vegan – Escape Karma

Mango Smoothie Bowl Recipe

It’s not spring yet but to start your day with a colourful breakfast like this you can come a step closer to it ! Hara Korakaki shared her recipe for a mango smoothie bowl with us . Let’s have a look at it !

Mango , Banana and Matcha smoothie bowl

Recipe

1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen mango
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 tsp matcha powder
2 tbsp lemon protein powder

Add all of the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth consistency. Transfer to a bowl and serve with toppings of choice. Serving suggestion here with pistachios, raspberries and puffed quinoa ! Enjoy !

Mango , banana , matcha smoothie bowl photo courtesy of Hara’s Foodblog

For inspired recipes like the above one visit Hara’s Foodblog on Instagram .

Eleni Kadigkou Xx

8 February 20228 February 2022

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Dairy-free chocolate cream mini tarts,Hara Korakaki share with us one of her favourite recipes

Are you craving something sweet and full of chocolate but at the same time you follow vegan or sugar-free diet?Hara Korakaki have the solution for you.Dairy-free (vegan 100%) and sugar-free chocolate cream mini tarts.As she stated this is one of her favourite recipes.

chocolates and raspberries — Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com

Recipe

(serves 4)

For the base

1 cup almonds
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 cup coconut oil

For the filling:

90gr dark chocolate
1 cup almond milk
7 pitted medjool dates

cocoa powder with powdered sugar in glass jars — Photo by Jess Bailey Designs on Pexels.com

Place the ingredients for the base in a high-speed blender and mix until well combined. Mixture will be sandy. Separate the mixture into four tart pans (reserve some for topping) and form the base by pressing firmly onto the bottom using your fingers. Refrigerate and continue with the filling. Add dates and milk in a high-speed blender and blend until a smooth mixture is formed. Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave and add in the blender. Mix for a few more seconds. Fill each cooled tart with the chocolate cream and top with the remaining base mixture and extra melted dark chocolate (if you want). Refrigerate overnight and enjoy!

Another delicious and guilty-free recipe from Hara Korakaki!Now it’s your turn to try it!

Follow Hara’s Foodblog here.

Eleni Kadigkou Xx

16 January 202116 January 2021

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Beetroot juice, how to boost your workout in natural way and other benefits

Holidays are over and if you have overdone it with food and alcohol we are here to share some detox tips for you .Our plan includes the beetroot juice for today,a juice that according to scientific studies aids athletes to improve their athletic performance,but its benefits are multiple.

red and black round ornament — Photo by Eva Elijas on Pexels.com

Beetroot juice has become one of the most popular ergogenic supplements for athletes.Let’s take a look what makes the beet such an athletic nutritional powerhouse.

Beets are a rich source of potent antioxidants, such as vitamin C, carotenoids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids, along with nitrate.Nitrate is a chemical naturally occurring in certain foods and is converted into nitric oxide when consumed.

Studies indicate vegetables high in nitrate promote improved health and athletic performance.

Drinking beet juice raises nitric oxide levels in your body.Research shows nitric oxide can increase blood flow, improve lung function,and strengthen muscle and contraction.This combination has stimulated athletes to supplement with beet juice for improved cardiorespiratory endurance and performance.The importance of cardiorespiratory fitness for athletes and active adults is essential.This component of physical fitness refers to the ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems to supply oxygen to working muscles during prolonged exercise.

Nitric oxide (NO) from beet juice helps this process. It is shown to increase cardiorespiratory performance and improve muscle function.

athlete bike black and white cycle — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

According to a small 2012 studyTrusted Source,drinking beet juice increases plasma nitrate levels and boosts physical performance.

During the study, trained cyclists who drank 2 cups of beet juice daily improved their 10-kilometer time trial by approximately 12 seconds. At the same time, they also reduced their maximum oxygen output.

The dose given to them did not exceed ½ litter of beetroot juice and the time of taking it should be 3 hours before the beginning of the exercise.As it is known the nitrate reaches the highest levels in the plasma 2-3 hours after taking it and remains in high levels for about 6-9 hours.

Other Benefits

Helps Lower Blood Pressure
May slow the progression of dementia
Good source of potassium
Good source of other minerals
Anti-cancer properties
Supports liver
May Reduce Cholesterol

By adding beetroots in your diet and especially if you consume them raw you can take full advantage of the multiple benefits they offer.The bloody-red vegetable is full of antioxidants and you can combine it with other veggies or fruits.

Recipe

(serves 1)

3 normal size beetroots
2 carrots (optional)
1 green apple (optional)

Run the ingredients through a juicer, alternatively blend it in a high-speed blender until smooth. Strain and drink immediately.

Note

Keep in mind that if your purpose is to improve your exercise stamina you should drink it 2-3 hours before you begin .

As from my experience,since I don’t drink it very often I haven’t ascertain if it boosts my workout but for sure helps decrease the abdominal bulking.

For more information you can check some of the sources that I came across to help me complete the article Verywellfit.com and healthline.com

If you have any question,suggestion,or if you are willing to try the beetroot juice let me know!

Photos of the article: Panagiotis Kadigkos

Eleni Kadigkou Xx

6 January 20217 January 2021

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Chia pudding , the healthiest overnight vegan breakfast

Can you imagine that , waking up and have ready on your fridge your breakfast high in protein , fiber and healthy fats made with only two ingredients ? So today I’ll share with you the quick and super easy way to make it on your own .The only thing you need to do is to prepare the chia pudding from the previous night in order for the seeds to have enough time to absorb the milk and release their kind of jelly quality and their nutrients .

Before proceeding to the recipe , let’s share some of their benefits and facts .

They are an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids, rich in antioxidants, and they provide fiber, iron and calcium .
A 28-gram, or 1-ounce, serving of chia seeds also contains 5.6 grams of protein.
Mixed with water, they can replace egg in vegan cooking.
Chia seeds can be eaten cooked or raw, but they should be added to another food or soaked before eating.

Also foods that are high in fiber help people to feel full for longer, and they are usually lower in calories. Increased fiber intake and a high fiber diet have been shown to help with weight loss.

Chia seeds contain nearly 5 grams of fiber per tablespoon , and their high levels of omega-3-fatty acids and alpha-linoleic acid may be useful for weight loss. The seed can also be consumed as a gel when mixed with water. This causes it to digest more slowly in the body, potentially preventing hunger for a longer period .

Recipe

A cup of no sugar almond milk (you can use any type of milk vegan or not )
4 tablespoon of chia seeds

(The ratio is everything . What I found that works best is 2 tablespoons of chia seeds for every half cup of milk ) You will need a mason jar and then you add the milk and the chia seeds , mixture them well and put it on the fridge overnight . I didn’t add any sweetener because of my personal taste but you can add honey or for vegans agave or maple syrup .The good thing with the chia pudding is that it’s easy to grab it in the morning and take it with you at the office or at the college . Also you can keep it on the fridge for up to 7 days so you can have jars for the whole week . Once the seeds have absorbed the milk in the morning you can add the toppings of your choice , like fresh fruits , shredded coconut , chocolate , peanut butter , cinnamon and different kind of seeds .

In my case I added some fresh blueberries and blackberries , and some frozen gooseberries , red currants and crushed hazelnuts .

Well this is a simple and facile way to have your breakfast ready in the morning and at the same time take advantage of it’s high beneficial quality . I highly recommend you to try at least for once ! Waiting for your feedback .

Eleni Kadigkou XX

Photographer : Panagiotis Kadigkos

12 December 202015 December 2020

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celery juice , have you tried this nutriotinal trend yet ?

First of all , let me say this just because I added on my morning ritual doesn’t mean I follow blindly this trend or that I claim that the juice is a miraculous one and has the ability to heal chronic diseases .Fruits and vegetables have been added on my diet for many years now but it was around 2 or 3 years ago that I tried celery on my smoothies beside the common use , soups ,salads and etc . But this is a different one , we are talking about plain , fresh 100% celery juice (to be honest I add a few drops of lemon sometimes ) .

But how did it turned to be a huge nutritional trend ? Celery juice gain popularity through Anthony’s William book Celery Juice :The most powerful medicine of our time healing ,who’s not a doctor or a nutritionist , but many celebrities , thousands of people in the US and around the globe and as well Gwyneth Paltrow ( featuring Anthony on her website Goop )swear by it . I am not here to mislead and especially when concerning to medical issues neither I am the kind of the person who follows the herd . I only wish to share my own experience and the to do steps in case you are willing to give it a try too .

I won’t insist on nutritional information and composition of the vegetable but I have to mention some of the benefits that provide . Have you ever noticed that celery looks alike human bones ?

Actually beside the appearance, they have another thing in common – they contain 23% sodium, just like our bones . Celery is a great source of silicon which helps with the structure of our bones to keep them strong and healthy. Furthermore celery has an alkalizing effect ,with minerals like magnesium, iron, and sodium, celery can have a neutralizing effect on acidic foods and helps to balance our PH . Also its anti-inflammatory effect is ideal to use celery juice for detoxifying our liver and heal our gut .

Lastly celery contains a particular compound called coumarins which promotes the activity of white blood cells and assists the vascular system. This helps the blood flow, reduces blood pressure and purifies the bloodstream .The sodium in celery also maintains the fluidity of the blood and lymph fluids, preventing them from becoming too thick. For more information you can check thoroughly on medical and nutritional website , books and researches .

Before we continue to the making process allow me to share my personal experience and the reason I added on my morning ritual . Have been suffering from abdominal bloating effect , my stomach ,even if I follow a healthy diet, isn’t working right plus I have some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome . That means that the past few years in the morning time the first think I do is to drink something like warm water with lemon and turmeric or do a juice cleanse program in order to aid digestion and for 30 minutes after that I don’t eat or drink something else . Alongside I do studies to be a sommelier and also I ‘ve got a certification in spirits , part of the training is the tasting although you don’t have to drink all of them (!!!) but I like wine so sometimes I feel the need to detoxifying my liver cause generally my diet is quite balanced .

What I’ve noticed so far are the following :

My digestion works better not all but most of the days that I drink the juice
My skin looks a lot better and clean , especially the eye area (puffiness and dark circles )
My energy levels are getting higher and the effect of fatigue is lower than ever ( to mention also the interval of 30 minutes that I have to wait before breakfast I reclaim it and go for running )

Recipe

1 head of celery, stalks separated

Rinse the celery ,chop the stalks and run it through a juicer.
Drink immediately.
Alternatively, you can chop the celery and blend it in a high-speed blender until smooth. Strain and drink immediately.
Then wait from 15 to 30 minutes until you have breakfast or coffee .

That was all for this time . I don’t recommend Celery juice as a remedy for chronic diseases but after all its hydrating and vegetables are rich on nutritional value . If you have already tried it feel free to share your story otherwise if you are willing to share your feedback anytime .

Eleni Kadigkou Xx

Photographer : Panagiotis Kadigkos

20 November 202015 December 2020

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