from pasture- raised chickens. Drizzle organic, cold pressed olive oil over the whole bowl and sprinkle with raw hemp seeds. Top it with sea salt of good quality and fresh cracked pepper. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and jalapeños for spice. We assure you this bowl will inspire some loud sounds and make you wanna go dance

NUTS FOR NUT MILK VOL. 2

During Xgames in Oslo this year Chanelle Sladics and I hosted a workshop and yoga class at High Yoga studio, in collaboration with LuLu Lemon. I am very passionate about health and how important it is to understand what all the different foods/ drinks and ingredients do to our bodies. Being a professional athlete for over 18 years has sought me that in order to perform my best I need to stay on top of my health. About 8 years ago I took this perspective to a new level and started eating organic, local, pure food that gives me energy and supports my health. In Oslo I decided to do a little nut milk workshop because it's sooooo simple to make and incredibly delicious!! I want people to see how easy and cheap it is to make at home, with very few ingredients. The milk I am making in this photo is a cashew, hemp milk made with hemp seeds provided by the raw chocolate company. Check out their other products on their website by clicking on this photo. 

PHOTO BY NIKOL HEREC - @nikaherec

RECIPE: I am not a recipe follower, I kind of freestyle everything. So when it comes to ratio of nuts to water etc. I just eyeball it depending on how thick I want my milk to be. Usually you dont need many tries till you get your milk just perfect! 

A handful of raw cashew nuts (unsalted), drizzle of hemp seeds + cold water and any sweetener of your choice. I like pure, raw honey and coconut sugar or dates. Soak the cashews in water a couple of hour prior to making, this will mak them softer and milk smoother. Drain water and blend everything together.If you don;t like pulp, then drain in a but bag or strainer. AND VOILA - Enjoy chilled, over home made granola or in your favorite coffee or tea.

PHOTO BY Malgorzata Aulejtner - @yoginigosia 

PHOTO BY Malgorzata Aulejtner - @yoginigosia 

Vegan Strawberry Milk

This delicious vegan strawberry milk is so easy to make. It's great to use with cereals, as a smoothie base or just drink chilled with a glass straw :) You can add anything you like to make it even more powerful, like spirulina, chlorella or maca root.

Recipe:

• Coconut shavings
• Hemp seeds
• Water
• Strawberries
• Sweetener of Choice
• Blend everything together. Amount depending on how much you want to make but generally I just eyeball it to get the right consistency :)

Breakfast With Benefits

Breakfast bowls are so quick and easy to make and they can be made relatively cheap as you can mix and match with things you have at home. Here is a yummy, yummy, yuuuuuuummy breakfast bowl filled with good, nutritious ingredients that I love and eat before I hit the gym or slopes in the morning. l can guarantee that it will help kickstart your your day!!!

You don't need to use exactly these ingredients, let them be a guide to the overall experience but get creative with what's in your kitchen and cabinets :)

Recipe

Handful of Raw Cacao nibs / 2 tbs Raw cacao /  2 small organic, fair-trade bananas / Couple of Goji berries or other berries / Couple of Cashew nuts / 2 organic prunes/  1 tbs of Raw Green vegetable powder with chlorella / Couple of Sweet apricot kernels (can use almonds instead) / 2-3 leafs of Kale / Couple of drops of Peppermint oil / 1/2 tbs coconut sugar / Coconut shavings / 1/2 ts cinnamon /  1 cup of cold water / Blend everything in a high speed blender and pour in a bowl. Decorate with hemp seeds, granola, cacao nibs or what you may prefer. This recipe makes two servings. Serve chilled & enjoy!

Make sure to use RAW CACAO (naturally fermented) as cacao and processed chocolate bars are two different foods. Chocolate bars usually contain lots of processed sugars, additives and milk. Studies has shown that by adding dairy to the chocolate this actually blocks the absorption of antioxidants in chocolate. While processed chocolate may taste delicious, the benefits of cacao are only found in the raw form. Raw cacao can improve your memory, increase your bliss, reduce heart disease, shed fat, boost immunity, and create loads of energy! Read more on these blogs about the benefits to raw cacao and raw foods here

http://dailysuperfoodlove.com/2852/21-fantastic-benefits-of-cacao/#ixzz3pwjdANrU  http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/raw-chocolate/benefits-raw

NUT's FOR NUT MILKS

CASHEW MILK

YOU NEED: Cashews, Cold water, Coconut Palm Sugar and A High Speed Blender

HOW: Soak the cashews in cold water for a couple of hours. Blend the ingredients on high speed until milk is smooth and creamy.  

TIP: Add fresh vanilla bean and use as creamer for your morning coffee. Top off with a dash of cinnamon and you have the perfect cappuccino

 

 

 

PISTACHIO MILK

YOU NEED: Pistachios [unsalted] Cold water, Coconut Palm Sugar and A High Speed Blender

HOW: Pick off the shells and mix the nuts with water and sweetener of your choice. Blend until the milk has a solid consistence/ thinkness.

TIP: I like to use pour mine over some home made granola, for hot teas or as a base in smoothies! Ps : The milk will be green so this is fun for kids

 

HEMP & COCONUT MILK

YOU NEED: Hemp Seeds, Coconut Shavings, Cold water, Coconut Palm Sugar and A High Speed Blender

HOW:  Blend the ingredients on high speed until milk smooth consistency

TIP: Add raw cacao and you have yourself a delicious, vegan chocolate milk!

Food is my medicine

For Norwegian speaking humans; here is an interview I did with Spirit about vegetarian food and living healthy. I see it as my responsibility to share what I learn and experience about food; it is our fuel that keeps us energized to be able to do what we love, with the people we love! Olympic boarder cross rider Helene Olafsen is the woman behind the words. For the english speaking have fun translating 

Check it out!  

GET YOUR BEETS ON!

Juicing is a quick way to get the most heathy nutrients hitting all the right spots in your body.  Before working out it's fantastic!

How to make good beats:

- 2 beets

- 2 carrots

- 1 piece of ginger

- 3 sticks of celery

- 1 orange or apple

And you know how I prefer it ------>> AS ORGANIC AS POSSIBLE :)

Juice everything, save the fiber for  soups, carrot cakes or other baked goods... Or throw it in the compost if you have one!

Pour it into a mason mug and sip the richness. I like to use a reusable glass straw from www.SimplyStraws.com