CHRISTMAS with a TWIST
Come November, my stylish, Elle Decor-worthy home is turned into Santa’s Secret Village, including hundreds of candles, a spectacular tree and a duo of life-size Victorian bears in uniform. Dancing around the house to my special Xmas playlist, I sip Russian Yuletide while ignoring the Autumn weather outside. But it starts even earlier that. Or let me rephrase that: it never ends! Because I’ve got Christmas on my mind, all year round…
Although I totally dig the idea of the 365-days-a-year Christmas stores that you find all over the States, I’m not crazy about their somewhat garish selection. (Can you imagine me in a fluffy reindeer sweater with a flashing nose?). Instead, regardless the season, I am always on the lookout for stylish Christmas swag in all the places I visit, both for work and pleasure. Think of bewitchingly-scented Fornasetti candles from Milan, organic ‘Esprit de Noël’ tea scored at Parisian tea emporium Mariage Frères or an adorable Christmas bear from Harrods in London. It’s my private, year-round Christmas preparty! Also, to quote another favorite Christmas song: Christmas is all about coming home. How lovely then, to bring home all these amazing souvenirs and have the world be a part of my Christmas celebrations?
Christmas is also about family and family traditions, and there are many small, but important (culinary) rituals that I’m proud to pass on to my daughter Zilver. This year however, there will be a little twist to our traditional Christmas dinner… Instead of a meat-filled feast, I would like to treat my loved ones to plant-based delicacies that are equally tasty, but much better for your health and the environment. I will replace dairy with almond milk and coconut cream for my sauces and desserts, and serve delicious, I-can’t-believe-this-isn’t-real-meat products from the Vegetarian Butcher. A very nice bonus: Santa will be so happy, he will take everybody off his ‘naughty list’!
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MD Friends
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Don’t ignore your emotions; they are much more powerful than you can imagine. By linking the magical world of emotions with hard science, Dutch scientist Pierre Capel, professor emeritus in experimental immunology, shows us the consequences of our feelings and the power of our minds. The message: we can do much more than we think. “Meditate. It’s the single best thing you can do for your health.”
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Keto curious?
The fact that I feel bikini-confident all year round is, of course, a nice bonus. But for me, the biggest payoff of following the keto diet is the way it optimizes my health and gives me tons of energy.
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Super (skin) food
‘If you can’t eat it, why put it on your skin?’. I pretty much live by this beauty adage. After all, with your skin being one of your body’s largest organs, anything – and I mean anything! – you put onto your skin will end up in your bloodstream.
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