My dear friends, It has been a long time since I've written a blog entry. Many of you don't know about the life-transformation that I have been going through since end of July and that is why I stayed away from writing. To be honest, I have been feeling so emotionally drained that I didn't have energy or inspiration to continue doing the videos. So, after a few months of taking a break, I am back with a new project that I am excited to share with you. You see, a few months ago I sold my condo, ended an almost 6-year relationship, moved my stuff in to storage and moved in with my parents. I knew that even though my relationship was loving, it wasn't the right one for me. Even though I loved my condo, I didn't feel it was the place where I wanted to continue to live. So, I decided to start fresh and temporarily stay with my parents until I figured out where I wanted to live. As far as relationships are concerned, I have never felt as loved by another person as I did over the last 6 years. Unfortunately that love wasn't enough, as deep inside I knew we weren't right for each other. It was incredibly hard to part as there was so much love present, but it was for the best. Two weeks after we moved out, I decided to change scenery and left Florida for a few days to spend alone in California and reconnect with myself. There I got to reconnect with my soul as hiked, nourished my body by eating at my favorite raw food places and got new perspective on life as I got to meet new people. I had a great time, but it wasn't easy. Every few minutes I would get sad about the break up and feel lonely and start questioning if I did the right thing. When dark thoughts would cloud up my mind, I would bring myself to the present moment and ask myself three questions: "How do I feel right now?" - usually the answer was "lonely and unloved" "How do I want to feel?" - usually the answer was "loved and happy" "What can I do to make myself feel loved right now?" - the answers varied from moment to moment and I would do my best to act on the answer. It could be anything from "I want to take myself out to lunch" to "I want to focus on a peaceful thought." I would (and still do) repeat this process 20,000 times a day and constantly work on changing my thoughts to feel good in the "Now." It is not an easy task, but that's the only thing we actually have control over - our thoughts in the present moment. We can't control future and we can't change the past, but we can make a choice to feel good now. We also can't make anyone else love us, nor do we need to. In the end of deep contemplation, I realize that all we can do is fall deeply in love with ourselves and feel fulfilled on our own. When we do that, 3 things happen: 1. We feel 100% loved. 2. We actually increase our chances of having someone else fall in love with us, because we are being real. After all, if we don't love ourselves, why would anyone else? 3. We can choose who we fall in love with as we longer "need" their love, we simply choose a partner that we unconditionally like for who they are. Easier said than, done, you think? This is exactly why I decided to start a new project #100DaySelfLoveAffair ! I have several friends who are going through a hard time in their relationships and as I was advising them to practice what I just described, I realized that the best thing I can do is lead by example. My direct experiences can help people much more than my recipes and so starting today, I am going to daily blog and do videos on how I practice self love to inspire and empower you do to the same. If I can do it, so can you! It may be hard for many people to even accept themselves as they are, not to mention love. I get that. I remember the day in 2007 when looking at myself in the mirror I had a hard time finding just ONE thing I liked about myself. But now 8 years later, after a lot of work, I can look at myself and say that I deeply and unconditionally love myself. The challenge that I have right now is actually ACTING on that thought every single day. Hey, I am not perfect and it is all about committed practice! So, this project has two goals: 1. Create a commitment to a daily practice for myself to show self-love and appreciation 2. Inspire YOU to fall in love with yourself by sharing my experiences and creating a non-judgemental community where it is safe to be yourself. I am going to hashtag everything with #100DaySelfLoveAffair starting today, November 14th. I originally wanted to start on this day because it is just 3 months away from Valentine's day and why wait for someone to possibly show their love on February 14th, when the only person who will ALWAYS be with you can start loving you right now? That person you've been waiting to love you is YOU! You do have the power - you have the seed of self-love that is just waiting to blossom. As I was preparing to launch this project, the tragedy in Paris happened on November 13th and the world went into deep mourning. I was thinking, how can I start this project when our planet is suffering so much? And then I thought - this is the only thing that can actually help bring us peace. When each one of us starts to fall in love with ourselves and radiate love, then there is more and more love in the world. And love is the only thing that can truly bring peace. They say peace in the world starts with peace in the countries, peace in the countries starts with the peace in the cities, peace in the cities starts with the peace in the homes and peace in the homes starts with the peace inside each individual heart. So here we are - in the world that is suffering because we are all suffering inside. Some more than others, but we will never stop this suffering until we fall in love with ourselves unconditionally. And our loving vibration CAN change the vibration of the planet. All you need is the right tools - you need to pull out the emotional and physical weeds and feed that little seed with the right food and emotional nourishment. I invite you start a #100DaySelfLoveAffair and finally experience that abundance of love that can be yours! Make a commitment to do at least one thing a day that makes you feel loved and make a post about it on social media use the #100DaySelfLoveAffair Let's bring more peace and love into this world. Let's love ourselves up and Let Yourself Blossom! With love, Alina
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I love chocolate desserts and decided to create this little beauty. Came out soooo delicious and it was very easy to make. Check out the video! Here are my top 3 Foods for Daily Health! Incorporate them into your routine and see how you feel. If you are looking for a healthy and easy breakfast recipe, then look no further than this AWESOME Overnight Oatmeal! Check out the video and the recipe below. Bon Appetite! Alina Alina Z shows how to prepare an easy recipe - OVERNIGHT OATMEAL
1/2 Cup Dry Rolled Oats 2 Tablespoons Oat Bran 1-2 Teaspoons Ground Flax Seeds 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract 1 Tiny little scoop of Stevia Salt to taste 1 Cup Coconut Milk 1/4 Cup Organic Frozen Berries Mix all ingredients together in a mason jar and leave in the fridge overnight. Try other flavors and toppings besides the berries. More ideas coming in future recipes! Alina Good-For-You Beauty and Dental Products Did you know that your skin is your largest organ and whatever you put on it gets absorbed into your tissue, goes into you blood stream and then passes through your blood almost as if you just ate it? When it comes to beauty products, my rule of thumb is - if I wouldn't be eating it, I shouldn't put it on my skin. In this blog, I will share my favorite products that won't make you sacrifice your health for beauty. Skin moisturizer For many years my #1 skin moisturizer has been coconut oil. Yes, the same coconut oil that I get from Nutiva brand to eat, I put on my skin. Coconut oil is rich is moisturizing fats that keep your skin soft and smooth. The only caveat is that excess oil can rub off on your clothes, so for best results, use coconut oil before going to bed. www.Nutiva.com Makeup It may come as a shock, but conventional makeup products are not so pretty as they contain many harmful chemicals that can cause poor skin tone, loss of elasticity and even dis-eases. I suggest we stop suffering for beauty and get the best of both worlds. Jane Iredale is one of my favorite brands - they carry everything from foundations and mascaras to gorgeous eye shadows and sparkly lip glosses. Their products are mineral-based, so they won't irritate your skin or clog your pores, letting your skin breathe. Best of all, because their make up is mineral-based, it works as a sun-block! Take a look at Jane Iredale difference at JaneIredale.com Dental products Many people use fluoride-based toothpaste, thinking it is good for our health. Unfortunately that may not be the case. Did you know that fluoride has been shown to act as an endocrine disruptor and has been linked to health problems like arthritis, thyroid disease, disrupted immune system and even dementia? I say why take chances when you can have your strong pearly-whites with something better than fluoride? Meet Miami-based Dr. Sharp Dentistry line of the cleanest products on the market that are Fluoride-Free, SLS-Free, Paraben-Free and Alcohol-Free. They are made with natural ingredients that will give you strong, beautiful teeth without compromising your health. I love their attention to detail - even their Green Tea Dental Tape contains anti- inflammatory, antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. www.sharpdentistry.com Deodorant Because conventional deodorants contain harmful aluminum that has been linked to dis-eases like cancer and Alzheimer's, I suggest choosing a better-for-you option. I invite you to try a natural and very effective deodorant that is made from coconut! Here is a link to a 3-minute video on how to make your own or you can simply buy one from Primal Pit Paste and don't sweat it. www.primalpitpaste.com Haircare Hair products are often overlooked when it comes to ingredients. After all, if we are not putting them on our skin, why should we care? The problem is that we still handle hair products with our hands and our skin is exposed to chemicals. Just recently I have tried Giovanni haircare line and must say I was impressed. As a professional hair stylist, Arthur Giovanni saw that his hands were getting irritated from conventional hair products, so he decided to create his own line. His products are free of parabens, sulfate or animal by-products. Everything is manufactured in the U.S., and created with a base of vitamins, herbs, minerals, proteins and other nutrients. After one use of his hair products my hair was shiny and soft! www.giovannicosmetics.com One of my favorite desserts is the Chocolate Pudding Pie with a Graham Cracker Crust. And besides eating it, I actually enjoy making it too. Check out these two videos on how to make your own No Bake Gluten Free Graham Cracker Crust and the delicious pie filling. Enjoy! Many people ask me about knife tips and in this video I am going to show you my favorite Z-Tip using the best Abundant Chef knives! COUPON code ALINAZ gets you 40% OFF!!!! I often get asked about my favorite tools and equipment I use in the kitchen. In this blog I will share with you my favorite brands, particular models and overall tips for making your cooking experience as pleasant and as fast as possible any time of the day. HAMILTON BEACH TEA KETTLE The first thing I do when I wake up is I drink 16-24 ounces of plain hot water. Plain hot water, without lemon, honey or anything else in it, can help stimulate your lymphatic system without activating digestion. When lymph is stimulated, your body can get rid of waste before it starts processing new food. To heat up my water, I turn on my stainless steel Hamilton Beach kettle and have hot water ready in minutes. I recommend only buying stainless steel kettles and avoiding anything with plastic, as heat can activate chemicals to leak into your water. I also prefer to avoid microwave ovens as microwaves are a form of electro-magnetic radiation. http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/electric-kettles.html OMEGA 8006 JUICER/NUTRITIONAL CENTER After I have my hot water, I usually enjoy a green juice made with kale, cucumber, celery, lemon, ginger and green apple. I love juices for their instant energy boost – they are better than coffee! Green juices are also a great complement to a hot, cooked meal as raw juice can provide my daily vitamins and enzymes. Believe it or not, it only takes about 2 minutes to make my juice, thanks to the Omega 8006. But don’t be fooled, this machine is much more than a juicer. It is a whole nutrition center that can help you create fabulous nut butters (think almonds and chocolate chips together!), fruit sorbet and even your own pasta. Best of all, it is quick and easy to assemble and to take apart, so the whole process takes minutes. Omega also offers a great warrantee, so you can enjoy your purchase for years to come. http://www.omegajuicers.com/ VITAMIX 5200 If I don't feel like having a juice in the morning, I will make a smoothie in my Vitamix blender. Unlike a juicer that extracts the pulp from fruits and vegetables and gives you instant energy, Vitamix blends everything together. The good thing about blended foods is that they have fiber, which takes longer to digest than juice. So if you are looking for a great meal-replacement smoothie that will satisfy hunger and give you long-lasting energy, Vitamix is the machine to use. You can also make nut-based cheeses, pates and ice creams in the Vitamix. I know many people may be hesitant by the price, but it is so worth it! It is like the Rolls Royce of blenders and its quality will last you a lifetime. www.Vitamix.com ABUNDANT CHEF KNIVES AND CUTTING BOARDS When it comes to lunch, I like to make simple dishes and usually use knives to cut my produce. But you have to be careful with knives. Did you know that the most dangerous weapon in your kitchen is a dull knife? It’s simply because you have to put a lot of force when using it and can cut yourself deeper than using a sharp knife. To help me eliminate this danger, I use my Abundant Chef zirconium ceramic knives (which are second only to diamonds!) and bamboo cutting boards. If diamonds are a girl’s best friend, then these knives come in a close second. When you use their knife to cut an apple, it feels like you are cutting through butter – so smooth and effortless. I also love the name and believe that seeing the word “abundant” when you cook, creates positive emotions and affects the energy you put in your food. And if you are what you eat, wouldn’t it be great to be abundant? I say: “yes, please!” http://abundantchef.com KITCHENAID FOOD PROCESSOR And finally, to make a quick dinner, I usually use my KitchenAid Food Processor as it can help me chop, slice and shred large quantities of ingredients very quickly. If you have seen my videos, you probably noticed that I use it a lot. KitchenAid makes slicing onions a breeze and it takes seconds. Check out this video where I use my food processor to make chicken-less chicken salad! Besides chopping and slicing, I use my food processor to mix ingredients. While there are other brands on the market, I find that KitchenAid has the most intuitive design and fun colors. Why not have a fabulous Empire Red one? It will brighten up the space and make you feel like an empress of the kitchen! http://www.kitchenaid.com/countertop-appliances/food-processors/ Those who know me well, know that I have a major sweet tooth and that’s why I am so excited to share my review of the latest book on the market – LoveFed, a un-cookbook of Raw Plant-based Desserts. How amazing is that? So here is the delicious scoop – Christina Ross, Ambassador of Healthy Living and conscious recipe creator just published a fabulous book that contains 80 delicious, easy dessert recipes. Apparently Christina is in love with French pastries and conventional classics as much as I am and that is why they inspired her to create this book. Her 80 recipes include Pistachio Saffron Rosewater Ice Cream, Chocolate Hazelnut Caramel Apple Torte, Trail Blazing Truffles and Splendid Day Red Velvet Cupcakes, (just to name a few) satisfying to even the most discerning sweet tooth. I also love that Christina created room for notes to make each recipe your own – something that I always encourage my viewers to do. After all, we are all about Couture Nutrition and Couture means that the item has to fit your bio-individuality. Christina also shows her tips and tricks, so if you don’t have much experience, they come in very handy. Along the way, she shares her solutions for potential hiccups, tells stories from her own life, and supplies mouth-watering full-color photos. Easy, healthy and with room for alterations! What more would we want? Being a big fan of Tiramisu, I decided to make her Maple Banana Tiramisu Trifle. It looked easy and delicious, what more does a girl want, right? Check out my video and Christina’s recipe below to see how it is made. Maple Banana Tiramisu Trifle
Yield: 2 mini trifles Prep time: 30 minutes This is my raw-vegan mash-up of two favorite European desserts: English trifle and Italian tiramisu. The result is a sophisticated dessert worthy of any fancy tabletop. CREAM 1 c. cashews, soaked and drained 1⁄8 tsp. sea salt 1⁄4 c. almond milk 1⁄4 c. cold-brewed coffee or 1 tsp. coffee extract 1⁄4 c. maple syrup 1 tbsp. melted coconut oil 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. lemon juice CHOCOLATE SAUCE DRIZZLE 1 tbsp. cacao powder 1 tbsp. maple syrup 1⁄4 tsp. vanilla extract 3 bananas 11/2 tsp. cacao powder, for garnish To make the cream: Place the cashews, sea salt, almond milk, cold-brewed coffee, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and lemon juice in a blender and blend until very creamy. To make the chocolate sauce drizzle: Whisk the cacao powder, maple syrup, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer to a squirt bottle, if you have one, or leave in the bowl until ready to use. To assemble the trifle: Cut each of the bananas into 3 even sections. Slice each section in half lengthwise (you will have 18 total pieces of banana). Place 2 of the banana sections in the bottom of a 33⁄4x41⁄4" trifle glass or ramekin. Repeat in a second glass or ramekin. Squirt chocolate sauce (or drizzle with a spoon) along the rims of the glasses all the way around, reserving some for garnish. Next, add enough cream to cover the bananas. Layer another 2 bananas sections on top, then the cream. Stand up the remaining 10 banana sections vertically around the sides of each glass (5 per glass), then pour in the cream to the top. Gently sift cacao powder on top and garnish with a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Serve immediately or let chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I am so excited to share these 3 videos with my friend Jill Schneider, who healed her cancer 40 years ago. She is so inspiring! |
ASK ALINAWhy ask me?- After many challenges and different crazy life experiences I am living my dream life and since my friends say I am pretty wisdomous and I think I am a little bit funny too, I want to share my life approach with you so you can live the life you love as well. Here is a little bit about me: - I am a creator of #1 Best Diet as selected by Harpers Baazar Magazine - I started my career in the corporate world and didn't even know how to peel a shallot - I have been a chef for celebrities for over 10 years - I have a realistic approach to food and life - I have a great relationship with food and can even let chocolate go bad because I simply forget I have it at home (something I wasn't able to do 10 years ago) - I eat carbs whenever I feel like it without any guilt - I used to hate to cook and now absolutely love being a private chef and a food relationship coach - I wear whatever clothes I desire no matter what everyone is wearing or thinking - I am in good shape and my body’s biological age is 13 years younger than the one in my passport - I have experience being super poor, super wealthy and in between - I’ve worked in corporate world and am now an entrepreneur - I was married and divorced - I used to cry going to work because I was so miserable with my boss - I’ve had an emotional eating disorder - I moved from Russia to USA alone at the age of 15 - I’ve lived in Russia, Europe and on both coasts of USA - I have been super skinny and overweight - I have been insecure and unhappy with reasons and secure and happy for no reason - I used to wear glasses and healed my eyes with the power of thought and exercises - I created "Couture Nutrition®" so you can have tailor-made solutions for your body and soul - My brain usually comes up with jokes to soften stressful situations - I think color coordination, sparkles and rainbows are underused |