WHAT WE FOUND

Avocado is a SOOTHE favorite since this amazing fruit (YES - It's a fruit!) can be used in so many ways. We like to throw it in sallads as well as in deserts, smoothies - or on toast. The amazing health benefits are only a bonus to the creamy texture and mild taste. The unsaturated fats keeps our stomachs full, our hormones in check, our skin glowing and cravings at bay. I think you get it; we LOVE avocado. Keep scrolling for Alva's go-to avocado toast recipe RN and her thoughts on plant based butter alternatives. Green VS Vegan Butter (Alva's thoughts) Nowadays, there exists a plethora of plat based and vegan butter alternatives. These options can be great if you are looking for a taste similar to real butter, however there is no denying that the majority of these are heavily processed. I am agains food rules and try my best to live as I learn and not deem certain foods as "good" or "bad" (one can only do one's best and it is difficult not to be at all affected by societal beliefs). There is however one guideline I like to follow when grocery shopping - the shorter the ingredient list, the better. That is why I always opt for avocado (AKA the green butter) instead of vegan butter alternatives with food labels longer than the Bible. The Ultimate Avocado Toast Ingredients: Avocado (duh!) Sourdough Bread Walnuts Pinenuts Honey Grass Fed Goat Cheese Fresh Sage Cold Pressed Virgin Olive Oil Himalayan Salt Method: Start by frying one thick slice of sourdough bread (my fave is rye levain) on low heat in a pan with some olive oil. It is important not to heat it up too much since that can cause the oil to loose some of its antioxidants and vitamin E, which are sensitive to heat. You only want to make the bread warm and a bit toasty. Remove the bread slice from the pan and add in the pine nuts. Fry them for a quick minute until they have a flush of golden colour. Put aside. Slice or mash the avocado, crumble the goat cheese and roughly chop the walnuts. Get creative and build your avo toast, finish with a drizzle of honey (Manuka is a great option if you have it at home), some fresh sage and a pinch of pink salt. Smell it, eat it and ENJOY IT!

EMS training is a form of exercise that has grown in popularity in recent years, despite its debated pros and cons. The abbreviation stands for Electric Muscle Stimulation or Electrical Muscle Stimulation and involves, in short, stimulating muscles using electrical impulses while performing simple exercises with light weights. Alva, one of our SOOTHE contributors decided to commit to this form of exercise for a year. This article is a breakdown of what EMS is and what Alva has to say about the results. How does EMS Training Work? When we perform a movement, an impulse is sent from the brain instructing the muscle to contract, and it's these impulses that are intensified during EMS training with the help of special equipment. The electrical impulses, delivered through electrodes placed on the body, cause muscle contractions similar to those that occur when lifting heavy weights. The muscle can't distinguish whether the command comes from the brain or external stimuli, resulting in you having to struggle to perform the movement. Since the electrical impulses contribute to increased muscle engagement in every exercise, they theoretically help build more muscle in less time and with lighter weights than regular training. The result is an intense full-body workout with dynamic and static exercises without weights in just 20 minutes. Which Gyms Offer EMS Training? I trained at Bionic. The studio is located on Regeringsgatan in Stockholm, close to the Mood Gallerian and Hötorget subway. What Does it Cost? My primary criticism of EMS, and I apologize for the language, is that this form of training is HELLA EXPENSIVE. While a gym membership at places like SATS allows you to work out as much as you want for a few hundred SEK per month, EMS training costs 850 SEK - per session. Can it be Dangerous? No, generally not if performed correctly, under the right conditions, and with the appropriate prerequisites. Studies have confirmed that this training method is entirely safe, as the electrical impulses only activate skeletal muscles and voluntary, trainable muscles in the body. Other muscles, like the heart, and other organs are not affected. However, you should avoid EMS training in these cases: If you have problems with physical stress, consult a doctor before training. The same applies if you have a pacemaker, neurological disease, diabetes, heart or vascular disease, cancer, tumors, or tuberculosis. If you have a cold or bacterial infection, it's advisable to rest from training. If you're pregnant, you should wait a few weeks after childbirth before starting EMS training. Personal Results From One Year of EMS As someone with a lot of exercise experience and a routine of working out five to six days a week at the gym, I booked the EMS session with strong self-confidence, thinking it would be easy-peasy-lemon-sqeezy. However, had to eat my words because it was much more difficult than I expected, considering the session was only 20 minutes, and the heaviest weight I lifted was 2 kg. The day after, I experienced a Mordor-like muscle soreness, aching everywhere, including muscles I didn't even know existed, haha. However, that was the first and only time I experienced such severe muscle soreness from EMS training. The other sessions were followed at most by mild muscle soreness, and although I was surprised by the intensity of the sessions, it was nothing compared to my regular gym workouts. Below, I have chosen to compile a list of the advantages and disadvantages I experienced from doing EMS training for a year. Advantages (+) Efficient: I saved a lot of time by squeezing one to two hours of exercise into a 20-minute session. I felt and saw results in muscle growth. It was most apparent in muscle groups that I usually find hard to activate without isolation exercises, such as the hamstrings and triceps. These muscles I typically choose to isolate at the gym to maximize the load and activation. In EMS training, all the body's muscles contract in every exercise, which means my hamstrings were stimulated even when doing a Bicep curl. A personal trainer is necessary and included in the price. It's a personal trainer who guides the session and regulates the intensity of the electrical impulses. You train with a maximum of two people simultaneously, but sometimes you're alone during a session. This provides an opportunity to ask questions and receive individually tailored assistance from a personal trainer at each training session. Disadvantages (-) I became mentally weaker at the gym. The mental barrier of how heavy one can lift or how fast one can run always establishes itself before the physical limit of what is physically possible. When I train at the gym, my mind is challenged as much as my muscles. After a few EMS sessions, I experienced that my mental barrier at the gym set in faster than before because I had become accustomed to performing each exercise for only 20 seconds and being done with all the training in just 20 minutes. Temporary and not long-lasting results. However, I believe these results were outweighed by the fact that I was less inclined to push myself beyond my mental limit at the gym. The cost. You can achieve exercise results without spending a penny; all you need is your body. Running in nature, practicing yoga on the grass, or lifting logs in the forest is both free and equally effective. With this in mind, I find it absurd to pay just under 1000 SEK for 20 minutes of training. Main take-away In summary, EMS training, in my opinion, is an excellent entry point into exercise, as 20 minutes once or twice a week feels very manageable for those who struggle to find motivation and time in their daily lives to workout. It can also serve as a complement to other forms of training. However, I have the belief that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and this reasoning applies to EMS training as well. A significant part of training and muscle building involves progressively overloading the muscles, which requires the mental strength; to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. This was an ability I didn't feel was entertained during my time training with EMS. Therefore, it becomes mentally challenging to train in any other way than with the help of electrical muscle stimulation, and it becomes incredibly expensive in the long run. That's all for now. I found it fun to be a guinea pig for a year but would like to forget the enormous sum of money I spent on this little experiment, haha.

Need some inspiration of what to throw into your blender? The SOOTHE editors got you covered! Here's their favorite combinations right now; HANNAH : GUT HEALTH RESET A gut friendly smoothie to upgrade and support your wellbeing. 1-2 dl frozen mango 2-3 handfuls of Spinach 1 lemon 2-3 cm ginger 1/2 avocado 1-2 dl coconut water 1 spoon Pureness green powder 1 spoon Pureness collagen powder ALVA: STRAWBERRY & CREAM DREAM A healthier version of the classic strawberry milkshake. Perfect to soothe the craving for something sweet. 1/2 banana A cup of frozen cauliflower A cup of frozen strawberries 1/2 cup of vanilla whey protein powder A cup of unsweetened almond milk OPTIONAL: A pinch of ground vanilla ELIN: BLUEBERRY BOOST This one is a really yummy one, a thick, smooth blend that gives a lot of energy; 1 banana A cup of frozen mango A cup of frozen blueberries 1-2 fresh dates 1-2 spoons of peanut butter (add more if you're a PB addict like me) A cup of oat or almond milk Tiny amount of water, if needed. MIX, MIX, MIX - one minute more than your think, et voila!

BY HANNAH ANDERSSON These are the top two leggings worth the money. Trust me! I have lived in leggings for over a decade. My passion for fit and feel while being fashionable is beyond the ordinary. And I have tried pretty much everything on the market. If you want soft figure flattering leggings, well then these are the once you want to consider and invest in. They will become your athleisure staples. NIKE - ZENVY LULULEMON - ALIGN

BY HANNAH ANDERSSON A Dive Into The Beautiful Mind of the Multifaceted, Multidimensional Creative Awa Who are you in your mind? A kind, resilient, brave and loving soul, trying their best in this human experience! What’s your take on mental health? I think it’s something that’s so important, the brain is a part of the body and so crucial for our survival, I’m happy we are having more conversations about it so we can work on loosing stigma and help each other feel and get better, because we all deserve a peace of mind. What is being mindful for you? Taking my time with things, being present, allowing my mind, body and heart to connect before I make decisions. Giving myself space to make sure that my choices are aligning with my values and aligning with what I’m intending to create for myself! What does your mental health care look like? I love nature, water and hugging trees. Moving my body, dancing in the mirror, connecting with self. Journaling to get clear on what’s going on and transmute any noise! What is something you wish you new earlier regarding mental health? That it’s something we all struggle with, it’s normal, you are not alone and there is incredible help to get! What’s your current mantra? I’m capable of achieving great things and I deserve to live an awesome life! How do you set your mind for success? I commit to showing up for myself and allow myself rest when needed. Keeping my inner dialogue positive and encouraging as if I’m speaking to little Awa, and that’s on inner child healing! What is something you find mental? That therapy isn’t more accessible for everyone. That’s mental. Do you believe you got to lose your mind a little to truly follow your dreams? I believe you gotta lose limiting beliefs and doubts that hold you back from diving into the unknown… so definitely. What is your number one mental health practice? Breathwork and Meditation, to practice staying grounded in the present moment so I can allow whatever I’m feeling to be felt and continue to appreciate what is in the moment, rather than letting old stories run my narrative! How do you manage the voices in your mind? I try to detach and observe, not identify with them and almost calm them down by pivoting into loving conversations, trying to lead them back on track. Also just allow them to be, gives them less importance, they’re not an enemy, just an old story that is trying to keep us safe in some way, that might not be necessary or serve us anymore! What is a calm mind for you? A place that is kind, accepting, graceful and compassionate. CONNECT WITH AWA @thisisawa This is Awa

” The Most Important Question You Must Ask Is If The Universe Is A Friendly Place?” - Albert Einstein EVERYTHING IS ALWAYS WORKING OUT FOR ME is a mindset and mantra I live by. When my world feels upside down and it's hard to find faith and trust in life, I have found that I need to ground myself in some sort of chosen truth that works in my favor. No matter how dark, painful or confusing my circumstances might seem I find these spiritual concepts soothing. Life might feel and seem as if it's falling apart but I choose to see that chaos is my rebirth. Meaning that only when things fall apart can I build something new. I choose to believe that life is working for me and not agains me. I guess in a world that seem so dark I choose to see it through a lens of optimism and love, where anything is subject to change. For me to evolve and be a positive part of the human evolution I will have to go through trials and tribulations to evolve into the best being I can be. THE BUTTERFLY - Nature is the most amazing teacher and reference for life. In nature we see the natural process of evolution and growth. Metamorphosis! Yet when we are faced with life circumstances and conditions we question it without seeing the bigger picture of how things naturally works. Just as the caterpillar, transforms in the cocoon to a butterfly I see my own process of evolving and growing. For me to transform and change, my reality has to fundamentally change from what it was to what its suppose to become. In a human experience this process can be so painful and confusing as its hard to observe it from the outside as we are in the minds of this change and transformation. I guess my mindset is to trust the process and have faith that we too are a part of natures laws of adapting, changing, transforming and evolving to new levels of a beautiful living ever changing being. THE BOOMERANG - As Florence Scovel Shinn Expressed in the book ”The game of life and how to play it” I believe too that life is a set of boomerangs. What we send out must return to us. So what are you sending out and creating in this world? As self aware conscious beings we get to choose who we want to be. So do onto others as you would have them do onto you. It's not as easy as it sounds as we are emotional beings that reacts to our reality. But if we want to be more conscious creators of our reality it is my belief we need to focus more on our inner world and see how it is mirrored and reflected in our outer world. Send out what you wish to come back to you regardless of how people may be acting or reacting towards you. //Image Source : @wlofcubwolfcub // THE SLINGSHOT ”We don’t manifest what we want we manifest what we believe to be true” We get in life what we expect. So the important question is what do you expect in life? Are you entertaining worst case scenario or are you entertaining the possibility of best case scenario? Life is not fair and we will have to go through some hardships, trials and tribulations. Some more than others. What I have come to believe about life, is that when I have been pulled back as far as I can be pulled life seem to always reward me and shoot me high. I seem to be one of those humans that goes to the extremes of polarity. Therefor the mindset of a slingshot. If I’m being pulled far back and stretched I now expect that I will be shooting high and expand in my being. Its like I understand the polarities and contrast in life. As much as I can fall down I can rise high. So next time it feels like life is pulling you back start expecting that it just means that are you being prepared to shoot high and go so far. BY: HANNAH ANDERSSON

Do you ever feel like there are different voices in your mind arguing over what is right and what is wrong. Voices so overwhelming at times you don’t know what is right to think, feel or do? // Image Source : Pinterest // Learn from the mindset doctor Steve Peters how the mind works. How natural your feelings and thoughts might be, but maybe not so helpful in order for you to create the life you want for yourself. Watch the episode HERE Steve Peters book: A Path Through The Jungle By: Hannah Andersson

Want to tap into new levels of financial success and abundance? This is how to do it! // Image Source : Pinterest // 3 Key Steps To Change Your Life To Be More Awesome By Jen Sincero 1. Develop your mindset and pay attention to it if you want to live an awesome life. 2. Do the scary thing every day. Do things daily that is uncomfortable. 3. Have as much fun as you possible can. Watch the episode: HERE Read the Book: HERE The book that inspired Jens Money Mindset: The Science of Getting Rich

Imagine The Highest Version of Yourself And Show Up As Her. // Image : Pinterest// As a seeker to heal my lack of self love and feeling good enough I come in contact with various teachers that speak of the importance of healing and rewire our mind. After starting meditating I became painfully aware of how mean, negative and limiting my views and beliefs of myself were. I had never really understood the concept of self image and what a crucial part that played in how I perceived myself and how I was perceived by others until I came across mindset coach Kim Velez on youtube. Kim says ”We’re gonna take your self-concept, rip it apart, and build it back up into something unrecognizable—in the best way possible. Think: confident, magnetic Goddess. A woman who crushes it in her career by day and is a Queen in love by night.” I remember so vividly the first time I listened to one of Kim's guided meditations. The words she spoke about how I should be thinking, speaking and feel about myself felt so foreign. I struggled to take it in and to actually believe that this was the inner conversation I was suppose to have with myself. I remember even more vividly when I played this meditational at an event I was hosting for a group of girls. As we ended the meditation many of the girls were in tears grieving how difficult it was for them to embrace the words of affirmation as truth for themselves. ”If you’ve been lugging around your past like it’s a suitcase full of bricks, it’s time to drop that shit. We’re gonna rewrite your story, shake up your world, and unleash the confident, Goddess-level woman you were born to be. I’ve done it, and so can you.” Kim Velez I started to listen to THIS meditation daily. I used it as mantras to positively brain was myself. I would meditate to it, listen to it in the shower or as I was getting ready for my day. The more I listened I started to adopt these beliefs as my own, it became the primary inner dialog and story I entertained. Something that felt so foreign and unnatural was now natural and so familiar. Here to the crazy part. It was reflected in my reality. Without even mentioning the word Goddess I was getting comments and compliments wherever I went. People literally telling me I was a Goddess and saying words I was affirming to myself just mentally. Such a beautiful testament that true self belief, beauty and glow shines from within. The self concept of a goddess a long with dressing up, showing up as my highest self, having fun with my self image internally an externally manifested this incredible GODDESS era for me. I highly suggest you try it for yourself.

For many of us winter time means more time inside our homes. Set the cozy vibe with a scented candle or incense. Here's three SOOTHE recommendations, all from Scandi based brands; Harriet Allure Harriet Allure’s scented candles are the result of a shared journey of the two long-time friends, Freddy and Alex. The candles represent the light amid the darkness of life, the hope for a bright future, and the nostalgia of cherished people and special places. The organic shape is inspired by Mother Nature, and the candles comes in 4 scents. Check them out here. Massproductions x Eyes of My Mind Massproductions and Eyes of My Mind recently launched an incense stick holder. For me, an incense nerd, this one combines a nice, minimalistic design with a practiacal enlongated desing that leave no marks on the table/surface. A perfect gift, exclusivly sold at Nitty Gritty. Unifrom - Vinter Saga The latest scent from Unifrom comes not only as a perfume but as a beautiful candle. With notes of Frankincense, Japanese Cypress and Cedarwood Vinter Saga is a harmonious blend of spicy warmth and icy woods.