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
If you are looking for a latte that is free of dairy, soy and refined sugar, you can make it yourself in just a few minutes.
Almond Spice Latte uses a lazy version of almond milk made by blending almond butter made only from ground almonds with water. To that I add some sweet spices and a little maple syrup to sweeten. You can also make a plainer version with just the almond butter, water and coffee or even replace the water for almond milk. The blending action helps create the froth that feels quite latte-like.
Simply combine all the ingredients below and blend, then serve immediately!
By Hiba Giacoletto, Healthwise
Something I hear often is how 'healthy' people think fruit yoghurt is. Sorry to burst your bubble but have you actually read the label on a fruit yoghurt? At best, it is loaded with sugar - at worst, lots of yucky stuff.
It is time for a really simple, delicious alternative that is free of sugar, dairy, soy and gluten!
This breakfast or snack is creamy thanks to the soaked, uncooked buckwheat and hemp seeds. It’s sweet thanks to the raspberries and dried figs. And it has that little bit of tartness thanks to the lemon.
Once you have soaked everything in the evening, it takes only 5 minutes to blend everything in the morning and can keep for up to two days in the fridge.
And because of the mix of healthy fats, protein and fiber, it is filling enough to be a meal in itself.
By Hiba Giacoletto, Healthwise
Have you tried whipping yourself into losing weight? Do you promise yourself every time summer comes around that THIS time, you are going to stick to the diet plan and visit the gym religiously?
If you have tried all sorts of diets, but none of them seem to work, how about trying something different? An approach based on pleasure and kindness towards yourself instead of deprivation and restriction.
Here are six healthy ways to lose weight without dieting – they may not lead to rapid weight loss, but the weight loss tends to be more sustainable.
By Hiba Giacoletto, Healthwise
These cookies are a healthier Nutella in cookie form made using just three ingredients: Hazelnuts, cacao powder and maple syrup. It is a darker chocolate adult version that loses the milkiness but keeps the hazelnut/chocolate combination and adds some crunch from the roasted hazelnuts.
These cookies are very simple to make but you will need a good food processor and as there are so few ingredients, try to buy the best quality you can find.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups or 300g hazelnuts
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp cacao powder (full-fat and unsweetened)
- a pinch of salt
By Hiba Giacoletto, Healthwise
Here are some easy, healthy options which all have a good mix of healthy fats, protein and carbohydrates to fill you up and keep you satisfied until your next meal! Combining sugary carbohydrates like fruit with a source of fat and/or protein like nuts or seeds ensures more stable energy as blood sugar levels rise more slowly and consistently.
If you are wondering what the role of snacks should be in your diet, I wrote about how often to eat based on my own experience here http://www.healthwise.ch/how-often-should-you-eat-%E2%80%A8%E2%80%A8/
Savoury Snacks
- Hummus with raw vegetable sticks (carrot, celery, cucumber). You can make a big batch of hummus to keep in the fridge for several days. Recipe here: http://www.healthwise.ch/humus-no-bread/
- Cottage cheese - you can add chopped herbs like chives or chopped fruit like apple or pineapple or even berries for a little more taste.
- Chickpea croutons are a super easy snack to make when you want something crispy - and you can add any spices you want to them https://www.pinterest.com/pin/261490322090355039/
- Hard-boiled egg - you can actually make these in advance and keep them in the fridge to use over several days. Learn how to boil eggs perfectly here: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-boil-eggs-perfectly-every-time-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-202415 or here: http://mykingcook.com/how-to-make-hard-boiled-eggs/
- Plain, air-popped popcorn.
- Tinned tuna or salmon. You can place it in a wrap made from nori or a lettuce leaf.
- Piece of cheese, perhaps with a few grapes or slices of pears.
- Dried meat - the Swiss meat viande des Grisons is a good option.
- A few forkfuls of fermented vegetables like sauerkraut or kimchi. Fermented food is great for balancing the bacteria in our gut and it can even help curb sugar cravings. You can make you own or buy fermented sauerkraut at Migros (make sure it is raw + unpasteurized).
- Whole grain crackers (like brown rice) with avocado, cottage cheese, hummus or nut butter spread on top.
- Grilled Haloumi cheese.
- Leftover piece of chicken, meat or fish
