Health benefits of walking barefoot on the beach

It might surprise you but there are many health benefits in doing something as simple as walking barefoot on the beach.

Exercise: it is a good low impact workout, especially if you walk in the "deep" sand.

Massage & Exfoliation: by walking in the sand the soles of your feet get a free massage and natural exfoliation.

Improves your general health: walking barefoot outdoors can improve sleep, reduce chronic pain, relieve stress, increase energy levels and immune response and regulate the heart rate and insulin levels.

Summer is the perfect time of the year to walk barefoot so what are you waiting for!

Just be careful with the sun if you walk in the middle of the day.

Health benefits of barley water

I have only recently discovered barley water but I am hooked. Not only does it taste great it is also good for your health.

Cardiovascular system: it contains natural fibres that are beneficial for the cardiovascular system. It can for example aid in the treatment of atherosclerosis, which is a build-up of plaque in the arteries.

Cholesterol: the fibres found in barley water is known to lower cholesterol levels.

Diabetes: barley water contains magnesium which reacts with enzymes involved in regulating insulin levels and can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Gallstone: the fibre in barely water can prevent gallstone formation.

Antioxidants: barley water is a good source of antioxidants that can prevent cancer and promote a healthy heart.

Vitamins: it is rich in vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, and vitamin E.

Inflammation: barley water can relieve inflammation.

Barley water is safe to drink both for children and adults but contains gluten so if your are gluten intolerant you should stay away from it.


This is how you can make yourself a refreshing barley water drink:

Barley Water with Honey & Lemon

Boil ca 3 tablespoons of barley in 1L of water. Let cool.

Remove the barely by passing the liquid through a strainer.Top up with water to make 1L.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of honey and juice of 1-2 lemons.

Cool in the fridge and serve with ice and a slice of lemon.

Mixed bean salad with hot sauce

This mixed bean salad recipe is modified from a recipe from the cook book Bulows kök by Eva Bulow and it is delicious. You can eat it on its own or with ham, rice or eggs. Or, if you are really hungry, all of the above.

Mixed Bean Salad
380g black beans, boiled and drained
380g bean mix (kidney beans, white beans, chickpeas), boiled and drained
200g sweet corn
3 beetroot, peeled & boiled & diced

1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoon tarragon, dried
(salt & pepper)

Hot Sauce
300 ml Greek  yogurt or similar
1.5 tablespoons tomato paste
0.5-1 teaspoon paprika powder
0.5-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
chili, chopped (according to taste)
(salt)

Put all the ingredients for the mixed bean salad in a bowl. Mix well.

In a separate bowl mix the the ingredients for the hot sauce.

Enjoy!

A summer adventure (blog post in Swedish)

Mitt tredje sommar-relaterade bok projekt "Laia-Majas sommarlov" är nu färdigt och ute till försäljning. Redan nu kan boken köpas på mitt förlag där den säljs för 49 kr. Inom några dagar kommer den även att vara tillgänglig hos andra nätbokhandlare såsom adlibris.se, cdon.se och bokus.se.

Om Laia-Majas Sommarlov:

Följ med en kvicktänkt och modig liten flicka på äventyr!

Laia-Maja har sommarlov och hon har alldeles vansinnigt tråkigt. Men allt förändras när hon träffar på skogssnuffarna Pinkam och Bimki och hon dras in i ett riktigt sommaräventyr med skugg-gastar, natt-vandrare, ljus-fångare, alver och den magiska hunden Jimsjams.

”Mamma, vad är en snuffe?” frågade min son mig en dag.

Denna berättelse är mitt svar till honom. 

Miljön är hämtad från skogarna runt min farfars torp, där jag tillbringade många somrar som barn. Där skulle man inte bli ett dugg förvånad om man stötte på en skogssnuffe eller ett gäng skugg-gastar.

Handlingen är inspirerad av finska folksagor som ofta är finurliga och lustiga. 

Mina barn har också bidragit till både handling och dialog. För visst är våra barn den bästa inspirationskällan som finns!

För barn ca 5-8 år.

Greenhouse from recycled windows

Last year Hubby built me a greenhouse from our old windows. We put the greenhouse in a spot that is really sunny in early spring which is when it was built. But, as soon as the leaves come out on the apple tree there is almost constant shade. So, it is a little bit useless as a greenhouse. However, I frequently sit there with a cup of tea when it is too windy (which is most of the time) to sit in the garden. I call it my green room and have been trying to introduce a rule that mommy can't be disturbed when she is in the green room. So far, no one else in the family has embraced this idea.