Kroes - Power food: original recipes by Rens Kroes for happy healthy living

Pure recipes by RENS KROES For a happy and healthy lifestyle I ts not really a surprise that Im interested in good and pure food. Its all I know. We were the organic family from Eastermar, a small village in Friesland. My pake (grandfather) was the villages first organic farmer, my beppe (grandmother) was an herbalist, and my mother is a nutritionist. Healthy eating is simply something I grew up with. When I turned nineteen, I left Friesland for New York.

Oh my! That was the time of my life. I put on my high heels and went to the coolest parties, dancing the night away with celebs. By day, I was a student and was conscious of nutrition and its impact on my body. In that regard, New York is paradise and never ceases to inspire me. The raw-food movement was popular there at that time, and I discovered new restaurants (and new dishes) every day, and did my grocery shopping at organic stores. When I went to class, I brought containers of homemade salad, nuts, and fresh smoothies with me.

I was stereotypically Dutch, even in New York! People looked at me a bit funny in the beginning, but soon enough my friends started following suit. After a wonderful year in the Big Apple, I moved back to the Netherlands, to Amsterdam. There, I started working at an obesity clinic. Thats where I got in touch with the psychological side of eating and it was when I knew I wanted to help people establish healthy eating habits and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I believe that the combination of healthy eating, enough physical activity, and relaxation ensures both fitness and happiness. I call it the holy trinity.

You cant achieve happiness in your life by crash dieting, but you can by eating good, healthy food, taking care of yourself, andmost of allderiving enjoyment from doing so. I am a proponent of organic food because it has not been treated with pesticides and it is unprocessed. Not only does organic food just taste better, but also your body is not forced to process unnecessary toxins after eating it. In addition to eating well and exercising, Im convinced that relaxation is essential. Be good to your body, but also be sure to treat yourself to a relaxing evening with a good movie, a dinner with friends, or a night of dancing. That is the ultimate form of relaxation for me. Okay. Okay.

Ready for action? Is it more work to cook healthy food? Yes, fair is fair. Of course it does take more time to prepare healthy food than to warm up a premade meal in the microwave. But precisely because you prepare your food more mindfully, you appreciate it more. Keep in mind that it might take a little while to get accustomed to your new lifestyle. Thats okay. If you make these changes out of love for yourself and your body, after a while, youll notice that they make you feel better.

Whatever you do, dont succumb to stress if things dont work out on day one. Give yourself the time to get into the right flow. I always say that it can take about three months to get there. After that, your mind and body will have adapted to your new habits. Then its okay if you fall off the wagon every now and then. It happens to me too.

I love to go outpreferably enjoying a glass of Champagne (or two) and snacking on some late-night fries on the way home. Healthy? Not really. But a night like that produces instant happiness, and that in itself is so important. It really is fine to enjoy things that are slightly less than healthy from time to time. Youll feel the effects of this on your body and will probably want to get back to your healthy lifestyle as soon as possible afterward. In putting this book together, I spent hours and hours in the kitchen, tasting, adjusting, and testing the recipes.

The finished product is a compilation of my very favorites, from smoothies to go, happiness-inducing breakfasts, simple salads, and pastas, to healthy versions of sinful sweets. Ill also tell you about the effects different vegetables, superfoods, and other ingredients have on your body. Take the time to enjoy cooking, be kind to yourself, and, above all, enjoy! Rens Kroes

Good morning! I start every day with a glass of warm water and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Because I like to keep my teeth healthy, I drink it with a straw. What a tasty pick-me-up! This kick-start drink has a cleansing effect on the body and gives an instant energy boost. DONT BE FOOLED BY THEIR sweetness: THESE MUFFINS PACK A SERIOUS power breakfast PUNCH. DONT BE FOOLED BY THEIR sweetness: THESE MUFFINS PACK A SERIOUS power breakfast PUNCH.

I USUALLY MAKE ABOUT TEN OF THESE AT A TIME SO I CAN EAT THEM AS A SNACK OR take them with me FOR BREAKFAST DURING THE WEEK. WHEN I DO TAKE ONE TO GO, ILL PICK UP A TASTY COFFEE ON MY WAY TO ENJOY WITH IT. HAPPINESS! THIS RECIPE CALLS FOR mulberries, BUT YOU COULD JUST AS EASILY USE APPLE CHUNKS, BLUEBERRIES, OR EVEN jam, IF YOU PREFER. THESE MUFFINS ARE ALSO A TASTY, fun, NUTRITIOUS BREAKFAST FOR kids. PREPARATION 35 MINUTES INGREDIENTS 1 / CUPS (100 G) WHOLE OATS 1 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER 2 RIPE BANANAS 3 EGGS 2 TEASPOONS GROUND CINNAMON 2 TEASPOONS PURE VANILLA EXTRACT PINCH OF SALT / CUP (100 G) DRIED BLACK MULBERRIES SUPPLIES MUFFIN TIN, MUFFIN LINERS, BLENDER DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Place liners in 10 cups of a muffin tin.

Combine all the ingredients, except the mulberries, in the blender and process until smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl and add the mulberries. Stir well. Spoon 2 tablespoons (30 g) of the mixture into each of the lined muffin cups. Bake for 30 minutes. Have a look at them every now and then to make sure they dont brown too much or too quickly.

YIELD: 10 MUFFINS

MAKE YOUR OWN GRANOLA. ITS SO MUCH healthier WHEN YOU DO! I SPRINKLE MINE ON TOP OF MY OATMEAL, OR EAT IT ON ITS OWN WITH A SPLASH OF ALMOND MILK OR A FEW SPOONFULS OF goats milk yogurt. ITS SATISFYING AND VERY nutritious. ITS FREE OF REFINED SUGAR AND OTHER ADDITIVES TOO. NOW THATS A good BREAKFAST!