Hiba Samawi (formerly Giacoletto) is a Psychologist and Coach working in Geneva, Lausanne and online.
A Swiss-Jordanian mix, she has a Masters Degree in Psychology from the University of Lausanne and is a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN). She previously ran Healthwise.ch, a health coaching business where she also created healthy recipes.
Hiba uses mindfulness-based behavioural approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT). These are more active forms of therapy where, more than just talk, you learn skills for living.
She specializes mostly in difficulties around relationships, emotions, making healthy change and eating, and also offers group sessions, both in-person in Geneva/Lausanne and online.
www.wiserhumans.com
fb.me/wiserhumans
By Hiba Giacoletto, Healthwise
Finding healthy food for lunch in Geneva is not always an easy task, especially if you are avoiding gluten, dairy or are vegetarian/vegan.
Here are my seven favourite places for lunch that all have gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options. Those that serve animal products offer quality, mostly local meat/fish/chicken/eggs.
1. Qibi: Urban Smart Food
Quick, quality food and good value - and in a trendy setting to boot - Qibi serves local and organic food, sourced directly from farmers and other trusted partners. Oh, and did I mention they also have a delivery service and take away?
WHERE:
Rue Kléberg 12, 1201 Genève (near Manor) + 2, Rue de la Mairie (Eaux-Vives)
http://www.qibi.ch
By Hiba Giacoletto, Healthwise
Bircher müesli is the quintessential Swiss breakfast. It is traditionally made with oats soaked in milk, yoghurt, fruit, nuts and seeds. It was invented by a Swiss doctor called Maximilian Bircher-Benner as a way of helping the patients at his sanatorium in Zürich heal through the power of soaked cereal, fruits, and raw nuts and seeds. This might sound obvious to our modern ears, but was revolutionary at the end of the 19th century when meat, potatoes and white bread were the norm.
Here is a quick and easy recipe for an easier to digest version of Bircher muesli for those of us who don’t like milk or oats. An easy homemade cashew milk replaces cow's milk and chia seeds take the place of oats (trust me, you won't miss them). This is then mixed with fruit of your choice and lemon juice to add a tanginess almost like yoghurt. No added sugar needed.
By Hiba Giacoletto, Healthwise
This is the simplest way ever to make a healthier pizza: Mixing cooked quinoa or millet with eggs, pressing this mixture into an oven dish and baking it. It’s a great idea to always make a bigger portion of whole grains anyway since they last for up to four days in the fridge. If your whole grain is already cooked, this dish really just takes 15 minutes. No messy doughs or complicated ingredients - and did I mention it is also gluten-free!
You can also use this crust as a base for garlic ‘bread’. Mix together a little olive oil, minced garlic, salt and dried oregano and pour this mixture over the crust without putting it back in the oven. Delicious!
By Hiba Giacoletto, Healthwise
I wanted to share a new recipe for Baked Quinoa and Bean Patties with Healthy Ketchup.
This recipe contains several umami ingredients: The dried tomatoes, red wine vinegar, tamari sauce (or soy sauce), onion and garlic. It also combines a mix of tastes: Salty (sun-dried tomatoes + tamari sauce), sweet (from the maple syrup), pungent (onion + garlic), sour (vinegar). The addition of allspice also adds complexity to this fusion of tastes. This makes for a very sophisticated, grown-up version of ketchup that kids will probably not like (sorry!). Play around with adding more or less of certain ingredients to find a balance you like – taste is very individual.
By Hiba Giacoletto, Healthwise
This is a basic chia seed pudding recipe that combines the magic of spices and with orange and lemon zest to create a very winter-y taste.
Chia seeds contain 20% protein, 25% dietary fiber and about 35% healthy fats, mostly Omega 3. They are also a good sources of iron, calcium and other vitamins and minerals.
Chia seeds are great for thickening foods due to their jelly like consistency in liquid. This makes them an ideal ingredient in puddings so healthy you can also have them for breakfast, like this one!
