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
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By Hiba Giacoletto, Healthwise
Do you love the taste of Starbuck’s Gingerbread Latte? Here is a healthier version, made with a simplified almond milk and maple syrup as a sweetener. The taste really comes from the combination of spices - if you don’t have one or two of them, that's OK - just leave them out.
Gingerbread Latte
2 tbsp almond butter (made only of ground almonds)
1.5 dl water
1 tbsp maple syrup (or to taste)
1.5 cup hot coffee
1/2 tsp ground ginger + 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon +1/8 tsp ground cloves +1/8 tsp allspice +1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
By Hiba Giacoletto, Healthwise
This is a healthier version of gnocchi than the traditional white potatoes, white flour and eggs that are make up this Italian alternative to pasta. Instead of normal potatoes, I used sweet potatoes - a completely different vegetable despite the name which is significantly higher in vitamin C and vitamin A. Vitamin A is key for eye health and the immune system and just 1 medium-sized sweet potato covers more than 200% of your daily needs in vitamin A and 50% of your daily needs of vitamin C. (source). I have also used a gluten-free, whole grain flour which is a much better option than nutrient-void white flour.
Start by cooking 2 medium sweet potatoes.
By Hiba Giacoletto, Healthwise
If you love Nutella, why not trying making a healthier version at home? This recipe is a much healthier version of store-bought Nutella, using only whole foods like hazelnuts and cacao powder and sweetened with a little maple syrup – an unrefined sweetener.
The main ingredient in this recipe is hazelnuts. Hazelnuts are a good source of Vitamin E as well as iron, zinc, calcium and potassium. And because they are made up of 60 – 70% oil, when you whizz them in a food processor for just a minute or two, they quickly turn into a beautiful, creamy spread. To this, we add the cacao powder, melted cacao butter or coconut oil plus a little maple syrup – and voilà – you have your healthier Nutella or Healthtella!
Method:
- Heat your oven to 135 degrees Celsius.
- Measure 1 cup or 200g hazelnuts and place on a tray in the oven for about 20 minutes or until they are evenly roasted.
- Remove from the oven and rub the hazelnuts between your hands to remove any loose skin.
- Once they are completely cool, place them in food processor and grind them until they are liquid. This should take about 1-2 minutes and you may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times.
- Once your hazelnut spread is ready, add the following:
- 25g melted cacao butter OR melted extra virgin coconut oil
- 3-4 tbsp water
- 4 tbsp maple syrup
- 2-3 tbsp cacao
- Mix everything until it is well combined and you have achieved the right taste and consistency. Store in the fridge but take it out a little before you eat it so it becomes less solid.
Author's bio
Hiba Giacoletto is a Certified Health Coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) with a Masters Degree in Psychology
Hiba helps people lose weight, feel more energetic or take control of their eating without diets or deprivation. She believes that no one way of eating or living works for everyone and that it is about experimenting to find what truly works for you. She uses a unique blend of NUTRITION + PSYCHOLOGY + COACHING to help people start trusting their body's wisdom to make food and lifestyle choices that enable them to look and feel their best. She is convinced that regardless of what you might have tried in the past, she can help you get unstuck, overcome self-sabotage behavior and find your mojo!
You can book a FREE 45 minute Health Chat via her website, www.healthwise.ch to find out whether Health Coaching is right for you.
www.healthwise.ch
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By Hiba Giacoletto, Healthwise
Zucchini Crust Pizza is easier to make than traditional pizza, and it is also a great way of eating more vegetables while eating less white flour.
This healthier pizza is simply a crust of made of grated zucchini mixed with eggs. The pizza taste really comes from the toppings - you can add whatever you like.
Through sheer laziness, I recently experimented with a tomato sauce that doesn’t actually need to be cooked to taste amazing and I share the recipe for this below. Besides using it for this pizza, you can also combine this tomato sauce with zucchini noodles for a completely raw meal or with normal pasta which heats up the sauce and tastes wonderful.
By Hiba Giacoletto, Healthwise
This summer, why not try making your own iced coffee? This recipe takes just a few minutes to make and is dairy, soy and refined sugar-free. I find it especially delicious with maple syrup but if you don’t have this you can also use honey or another sweetener.
RECIPE - Makes 2-3 cups of coffee
2 tbsp almond butter (made only of ground almonds)
3 dl water
1-3 tbsp maple syrup or honey (depending on how sweet you like it)
1 cup coffee – brewed, then left to cool in a bowl. You can add ice cubes or put it in the fridge if you are impatient!
Combine the almond butter and water in a blender and blend until smooth. This is actually a lazy version of almond milk which is better than store-bought almond milk as it has no additives. You can also use 3 dl almond milk instead. Add the coffee and maple syrup or honey.
Serve in a glass with ice cubes.
Store leftovers in a jar in the fridge.
