ARGENTINA

This week's princess on the blog is Tiziana from ARGENTINA. Tizi and I met when we both were working for Webster University in St. Louis. She was a teaching assistant for the foreign language department and together with the other teaching assistants and their roommate, we spent many evenings together in their apartment. We celebrated all kinds of holidays together and shared plenty of great dishes. Had always so much fun just talking, talking, talking! 

3 healthy foods that you make sure you always have in your kitchen? Since my mom is a vegetarian and my dad a vegan, I learned a lot from their ways. I always have fresh fruits and vegetables, things I can eat raw. Seeds like chia, pumpkin, and sunflower among others are also a must. I use them for seasoning, avoiding consuming too much cheese for example. And...Soy sauce! I know, it's not THAT healthy, but I suffer from very low blood pressure and it's the healthiest way to give you a boost without consuming sugar or just plain salt. 

Healthy snacks you bring on trips or have in your bag on a regular basis? Mate, always and everywhere. It is healthy and tasty (at least for an Argentinean).

Any healthy food that is a staple in people’s diet in your home country? Here I have to go back to mate. Of course it depends on whether you consume it with sugar or not, or the quality of the herbs, but in general mate is the perfect drink to avoid consuming other more unhealthy options like coffee. It keeps you awake and improves your metabolism. You can have it cold or hot, it's just...Perfect! :)

If you are feeling down, what song would you listen to in order to get in a better mood? Black Dog from Led Zeppelin...Robert Plant's voice can always lift my spirits. 

What is the “weirdest” advice, health wise, you have heard from someone in your home country? Did it work? This is as weird as it can get. Here in Argentina, if you're suffering from headaches (due to stress, or spending too much time in the sun), your grandma would probably suggest the following: fill a glass with water, sit in the sun at midday, put a towel over your head and after that the inverted glass filled with water on top of it. If bubbles come out of it, it means it's working. Believe it or not, I've tried it and it works!

A famous quote from “Aung San Suu Kyi is:” If you are feeling helpless, help someone.” Do you have a suggestion on how to brighten up someone’s day? Cooking something nice for that person. I truly believe food can lighten the heaviest of burdens. Who wouldn't feel happier with a nice Lemon Pie?

Where would you go for a chilled vacation in your home country? The south. There's nothing like those transparent turquoise lakes reflecting the snow covered cliffs.

Any "ritual" you do every night to end the day on a good note, and if so what is it? I like to have some fresh air before going to sleep. If its not too cold, I just relax a little bit outside. I think it helps ease your mind and also considering I tend to be hot tempered, it makes the process of reflecting upon what happened a lot easier.

Thank you so much Tizi for being part of this journey! And speaking of journeys, I have Argentina on my radar for the near future! Your mate rocks and I would love to sit and chill with you and talk and laugh, just like old times, I have really missed that this last year!