Angkor Wat! As long as I can remember I have always wanted to go there and explore “The Lost City” myself. Known from movies, documentary films and books this place is magnificent. I’m still blown away when I look at the pictures we took there and have to pinch myself. Cambodia was our second country which we explored during our Asia trip and I can say this without a doubt it was my favorite one. Our arrival was very well planned, we got our visa at the airport and our driver from the hotel was already outside waiting for us, the whole process went super smooth which I didn’t expect. After our arrival at the wonderful hotel Lotus Blanc, The Privilege Floor in Siem Reap, we decided to unpack a little bit for the first time during this trip because we stayed longer in Cambodia as originally planned. We spent a whole week there and canceled our original plan which included a trip to Thailand. At that time the situation was a bit uncertain and we decided it might be the best to skip Thailand for now. The hotel was super nice and we asked if it is possible to extend our stay and keep the same room as well. They seemed happy that we enjoyed ourselves and gave us the opportunity to stay longer, which was phenomenal. After almost 12 days running from city to city we took a break for the first couple of days and did nothing besides relaxing, eating and resting by the pool. Our hotel was super quiet and not crowded, especially not during the day since most of the tourists come to Siem Reap and explore the temples.

Supplements seem to be everywhere: In stores, on social media and several other online platforms. Do we really need them? Why do we take supplements? Since my FNS Exam is getting closer I decided to write a post about supplements, simply because so many people use them. Approximately one-third of American adults and almost 12% of children ages 4-17 used complementary health approaches in 2012. Almost 18 percent of American adults used a nonvitamin/nonmineral natural product in recent years; fish oil/omega-3s were the most commonly used natural product among adults.* Why do we think we need supplements? Do we really believe everything we see or read on social media nowadays? First of all I’m not saying that I’m against supplements. I take some myself too – but I choose wisely and spend time on reliable sources and scientific evidence rather than believing social media promoters or so called “fitness gurus”.

Hong Kong was one of my favorite stops during our Asia trip. It reminded me so much of New York city but with its own completely different flair: A huge modern, bustling city in which I felt very welcomed. Before we traveled to Asia I had no idea what to expect. Yes, to be honest I guess I had a lot of prejudices, like most humans do. After our trip I felt relieved – most of them where actually not true. I’m just grateful for all the amazing memories I made there. I learned so much about different cultures, backgrounds and history and I enjoyed every single second. Hong Kong was our last stop in China, yes I know Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and we didn’t need a visa for this city but I wanted to reflect on a couple of highlights first: I remember the warm, welcoming and open art which we experienced from the beginning of our journey in Beijing all the way to Hong Kong, the taste of real Asian cuisines, all of the different accents they speak, very clean and modern transportation systems and an incredible feeling to be a part of this foreign world. At least to be part of it for a few weeks.

Açaí or natur’s “purple gold” is another product I use on a regularly basis and always have the powdered version of the tropical fruit in my drawer. Haven’t heard of Açaí yet? Well, Açaí (pronounced ah-sigh-EE) berries are purple, grape-like berries that grow on the palm trees that thrive on forest edges, near rivers and streams in Brazil and Amazon Region. Because açaí berries can spoil within a day the easiest way to get them outside their origin country is in powdered form. I personally just love the additional flavor and add 1/2 a tablespoon of it into my berry smoothies.