Copyright 2020 : Simona Z.
Ingredients (12 small balls): 1 cup dried mini figs, 1 tablespoon vanilla protein powder, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons hazelnut meal, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/3 cup coconut flour, 2 tablespoons almond butter, 2 tablespoons of water Preparation: Blend the figs, vanilla powder, cocoa powder, hazelnut meal, ground cinnamon, almond butter and water until you obtain a firm paste. Make 12 small balls and roll them into the coconut flour. Place in the freezer for 3/4 hours. The energy balls can be stored in the freezer for longer if required. Copyright 2020 : Simona Z.
A yummy and nutritious snack, quick to prepare! And trust me..it's as yummy as the real (Banoffi) thing! A healthy office snack or a balanced pre/post workout nibble. It provide fibre, protein, healthy carbohydrates, magnesium, potassium and vitamin E. Ingredients: 3-5 Oatcakes, smooth almond butter, half of a small banana Preparation: Slice the banana in 3-5 pieces. Spread one teaspoonful of almond butter on each oatcake then add the banana piece on top. Buon appetito! Copyright : Simona Z. )
Full or partial reproduction of this article requires permission from the author. Ingredients (for 1 person): 2 skinless chicken thighs, 4/5 chopped broccoli stems, 5/6 cherry tomatoes, 1 small onion (chopped), 1 spoon light soya sauce, a pinch of salt, 1 spoon extra virgin olive oil, rice noodles (50grm dry) Preparation: Sweat it in the olive oil in a large pan, add the chicken and let it brown. Add the broccoli stems and the tomatoes and cover with a lid. When the chicken is almost cooked, add the soya sauce and finish cooking. Serve on a bed of rice noodles which you have previously cooked. (Copyright 2017, Simona Z. )
Full or partial reproduction of this article requires permission from the author. Going home from a New Year's Eve party last night, I started reflecting on the wishes of a Happy New Year that had been profusely exchanged among guests at midnight. 'I wish you a very Happ New Year!' shouted everybody with a big smile on their face after the customary countdown reached 1... A Happy New Year? For sure the New Year is going to have happy moments. But is it not setting the expectations too high when wishing somebody a FULL year of happiness? And what if the year ahead does not prove to be a happy one and it brings a series of challenging, difficult, upsetting life events instead? It's happened to me. It's happened to some of my friends in the past few years. I'm sure it's happened to you too. No matter how much happiness we wish for those around us, the year ahead will be a roller coaster of happiness and sadness, joy and frustration, excitement and disappoitnment. And being human is about experiencing all of this. Expecting to be happy all the time is just not realistic. If you recognize this, you will be mentally prepared to deal with those life challenges. And you will not feel ashamed to ask for support when you need it, instead of putting on a happy face all the time. So what are my wishes for the New Year? I wish you to peacefully accept life with its ups and downs. I wish you to have the strenght to smoothly navigate through the challenges of life. And if you can't find that strength, I wish you to find support and comfort in those around you. Related readings: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/constructive-wallowing/201506/put-happy-face-your-own-risk Copyright 2016, Simona Z. )
Full or partial reproduction of this article and slides requires permission from the author. Simona runs communications workshops for private organizations and has co-facilitated Leadership workshops at the Smurfit Business School. She is available to teach bespoke workshops for organizations and communities. (Copyright 2016, Simona Z. )
Full or partial reproduction of this article and slides below requires permission from the author. Back in in 2013, the Mediterranean diet was inscribed in the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. One of the aspects that highlights the social and human significance of the Mediterranen way of eating is: ''Eating together is the foundation of the cultural identity and continuity of communities throughout the Mediterranean basin. It is a moment of social exchange and communication, an affirmation and renewal of family, group or community identity. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes values of hospitality, neighbourliness, intercultural dialogue and creativity, and a way of life guided by respect for diversity.'' (UNESCO site) This shows how eating can go beyond the simple and calculated consumption of calories and nutrients. The act of eating can turn into a moment of human exchange that gives new value to it. 'Sharing is caring' and this also applies to food. When sharing food with our family and friends in a home setting, we restore and renew our social connections and develop a sense of community and belonging. Sharing food can thus become a source of contentment and enjoyment. Perhaps you can invite friends and family to share a dinner at your place next weekend :) Here is an easy Mediterranean recipe that everybody will enjoy. Authentic Mediterranean diet is very balanced in terms of calories and nutrients and also quite varied. On the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, you can read here. On the Mediterranean Diet pyramid, please see here Copyright 2016, Simona Z. )
Full or partial reproduction of this article requires permission from the author. Trikosana (or Triangle pose) is an effective antidote to back pain caused by long hours of sitting. It is obviously an all favourite among office workers! If correctly performed, this pose will gently but effectively lengthen the spine sideways and release any tension in the muscles that support it. Respecting the correct alignment and the correct balance of muscular contraction-release is absolutely essential to achieve the desired effect. An experienced yoga teacher will be able to guide you through the anatomy of the pose and ensure that feet, hips and shoulders are in the optimum position for the spine to lengthen. As Trikonasana lengthen the spine sideways, it does not put pressure on the lower back as forward bends do. Also, the stretching effect can be felt from the upper back all the way down to the lower back and into the hips, upper thighs and groins, thus acting on other tight areas that may be contributing to the back pain. Feet, legs and hips play a key role in the correct execution of the pose, thus highlighting the importance of a strong stance that supports the spine, on and off the mat. Different versions of Trikonasana exist and they present different levels of difficulty. Make sure you practice the one that is most suitable to you current ability. (Copyright 2016, Simona Z.)
Full or partial reproduction of this article requires permission from the author. I recently visited Denmark. As any tourist would do these days, I carried out extensive Google searches on places of interest and the local culture before my departure... I googled anything: from best castles to recommended restaurants and how to greet people in Danish. I left to Copenhagen thinking I knew all I needed to know to spend three pleasant and relaxing days away from Ireland. Little I knew that Denmark with its tranquil natural landscapes, gorgeous buildings and romantic canals would reveal an interesting perspective on life.. But let's start from the beginning. The very first place I visited was the absolutely stunning Glyptoteket (=museum of statues) in Copenhagen. Being from Sicily, I am accustomed to the sight of ancient marble statues from the Greek and Roman civilization. We have hundreds of them on display in our museums. But this place was simply unique in the way the statues were arranged in each room and also the carefully designed lighting that almost brought each statue to life (see photos below). It was late in the evening. Apart from the spotlights pointing at each statue, the room was otherwise in darkness, so much so that it was actually hard to read the labels that described each item. The concept applied by the museum designers was very simple: instead of eliminating darkness using cold flood lights to light the rooms, they had used the contrast light-dark to create depth and highlight shapes and nuances. The following days, walking around Copenhagen after sunset, I noticed the same concept had been adopted to light up most buildings in the city (see image below). In a country where winter days are very short and sunlight is limited to few hours a day, could this be a trick to turn darkness into a tool to see things under a new light? This would imply that light and darkness can actually co-exist and even enrich each other. Darkness on its own or light on its own could not create the same deep image generated by the light-dark contrast. It is by carefully balancing both that we add extra dimension and depth. The practice of Yoga teaches us to look into both darkness and light and achieve the poise required to balance both into our life, thus highlighting nuances and dimensions that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. (Copyright 2016, Simona Z.) Full or partial reproduction of this article requires permission from the author. “Breath is the king of mind.” ― B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Yoga Anybody who has attended a Yoga class would have heard their teacher reminding them to 'breathe'. Of course, nobody would go through an entire Yoga holding their breath! What the teacher wold refer to is the 'proper' way to breath in Yoga, the so called 'Yogic breathing' or 'diaphragmatic breathing. A definition of the Yogic breathing is as follows: ''Diaphragmatic breathing, abdominal breathing, belly breathing or deep breathing is breathing that is done by contracting the diaphragm, a muscle located horizontally between the thoracic cavity and abdominal cavity. Air enters the lungs and the belly expands during this type of breathing. This deep breathing is marked by expansion of the abdomen rather than the chest when breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing is also known scientifically as eupnea, which is a natural and relaxed form of breathing in all mammals. Eupnea occurs in mammals whenever they are in a state of relaxation, i.e. when there is no clear and present danger in their environment. When a mammal perceives potential danger, eupnea stops, and a much more limited and labored form of breathing occurs. Eupnea is an efficient and effective form of breathing, which maximizes air intake, and minimizes muscular effort.'' By practising the diaphragmatic breathing during a Yoga class, we will:
(Copyright 2016, Simona Z.)
Full or partial reproduction of this article requires permission from the author. One of the many benefits of the practice of Yoga postures is body awareness, i.s. awareness of the muscles, joints and bones that contribute to the execution of the posture. This article will focus on the muscles' action. Getting into and holding a Yoga posture requires a series of actions that are performed by contracting certain muscles and relaxing others. Each posture requires its own peculiar combination of muscle release and contraction. Identifying the right combination will prevent discomfort in the execution of the posture ad maximize its benefits. As you begin to practice a posture for the fist time, you start exploring the posture and scan your body to identify which muscles will actively participate (contraction) in the execution of the postures and which will passively participates (release). It is a trial and error process and it takes various attempts to figure out the correct balance of release and contraction. The process requires a strong focus on your body as well as a slow pace of execution. An experienced Yoga teacher will guide you through the process by pointing out the muscles that are relevant for each posture. It is important to inform your teacher of any pre-existing injuries as this may affect you ability to execute the posture correctly and, in some cases, exacerbate your injury. (Copyright 2016, Simona Z.)
Full or partial reproduction of this article requires permission from the author. Every time one of the male dancers disappears from classes and milongas for a while, I can almost be certain that the reason is that the dancer in question has been struck by a sudden drop-of-confidence-level syndrome (=DCLS)... From experience, I know this is quite common among male dancers regardless of whether they are beginners or experienced. It seems to part of their learning journey. Of course, it is more likely to occur among beginner dancers. And while the experienced dancer tends to easily (and quickly) recover from a DCLS, this may be be fatal for somebody who has just started dancing... to the point that you may never see them again on the dance floor! Below is an essential guide to beginner dancers on how to handle DCLS and get to the other side unscathed and with better dance skills.
(Copyright 2016, Simona Z. )
Full or partial reproduction of this article requires permission from the author. My dance students often ask me how long it takes to learn Tango properly to get to the stage where everybody wants to dance with you. Here is my answer to their question. Being a good dancer (having a good technique) is only part of the story in Argentine Tango. Certainly, having good technique and dance skills will ensure you enjoy your dance, relax into it and move confidently and smoothly. But if you want to be an in-demand dancer you also have to be.. a 'nice' person! Does this surprise you? I have noticed recently that some of our beginners dancers (followers and leaders) are particularly popular on the dance floor. Despite their lack of confidence and undeveloped dance skills, they always get a few dances at the milonga. And when they are not around, people notice their absence. Why? I observed these dancers and I noticed they all share a similar attitude: they have a pleasant and open approach to other dancers. Despite their fear to make mistakes, they 'throw' themselves into the dance without any expectations or demands. They have a spontaneity that certain experienced dancers have lost. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced dancer, keep this in mind when walking into your next milonga. Keep an open attitude to others. After all, Argentine Tango is a social dance: people dance to be 'social'. And engaging with pleasant people is part of that social experience. |
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