sport – Page 2

Classic Boat Week Antigua. Photo reportage.

Enjoy and appreciate every moment of your life. It could be an ordinary day in office with nice and friendly people. Or it could be a beautiful rainy day full of stillness which is so amazing to use for reading an interesting book you were aiming to read for a while and have some time-in. It could be a snowy winter evening when you can finally meet your best friend, have a glass or two chatting about anything with no restrictions and cooking something yummy. Or it could be a sunny day on a boat somewhere in Antigua….

Here is a bit of boat “eye candy” for those who love sailing and those who appreciate sailing from a different era.

Our visit to Antigua to pick up our new North Sails coincided with Classic Yacht Week which meant we had the opportunity to watch old style sailing vessels. Classic week draws sail boats in a variety of sizes and all of these aged beauties reflect an era of pre-fiberglass boating.

These wooden boats have a lot of teak which makes them look beautiful, but I imagine the TLC required to keep it bright and shiny is tremendous. It was fun to walk the docks and imagine the history of these old timers. It was even more fun to watch them race….

…Unfortunately, winds were very light so the boats didn’t have ideal condition but there was enough wind for them to raise sails and we enjoyed seeing them flying all the canvas they could hoist as they tried valiantly to compete with little wind.

Here is a bit of boat “eye candy” for those who love sailing and those who appreciate sailing from a different era.

Antigua was a beautiful back drop for the races.

Classics in a variety of shapes and sizes.

“Mini-me” – the sailing variety.

I thought this helicopter was pretty low…

Until he decided to get even closer!

I can’t imagine tacking all these sails to round the buoy.

A close-up of this pretty girl.

That is a LOT of sail area on one boat!

Source:

https://helialetitbe.wordpress.com/2016/04/27/kickin-it-old-style-classic-boat-week-antigua/

Your peers affect your IQ

If you want to get brighter, only mix with the brightest, or suffer the consequences

That’s according to Professor James Flynn, who was once considered controversial because of his research which suggested that people were getting more intelligent each generation – the Flynn Effect.

In his new book “Does your family make you smarter” he proposes that intelligence, rather than plateauing at 18 years of age, can increase throughout adulthood, providing you have a stimulating lifestyle.

Households where people talk, challenge, joke and share cultural pastimes can boost the IQ of family members by several points. And workplaces that impose intellectual challenges on staff can over time raise their individual intelligence.

The opposite is also true. People who share a home or workplace with dullards for any length of time risk seeing their IQ enter a sharp decline because of lack of stimulation.

Flynn also says

Intelligence has always been thought to be static … the new evidence shows that this is wrong. The brain seems to be rather like a muscle – the more you use it, the stronger it gets. That means you can upgrade your intelligence during your lifetime

He suggests the best way to improve your IQ is to marry someone smarter than you, find an intellectually stimulating job, and hang out with bright friends.

Up to now we’ve believed that intelligence is controlled by genes influenced by our nutrition and environment up to age 18 when it stabilises.

Flynn’s research took 65 years of IQ tests from the US and correlating the results with the age of the people creating IQ age tables. From these he draws two conclusions. The cognitive quality of a family alters the IQ of all members but especially children i.e. it can lift them or hold them back.

For example a bright child of 10 with siblings of average intelligence will suffer on average a 5-10 point IQ disadvantage compared to a similar child with equally bright brothers and sisters. A child with a lower IQ can gain 6-8 points by having brighter siblings and educational support…

He also believes, based on this research, that although genetics and early life experience determine about 80% of intelligence the rest is strongly linked to our lifestyle as adults.

As you leave childhood behind the legacy of your family diminishes but the game is not over. A large proportion of your cognitive quality is now in your own hands. You can change it yourself and your IQ can vary through life according to your own efforts… Going through life feeling your childhood is holding you back is misunderstanding how much power you have to improve yourself

says Flynn.

In 2011 researchers at the University of Pennsylvania said that they found that high IQ scores are a result of high intelligence plus motivation whereas low IQ scores could be because of the lack of either intelligence or motivation (published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences).

Research in Scotland found that people with mentally stimulating jobs suffered less cognitive decline as they got older.

And recently researchers at the University of Texas found that busy over-50s had higher cognitive scores than younger people.

Experts in emotional intelligence have long held that EI, unlike IQ, continues to develop into adulthood. Now it seems we have the capacity to develop both our cognitive and socio-emotional skills.

Source:

http://bizpsycho.com/2016/06/01/if-you-want-to-get-brighter-only-mix-with-the-brightest-or-suffer-the-consequences/

Sugar and gluten free PUMPKIN Jelly. Little low callorie Vegan treat

This awesome light desert is perfect for any time of the day, completely sugar and gluten free, low in carbs, high in fiber and suitable for vegans. Plus, it’s super easy to make! No cooking required.

Yield: Serving 4-6 portions, prep time – 5 min, cooking time – 5 min, waiting time – 1 hour, total time – 1.30 min.

Macros:

Total calories per portion: about 100 kcal

Protein – about 10g

Carbs – about 10g

Fat – about 3g

Ingredients

450g Organic Fat reduced Tofu, drained
495g (2 cups) 100% Pure Pumpkin Puree, canned (you can make it yourself if you prefer). You can also swop it for Apple, Pear or any other fruit puree
1/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
2 Tbsp Toffee or Pumpkin pie Flavoured unsweetened syrup
2 tsp Pure Maple Syrup
1/2-1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 portion of gelatin
Fat-free yogurt or Cashew butter (optional)
2 scoops of Bannofee pie whey protein (optional if you aim to increase your protein intake)

Directions:

Drain tofu
Put it between two paper towels to remove liquid completely
Prepare pumpkin (apples) if you don’t use canned puree (oven-baked would be a perfect option)
Mix gelatin with 3 Tbsp of warm water until dissolved. Do not boil.
Put tofu into a high-speed blender
Add gelatin and the rest of the ingredients to the blender and puree until completely smooth
Pour the liquid into serving bowls and put in the fridge
Serve with fat-free yogurt, cashew butter
Decorate with nuts and dried apricots (optional)

Enjoy!

Apple&Peppermint and Lemon Ice Popsicles!

Just because the weather outside says it’s still spring, it cannot stop us from embracing the summer! We prepared a special summer treat recipe just for you guys! Refreshing fruit pops boasting with vitamin C!

Yield: 8 portions, prep time – 30 min, cooking time – about 10 min. Total time – about 4 hours.

Macroc:

Total calories per piece: about 40 kcal

Protein – 0g

Carbs – 10g

Fat – 0g

Ingredients:

LEMON LAYER:

2 tsp sweetener

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 teaspoon orange extract

APPLE & PEPPERMINT LAYER:

3 tsp sweetener

3 cups of water

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh peppermint

2 chopped apples

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

DSC_0086_1

Directions:

LEMON LAYER:

Mix 2 teaspoons sweetener with 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to the boil
Cook about 30 seconds
Pour into a bowl
Stir in lemon juice, orange juice and extract
Cool for 15 minutes
Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

APPLE & PEPPERMINT LAYER:

Chop apples into small squires
Add 3 teaspoons sweetener and 2 cups of water and boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes
Stir in chopped leaves of peppermint
Cover and set aside for 30 minutes
Strain through a sieve into a bowl. Discard solids.
Stir in lime juice
Cover and chill 1 hour.

ICE POPSICLES

Pour about 2 1/2 tablespoons apple mixture into each of 8 ice pop molds
Freeze 1 1/2 hours or until almost set.
Arrange 1 wooden stick into mixture, being careful not to push through to bottom of mold. Return to freezer.
Freeze 1 hour or until frozen.
Remove molds from freezer.
Pour about 3 tablespoons lemon mixture over frozen apple mixture in each mold.
Freeze 2 hours or until completely frozen.

Enjoy!

Living in Rhythm

This is the third article of series about Kiteboarding as a spiritual practice.

Learn how to follow the flow, trust the journey appreciating every single moment of being, and try to catch the insight when it is time to stop or change the direction.

The oscillating rhythm of the heart knows there is a time for activation and a time for regeneration, a time for quiet and a time for ecstasy, a time for clearing and a time for celebrating, a time for receiving and a time for giving, a time for igniting the fire, and a time for letting go into the fire…
⁃ Shiva Rea

The key to living in flow is to see and feel your life as waves – rhythmic cycles- that connect throughout the day (periods of your life).

Kiting can be a potent reflection of a rhythmic cycle: each time we go out, we have a unique opportunity to connect with the ritual that occurs from the moment we are setting up our gear, till we pack up and leave .

To become a living witness of the miracle that is planing across the surface of the Ocean- our greatest teacher-, to receiving the sun and air around us is an art form.

⁃ The initiation can be related to the birth, an inhale, sunrise, new year, a new relationship, water-starting.

⁃ Sustaining the peak, related to mid-cycles such as noon, holding your edge, the full moon, challenges.

⁃ Letting go: landing, pack up, the exhale, a sunset, nighttime, death and release.

This is what I’d call a mini-vinyasa: a cycle that mirrors birth, peak and descent. A wave offers a perfect example.

These days I’m focusing in honoring the cycles of rhythm and flow.

For some of us – like myself – that are ‘doers’/ go-getters and have a hard time letting go, it is of outmost importance to learn to release, return to shore and exhale when the time is right. Not when our body is too exhausted or the wind has died, but on the sacred juncture that our refined instinct says go back to shore.

One more tack can mean self-rescuing and much more “unnecessary” work than that if we would have respected sacred timing.

Can we learn together to honour every part of the cycle as of equal importance and challenge the collective to do this instead of pushing for more?

I’m about to embark on this ‘non-doing’ and more ‘being’ journey for the next 21 days. They say its what it takes to break a habit.

What would you like to break free from today?

Aloha with love

Denise

https://soulsonfireblog.wordpress.com/2016/05/15/living-in-rhythm/

Protein Yogurt Cheesecake!

I’m not a cheesecake lover but this one is simply amazing: low in calories, high in protein, very easy to make, end extremely delicious! When I cook it at home I can’t even notice how quick it’s gone.

Yield: 8-10 pieces, prep time – 20 min, cooking time – about 60 min. Total time – about 2 hours.

Macroc:

Total calories per piece: about 200 kcal

Protein – about 15g

Carbs – about 10-12g

Fat – about 7-10 g

Ingredients

Crust:

1.5 cups crushed crackers
2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
2 Tbsp. almond milk
1 Tbsp. sugar free syrup (optional)

Cheesecake Filling:

8 oz light cream cheese (I use 3% Philadelphia)
12 oz fat free greek yogurt
2 eggs
2 egg whites (2 Tbsp. liquid egg whites)
2 scoops vanilla whey protein
1-3 tsp. sweetener of your choice (I use stevia + 1tsp. sugar free lemon cheesecake syrup)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 F
Mix Filling ingredients! Let the mixture sit out in room temperature
Put the filling mixture aside and start working on the Crust
Mix crushed crackers with coconut oil, almond milk and syrup
Put parchment paper into a form and plop the crust onto the parchment paper.
Pour the cheesecake filling onto the crust
Bake the cheesecake for 30 minutes at 120C.
Then bake for 45 minutes at 105C!
Let it cool COMPLETELY for a few hours/overnight in the fridge to set!
Decorate with berries, fruits or compote
Enjoy!

Reality Photo: Seven Days of Consecutive Sunsets. Food for meditation and tranquility.

Sunset is the time of the day at which we are most likely to be reflective. That brief transitional period between light and darkness is – together with sunrise – often said by spiritual gurus to be the best time to meditate, and I agree. Sit down, cross your legs, open your eyes and just absorb. Connect with the Universe when the conduit is at its widest. It is a time to gain great insights into life…

This article provides some mind-expanding imagery, which may help you to touch the incredible essence of sundown.

Reality Photo: Seven Days of Consecutive Sunsets. Good, Boring or Fabulous?

In the spirit of Reality TV, I thought I would show you seven consecutive sunsets and share the actual views we see every night…

… And somehow you might believe you are missing these nightly masterpieces…

Well, honestly, we do have the privilege of seeing stunning sets nearly every night and we remain grateful for the opportunity. So grateful that we wanted to share them with you…

Sunset “one”

If not for the deep sapphire water, I think this could be a desert somewhere instead of Ashton, Union Island.

Sunset “two”

Same anchor spot but the very next night and a completely different “painting.”

Sunset “three”

You guessed it, we have not moved our anchor and here is a third and unique sunset.

Sunset “four”

Our first night in Mustique.

Sunset “five”

Our second night in Mustique. The clouds look like smoke accumulated from a smoke stack…

Sunset “six”

Our third and final night in Mustique the silhouette of this sailboat was beautiful. I really wish I knew who owns this boat because I would love to send him this picture.

Sunset “seven”

Safely moored in St. Lucia after a very pretty 70 nautical mile sail with a little help from our friends, volvo one and volvo two, when the wind died…

One last gratuitous sunset photo featuring our sweet dog, Captain.

Sunset “eight”

Captain is in a kennel this week because we were unable to find a rental place that would allow pets. We are really sad to have her in a kennel and can’t wait to “free” her on Thursday!!!

Do you have a favorite sunset from this blog post? I would love to know which one calls to you or speaks to you most. Or does your mood affect which one you like best so your favorite changes? Please leave your answers in the comments!

Posted by Let It Be

Source:

https://helialetitbe.wordpress.com/2016/03/22/reality-photo-seven-days-of-consecutive-sunsets-good-boring-or-fabulous/

Pumpkin sugar, gluten, dairy free protein Pancakes

I’m a bit pancakes fan. These recipe is, probably, one of my favourites, as the pancakes are delicious, quick to make (about 15 minutes), and also gluten, dairy and sugar free.

Yield: 6 pancakes, prep time – 5 min, cooking time – 10 min, total time – 15 min.

Ingredients

½ cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. coconut oil (melted)
¼ cup unsweetened almond/soy milk
½ tsp. cider vinegar or lemon juice
1 cup almond/oat/buckwheat flour
¼ cup ground flax seed
1 scoop whey/soy protein powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. sea salt
a pinch of cinnamon
pure maple syrup
toasted walnuts/almonds/peanuts, optional

Directions

Heat griddle to 300 degrees F (or heat a skillet over medium heat)
Combine the pumpkin, eggs, coconut oil, almond milk and vinegar (or lemon juice) in a large bowl. Mix well.
Add flour, protein, flax seeds, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt and stir until well combined. Batter will be slightly thick.
Lightly oil griddle or skillet surface with coconut oil. Pour batter onto griddle using an ⅛ cup measure or a heaping tablespoon. Pancakes are ready to flip when bubbles pop on the surface of pancake. (about 3 minutes).
Continue cooking other side until golden brown.
Enjoy with pure maple syrup (homey) and some toasted walnuts on top.

Enjoy!

SOURCE: http://lettucebehealthy.net/2013/10/25/pumpkin-protein-pancakes/

Kiteaboarding as conscious evolution. Another view

This is another view on kiteboarding as a conscious evolution. Another kiter and spiritual practitioner, another insight, but pretty similar feelings. Guess why? Yes, right: because when you are open to receive the Universe is open to give…

This is the second article of the series about kiteboarding. We are open for contributors.

One can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery of oneself.

― Leonardo da Vinci

I give thanks for the vitalizing forces that come from deep within this body, that reside in the ‘dan tien’ as my mentor calls it.

Have you felt being so immersed in a activity that you ‘lose’ sense of time? Yet, felt being one hundred percent connected to every element, every breath, move and sound?

This is a state of Oneness or meditation: a dive into our most creative, playful, powerful self. And the more we practice, the easier it gets to go into ‘flow’.

Like a Samurai learning the art of the sword, the Yogi mastering the mat, the surfermerging with the wave, my journey is about finding oneness in kiteboarding, and everything else. I feel most disciplines use form / technique to prepare the body (vase) and the mind to receive the teachings and, as our progression deepens, the technical aspects can be integrated into the refined art of relaxation, contentment and ease (sthira & sukha in the yogic language).

With purposeful practice and feedback from our mentors, the sport becomes so engrained in our cells, that we can shift into a ‘No mind space’ and enter a state of unity.

I remember my first yoga training.. ‘Embodiment of yoga’ was the subject. I just couldn’t get it back then. Years later, there’s an integration happening from within that am stoked to share!

So today’s Recipe..

Get out there as much as you can. Go, go and go. Practice makes master
Kite in your joy and ecstasy, in sorrow, loss and everything in between. Celebrate you’re flying, and pray for the parts in you that are dying .
Meditate on loved ones, not so-loved ones, allow yourself go through your battles chanting, and dancing on water.
Don’t take yourself so seriously, we’re not that important
Rejoice with the simple act of riding with different conditions.
Be courageous

My prayer for us:

Lets become souls with Stamina, less selfies in ‘higher jumps and fancier tricks’ ( These come along as perks), but more about gathering our total focus, determination, and commitment to return to the ocean together as a collective

We can make Oneness happen. – The way of the wild warrior, the crazy/ creative/ wise soul living inside each one of us awaits to be freed !

May you expand our capacity to enjoy where we are, as we are, no matter what.

In the sun, rain and rainbows – we ride.

See you out there !

Denise

https://soulsonfireblog.wordpress.com/2016/05/09/blog-post-title/

Kiteboarding as a spiritual practice: Zen, mindfulness, universal rules of being

I first tried kiteboarding in May 2016, so I’m actually something of a novice at this sport. But being a beginner has its advantages: When you try something completely new, you’re fully focused on what you’re doing. You could say that you’re 100% present in the moment, and this heightened, intense state is precisely when all profound spiritual moments occur.

Every second, every breath, every tiny sensation that your body experiences becomes so much more spiritual. It’s not simply a matter of novelty, or the fact that you are locked in a state of deep concentration. Kiteboarding itself is all about life. The guidance for manipulating the kite brought to mind those universal truths and rules for life described in the Bible, Buddhist texts, the Kabbala, and many other spiritual books that I’ve read.

This topic merits a series of articles. While the topic of kiteboarding is in itself interesting, one of the central missions of this portal is to help you, the reader, to explore new things in life. This is not simply a matter of physical experience, but of spiritual development. ‘Being present’, a concept also explored elsewhere on this site, is a key to opening your mind – and soul – to the unknown, the unexpected and the wondrous.

To kick off this series, this brief article sums up a few of my ‘spiritual takeaways’ from my very first kiteboarding lessons.

When we’re confronted with the unexpected, whether a strong blast of wind or stress in life, we instinctively try to increase our level of control over the situation… It’s a completely normal mental reaction. To a degree, we’re all control freaks, but does fanatically trying to assert our authority over a situation actually help?

Kiteboarding taught me to let go: Allow the situation unfold, and observe before trying to change anything. The Universe will help you to accomplish you task, or at least will save you from broken arms, legs, ribs and heart….
No need to rush. You will achieve what you want to if you keep doing it, but do it slowly; one step and one breath at a time.
No matter what you planned, you will reach the right level when it’s meant to be. Not earlier, not later. My advice? Stay calm and keep doing what you’re doing.
Slow down all your movements, and decisions, but always be ahead of the kite in your mind. Substitute ‘kite’ for ‘project’, and you can see my point!
You can choose a direction, but you can’t predict how exactly the movement will be executed. The wind could change any time, and you have to be agile enough to respond to its capriciousness. In kiteboarding you have to be consciously present 100% of the time, and this is hugely important in other areas of life too. Fretting about uncertainty is both wasteful and dangerous. Save your energy for the moves you need to make, and don’t expend it on worrying. Learn to ‘go with the flow’, but gently steer yourself in the right general direction.
I was instructed not to over-tense my hands when steering the kite. Similarly, try not to over-think, worry too much, or micro-manage. These are all a waste of energy, and time.
The kite and wind will do everything for you, if you just stop fighting it. The lesson here is to work with the powerful forces that you encounter in life, rather than against them: Do this successfully, and you will fly.
Finally, when kiteboarding I had to be highly attentive to the other kiters’ around me. Likewise, when interacting with people in life or in business, try to coordinate, collaborate and communicate. Competition could easily kill both parties.

These are just a few life lessons that I drew from my first kiteboarding experience.

What do you think?