Raw chocolate with 100% cacao – No thanks

Posted on October 3, 2013 | 8 comments

Just a few weeks ago, I was telling you all the benefits of dark chocolate and trying to convert all of you to eating dark chocolate from now on. I must add a warning with that post because I had a taste of a 100% Cacao raw chocolate and it was not what I expected.

As you know I LOVE dark chocolate so one of my friends bought this chocolate for me from a health food store. You can see the packing looks great like any normal chocolate but this one is made from predominately Cacao not Cocoa.

chocolate

Did you know that Cacao is actually a super food? Not cocoa but Cacao; this tasty little bean is full of the good stuff. Cacao is derived from Theobroma Cacao beans, which literally means “Food of the Gods”. Cacao contains over 300 compounds including protein, fat, carbohydrates, fibre, iron, zinc, copper, calcium and magnesium. Magnesium helps to build strong bones and is a muscle relaxant associated with feelings of calmness. Cacao is also high in sulphur, which helps form strong nails and hair.

The difference between the two is something I never considered before. Cacao refers to the raw form of chocolate, including the tree and bean. Raw cacao powder is not roasted, relatively unprocessed, and contains no sugar or cocoa butter and so retains more of its natural nutrients. Cocoa is the Anglicized version of the word “cacao.” Cocoa powder has been roasted, ground, and sometimes mixed with a sweetener and cocoa butter. Most chocolate today is loaded with sugars, dairy products, sodium, stabilizers, emulsifiers, preservatives, and more.

Knowing all this fact, I thought I would love this chocolate. I had a piece and it is too bitter and too bland to my liking. It would be great if you were after a 100% no artificial ingredient chocolate bar but I have to tell you that it tastes nothing like the chocolate we know. For me it was one of the worst chocolates I have ever tasted.

As you can see in the packing, it says No sugar and 5.0 g fat per serve which means I know it will be great for my body but my mouth wouldn’t allowed me to have another piece.

Just to check how everyone would react, I gave the chocolates to my colleagues, AS and his cousin. All of them agreed with me that they would never eat this chocolate again. Anyway, if you can eat it I am sure it is great for you as raw Cacao bars are filled with nutrients and natural ingredients your body will benefit from.

We were joking that this is the chocolate we should introduce to our kids for the first time. Either they will love it and have all the health benefits or they will never eat chocolates again. 🙂

Just some quick steps on how cocoa bean becomes a chocolate bar

  • It takes six months for cocoa beans to ripen. Harvests take place twice a year
  • The beans, which are covered in a white pulp, are removed from the pods
  • Beans are put in large heaps and covered up to ferment. This takes about a week. and is when the cocoa flavour starts to develop
  • Beans are then dried for a week then taken to the chocolate factory
  • They are then roasted, and separated from their shells in hulling machines
  • The insides of the bean, called nibs, are turned into a liquid or chocolate liquor
  • The chocolate liquor is blended with cocoa butter, and other ingredients and stirred for several hours
  • The resulting thick mixture comes out and is poured into bar-shaped containers
  • The bars are now ready to be packaged and eaten, about four days after the cocoa beans reached the factory

You may also like:

*Dark chocolate health benefits *Benefits of wheat grass Juice *Eight foods you should never eat again

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BEHULI by Sanyukta Shrestha

Posted on October 2, 2013 | 6 comments

If you haven’t heard about Sanyukta Shrestha before she is a London based Nepalese bridal wear designer who has been regarded as a fast rising star of the industry having been awarded The Best Perfect Wedding Newcomer Award 2011 & Bridal Innovation Award 2011.  She is the driving force behind the industry’s future as seen by the British media and the industry alike.

Born in Nepal, she has been awarded best designer several times in Nepal and international beauty pageants, since the year she started her design journey at the age of 17.  A graduate of London College of Fashion, she has worked in bridal and retail industry in the UK for 5 years before setting up her own label.  With her beautiful approach on ethical designs, she has brought a breath of fresh air, passion and distinct styling to the British bridal industry.

Her aim is for a new vision for bridal wear, one that combines an eco-friendly approach with the hand-crafted luxury, expected of the most desirable bridal collections & millinery; the whole collection is driven by a ‘LOVE GREEN-BELIEVE IN ETHICS’ ethos. Most of the natural fibres used in the bridal collections are skilfully hand spun and hand loomed by village women in Nepal.

Through blending sustainability with her ethical beliefs, Sanyukta intends to create opportunities for women in this area of the world, by merging and turning their traditional skills into delicate fabrics and exquisite designs. Sanyukta’s bridal collections goes beyond the one special occasion and are valued as collectable pieces of sustainably hand-made, hand woven and hand crafted products. From luxurious silk wedding gowns to exquisite bridal millinery each style within this collection follows ecologically green guidelines, with fabrics from ethical and fair trade certified manufacturers.

Sanyukta Shrestha’s launch of her first eponymous bridal collection in the 2011 White Gallery London created a stir in the wedding industry. Recognition for her work has come from features in leading magazines Conde Nast Brides, You and Your Wedding, Wedding UK, Perfect Wedding, Bridal Buyer, Attire Bridal and also from international press like Vogue Sposa, Sposa Bella and Fashion TV.

Sanyukta Shrestha couture wedding gown Pippa from 2013 collection has been now preserved in Fashion Museum, Bath as a unique piece of art.

She has also been honoured with Highly Commended Brand Leader in Design at Source Awards 2012, The Global Awards for Sustainable Fashion.

Sanyukta Shrestha collections are currently stocked in luxury Bridal Boutiques in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Recently Sanyukta Shrestha team hosted a launch event to introduce press and industry to the new flagship store ‘Behuli‘. Behuli means bride in Nepalese and I am so glad that she picked that name for her store showing her Nepalese heritage.

Behuli is an extension of Sanyukta’s ethos ‘Beauty with a conscience’ focusing on providing luxury bridal wear that is individual and ethical.

The event was attended by many notable people in bridal fashion industry from leading bridal Editors, Fashion directors & stylists, to wedding planners, Photographers & bridal boutiques owners.

“I believe in individuality and I enjoy bringing out inner beauty, a reflection of personality of woman who wears my design. For me feeling good is equally important as looking good. My desire has been always to create beautiful designs that are luxurious, indulgent, individual and equally sustainable. Through following ecologically green guidelines for all our production process using only eco fabrics that are sourced from trusted suppliers and hand weaved through the traditional skills of Nepalese village women, we are trying to ensure that the whole creative process of our gowns is ethical and natural. It is ultimately all about creating ‘beauty with a conscience’.  – Sanyukta Shrestha

To know her better please read the following interview from myrepublica.com.

After the Best Wedding Newcomer Award 2011, Bridal Innovation Award 2011 and Highly Commended Brand Leader at the Source Award 2012, your wedding gown has now made it into The Fashion House. How do you feel?

“This is surely one of the happiest moments of my life as a designer. It’s so great to be recognized for doing work that you truly believe in. It is a wonderful feeling and I feel honored. It inspires and encourages me to work even harder to create better work.

What is SOURCE Awards and how important is this award for you?

The SOURCE Awards are Global Awards for Sustainable Fashion, which celebrate and focus the spotlight on the most innovative, inspirational businesses, individuals, and initiatives in the fashion industry, globally. This award is very special as it is dedicated to forward thinking fashion that aims to inspire and change the industry. It is an honor to be named Brand Leader as with all of our work we hope to encourage others as well to move towards sustainable fashion as a future plan.

You are a fast rising star in the bridal industry in the UK. How did you land up designing wedding dresses?

I find bridal the most intriguing part of the Fashion industry. In my whole design career, my desire was always to bring out the personality and individuality of every person who wears my design. To bring out the inner beauty of the bride on the most special day of her life is very fulfilling.

How big the wedding dress market is there and how are your dresses doing?

It’s a huge industry here in the UK. We are very lucky to be in the company of incredibly talented international and national designers who are working together for the industry. I still feel a little bit like Alice in the wonderland. However, it’s a journey that is challenging and inspiring me every day. Our brides are not just limited to UK and Ireland, awareness is growing gradually in surrounding European countries and Canada too.

Yours is a one of a kind sustainable bridal brand. How did you define sustainable fashion? And what are sustainable eco-friendly fabrics?

For me sustainable fashion is all about having heart, good thoughts and tying to do good deeds. In a simple word it’s a ‘fashion for humankind. ’ You have to think of every consequence, every choice that may affect people and our planet. Eco Fabrics are hemp, organic cotton, organic silk, soya, milk to name few.

Explain your ethos – ‘Love green – believe in ethics’.

The Love Green – Believe in Ethics ethos comes from the desire to create beautiful designs that are sustainable, eco friendly and hand crafted. Through using only eco fabrics that are sourced from trusted suppliers and hand weaved through the traditional skills of Nepalese village women we are trying to ensure that the whole creative process of our gowns is ethical and natural. It is ultimately all about creating ‘beauty with a conscience’.

How do you collect fabrics you use? Do you use Nepali fabrics also?

Most fabrics we use are from Nepal, like organic cotton, bamboo, silk, soya, Nettle, hemp etc. Some others are sourced locally in the UK. While new innovative technology fabrics like milk and bamboo silk lace comes from Italy.

How you do you feel owning your own label Sanyukta Shrestha?

Very happy and very privileged!

You started as an official designer in Miss Nepal in 1998? Do you have any plans to do something back home?

First collection I created was for Miss Nepal Beauty Pageant in 1998. Nepal has always been part of my design inspiration and the production process. Yes, I love to design for beautiful Nepalese women of all ages.

Pippa gown

The inspiration behind Pippa dress came to Sanyukta organically when she moved to new house. She explains, “I discovered these 30 years old of history caught up under the floorboards. Refusing to simply discard these pieces of antiquity I decided to aid another metamorphosis by reincarnating these aged papers into a dreamy romantic wedding dress for my collection that is inspired by Wallis Simpson.”

Including issues from the 1982 to 1983, from publications such as The Standard, The Daily Mail, Sunday Mail, The Weekly News, The Daily Express, The Sun and Motorcycle News, Pippa’s perfectly aged paper took the catwalk to truly represent the journey that any up-cycled product can take from ordinary to extraordinary. The Pippa gown gives new meaning to an old world style that takes the vintage to the next level. Aided by Nepalese hand loomed organic cotton and finished with nearly three thousand Swarovski Crystals to ensure that she really dazzles the world, the Pippa gown was launched at White gallery London Battersea Evolution, May 2012. With stunningly extravagant design and such an unusual history the finale of Pippa shocked and awed the audience. With the industry and press alike recognising Pippa as an incredible piece of art as well as statement on the importance of eco-friendly fashion the gown is unique, dramatic and showed a real story that gives a sense of history.

Source: http://www.sanyuktashrestha.com

You may also like:

*Prabal Gurung : A Fashion designer from Nepal *Varsha Thapa: First international fashion model from Nepal *Aastha Pokharel representing Nepal on Asia’s Next Top Model

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1,2,3

Posted on September 29, 2013 | 8 comments

Me: I feel like hot and sour soup baby. I need to learn how to make it.
AS: It is easy as 1 2 3.
Me: Really?
AS: Yes 🙂

1 Open the computer
2 Type Google.com
3 Type hot and sour soup, waaallllaaaa

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*How thoughtful!!! *He said *He knows how to make me smile

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How to piss off a Nepali?

Posted on September 27, 2013 | 25 comments

I was reading this article on www.matadornetwork.com and was laughing whole way through as it is so true. I can’t help but share this with you all.

So you happen to come across this brown individual at a party or at the mall and you start making guesses about where he or she is from. The worst way you can start off your interaction is by asking them if they are from India. Not a “So, where are you from?” But a direct “Are you from India?”

You’ve learned how to piss off a Nepali already. Although an incredibly laid-back lot, we can at times be quite sensitive about people’s assumptions or understanding of our country, and our nationality. Being sandwiched between two massive cultures doesn’t help — many an ignorant soul thinks Nepali culture and ethnicity is purely a mix of Indian and Chinese.

Here are a few more things you can say to further piss off someone from Nepal.

“Where is that?”

Just because you suck at geography, we have to go through a list of ‘Did you know?’ facts about our country to give you a sense of where in the world it is. If you know Mt. Everest, you should have probably put in the effort to look up where it is.

The point is that when it comes to our country and our nationality, Nepali people are, in general, a proud bunch. And when you tell us you haven’t even heard of the place or don’t know where it is, you’re bound to incite a frown or two.

“Oh Naples, of course!”

If you want to go one level higher, this would be the jackpot. Fake that you know what you’re talking about and then burst that bubble by telling us you know of a city that’s not even one of the best known in Europe, and think that it’s actually a country.

“Oh so you must have climbed Everest.”

Yes, Everest is in Nepal, but not in my backyard. And not all of us are Sherpas. In addition, it takes years of training and around $50k to ascend the highest mountain in the world.

In fact, a good number of Nepali people have never even seen Everest (thanks to the number of other massive Himalayan mountains that block our view), let alone climbed it. Would you assume someone from France or Italy must have summited Mont Blanc?

“So you speak Indian.”

Hindi, you mean. It’s called Hindi. And no, we speak Nepali because we’re from Nepal. The two are different languages even though they use the same script. English and German aren’t the same language just because they use the same alphabet, now are they?

“Buddha was from India.”

It’s a matter of grave distress to Nepali people when you mistakenly proclaim that Buddha was born in India. Yes, he did gain enlightenment and did most of his important work in India. But don’t make us take out the history books, or demand that you go to Lumbini in southern Nepal to visit the birthplace of the Enlightened One.

“So, you’re Buddhist.”

Over 80% of the population of Nepal is Hindu; only around 10% are Buddhist. But we might give you the benefit of the doubt on this one, because Buddhism and Hinduism are essentially the same religion in Nepal. Gautam Buddha was Hindu himself and is considered an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu.

“Momos…aren’t they the same as Chinese or Japanese dumplings?”

No! Dumplings may have been invented somewhere in the Far East. They might have come into Nepal through Tibet in the north. But they were perfected in Nepal and they are called momos. We will not even consider anything else for an answer.

These out-of-this-world delicious dumplings come with a sauce that’s even better and can be found basically anywhere you go in Nepal. Try them and your taste buds will be caressed by the rich flavors of the momos till all your tongue wants is more momos.

“It must be freezing over there.”

Yes, we’re situated among the Himalayas. But not all of Nepal lives at extreme altitudes. The southern parts of the country are as low as 300ft above sea level and can get plenty hot.

You’re gonna look pretty dumb in your winter coat on the back of an elephant in Chitwan National Park.

You may also like:

* *Etiquette for travelling like a local *Mystery of the ancient kingdom discovered in Nepal

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10 Foods That Clean Your Facial Skin

Posted on September 26, 2013 | 15 comments

Everyone wants clean, healthy, and great looking skin. Although moisturizers are great, as are certain facial products you can use at home, and different makeup products you can purchase, there are also several foods that will help clear your skin, and give you that young, glowing look you are in search of. With several different ingredients, healthy oils, and essential nutrients, these are 10 Food That cleans your facial skin, and will give you that young, healthy glow, and the all natural skin appearance you are looking for.

1. Avocados

Not only are they used in many facial products, but the skin as well as the fruit of the avocado are exceptionally high in Vitamin B. Niacin (b-3), is very important to smooth, healthy skin, and can help with the appearance of irritated, red, or puffy skin. If you choose this fruit, you can either consume it in a salad, in a smoothie, or on its own; or, you can choose to use the fruit as a facial rub, with other natural ingredients, to help with the skin’s overall appearance.

2. Berries

Vitamin C is another essential for healthy skin, and berries have it. From strawberries to blackberries, the vitamins will work to help build collagen fibers, and provide younger looking skin. Antioxidants are also very high in the berries you consume, and these are essential to helping with inflammation. Whether you consume smoothies on a regular basis, or just eat a few strawberries each day, they are great resources for healthier looking skin.

3. Cottage Cheese

Selenium and Vitamin E which are found in this food, help fight free radicals, as well as provide higher antioxidant counts for healthier looking skin. Certain reports also claim that cottage cheese can help prevent certain types of cancers, if eaten as part of a healthy diet plan.

4. Almonds (nuts) – Fatty acids found in these foods help maintain the cell membrane, and help remove harmful toxins from the body. They also help retain water, which gives the skin the plump, healthy look you want over your face and body. Plus, the healthy oils and fats in nuts are great for overall heart health, and maintaining a healthy weight, which is something everyone wants to do.

5. Potatoes – A baked potato can provide a high amount of copper the body needs, for a healthy glow. The high zinc and Vitamin C count also aid in creating more elastin in the skin, providing young, healthy, and vibrant looking skin, at all times of the day.

6. Healthy whole grains – Although grains that are low on the glycemic index cause a spike in blood sugars, whole grains are on the high end of the spectrum, meaning they are also going to help in keeping the young looking, healthy appearance you want, when you are considering skin care, and the best looking skin possible. You do have to make sure they are high in fiber (look for foods listed high by the Whole Grain Council), for the best results, and for the most benefits to your skin.

7. Flax seed – If you do not love fish, or other foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, flax seed oil is the perfect solution for you. The high omega-3 count is going to help with hydrating the body, diluting sebum levels, unclogging pores, and helping prevent and fight acne. The healthy oils found in this flax seed oil, will give the skin the natural glow, and will provide you with the health benefits you need, for young, healthy skin.

8. Yogurt – High in protein, yogurt is going to help create firmer, more elastic looking skin. Greek yogurt is even more beneficial, as it contains more than two times the amount of protein, and is high in fiber, as regular blends of yogurt that you would consume. As an added benefit, there are several great flavors, and you can go with plain if you add some berries, or honey, for a little more flavor.

9. Pepper – With green, yellow, orange, and red, not only are peppers fun and colorful on your plate, they can also help with the crow’s feet you experience below your eyes. Carotenoids (antioxidants in these peppers) help with wrinkle prevention, and they can also help to reduce wrinkles, for younger, and for fine and healthy looking skin, if eaten on a regular basis.

10. Mango – Not only is it a delicious fruit, it can also help with the overall look and health of your skin. Mango contains more than 80% of the Vitamin A you need to consume during the course of the day, and it can help maintain the skin, and overall appearance of it. The high levels of antioxidants also help fight off free radicals, meaning you are not going to notice premature, or aging skin, at a younger age than you would hope to. Plus, it is low in calories, and it is a great fruit to add to your diet regime.

Of course there are several other foods that you can include in the diet, that are going to help with the appearance of the skin, as well as with your overall health. From fish such as salmon, that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, to walnuts, that have the oil that will help soften the skin, there are several foods that you can choose from, for better, younger looking skin. Depending on your diet, and foods you enjoy, some options are going to be better than others, for certain dieters.

Regardless of the benefits you are looking for, or what kind of appearance you want your skin to have, these 10 Food That cleans your facial skin are not only going to provide a finer, younger appearance, they will also make you feel better. For heart health, as well as for the benefit of younger looking skin, these are 10 of the many great options and foods that you should consider adding to the diet on a regular basis, for the results, and great looking complexion, you seek.

 You may also like :

*Healthy eating
 *Benefits of wheat grass Juice
 *Eight foods you should never eat again

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