Hello, friends!

Simply5 has a question for you!

We made a list of 5 beautiful cities. But we have a problem. We can not decide which one to pick?!

So it's up to you my friends to pick the one city that you would like to visit. The city that will get the most votes will be presented in the next weeks edition of travel. We will make a research on which  5 top spots you and we must see ;)



Thank you for all your votes and have a lovely week :)


NOTE:

The voting time is over.
Thank you for all your votes again! :)
Be ready for the results at the end of the day. 

But if you like you can still write your choice in comments below :)

It is brain day at Simply5!


My thoughts, my beliefs, my feelings are all in my brain.
-Richard Dawkins



Take a look at short animation about brain facts:

Hello, dear readers!

This Friday it's brain day! So I have written down 5 foods wich will help us to boost our brain power and to keep it healthy.




1. Blueberries 
They are also known as brain berries. Blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effect of age-related conditions such as Alzheimers disease and dementia. You can eat blueberries in any form – fresh, frozen or freeze-dried.






2. Salmon 
This fish is rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids, wich is important for brain function. But it's not just salmon which has this ''power'' but you can also eat sardines and herring and it's recommended to eat this fishes at least 3 times a week.





3. Avocados 
So this one isn't used as much as it should have been. Because we think that it's ''fatty fruit'' we don't use it, but the fat it contains not only lowers blood pressure and healthy blood flow but can also increase brain health.










4. Broccoli
Who knew that by eating broccoli wich contains vitamin K you can improve your brainpower and that you can enhance cognitive function.







5. Blackcurrant 
So this one contains vitamin C and it's said that this vitamin has the power to increase mental agility.






This food can be found anywhere. You don't have to eat it raw or cooked, but you can make delicious recipes such as cream soup or sorbet. So no excuses ;)

Hello, dear readers!

Boosting our brainpower is very important. Because that way we will have a sharp mind prepared for anything. Besides, that boosting our brain power will perhaps reduce signs of getting older.




1. Do something new
By doing something new, we stimulate our brain. Just by trying/creating a new recipe or taking a new route to your work can increase your intelligence or even go to an art class :)


2. Read a book
By reading a book it actually helps you to improve your imagination. That way you force your brain to create a ''picture'' of what are you imagining. Not only that reading increases your imagination but also your brainpower.







3. Train your memory
When we were a little at one point we all played with memory cards, you spread them on the table mix them and then you have to find a pair of the same cards. I have to admit that I was pretty good at the game;) but now that were older we could train our memory by remembering friends phone numbers, passport numbers and others.





4. Be curious 
By being curious not only we learn new things but we force ourself and  our brain to question everything and that way we create new and better ideas. And who knows maybe you'll be the new Bill Gates ;)





5. Get enough sleep
Sleeping is very important for our brain because when we sleep our brain cells regenerates and removes all the things (toxin) that build during the day. The best hours to go to sleep are between 9 pm and 12 pm.





Here are some tips how to sleep better.

So this was my 5 ways of boosting our brain power. Just by doing one of these may increase your brainpower. And I will surely try to accomplish all of them.

Persimmon is one of my favorite fruits. Oh, I wish they would grow all the year. Today I'll show you 5 ideas how you can eat persimmon and below is a recipe for a smoothie rich in vitamin c. So let's start with how you can eat persimmons.


There are multiple ways to eat this delicious fruit:

- You can eat it raw
I usually eat it raw because it is so flavorful, firm and crisp. When it is ripe is almost red or dark orange, but I prefer the ones that are not ripe yet because the texture is better and they are not so greasy.

-You can make a smoothie
The ripe persimmons are great for smoothies and they go very well with banana and oatmeals.

- You can make jam
And you don't need that much sugar because this fruit is so sweet.

- You can make salad
In fruit or green salads, persimmon is a great choice to combine with other fruits and greens.

- You can make dessert
Mix ice-cream or yogurt with persimmon until you get smooth paste or you can make delicious brownies and pies.



Here is a recipe for a delicious and healthy smoothie.

Why the name vitamin bomb? Because of the high value of vitamins especially vitamin c. Persimmon, banana and grapefruit are rich in vitamins. And did you know that for 100g of persimmon equals to 110% of daily intake of vitamin c?



Ingredients:

- 1 banana
- 1 persimmon
- half of grapefruit
- 1 cup of water
- half cup of oatmeals
- honey (optional)

Serves: 3





1.
Make juice from half of grapefruit.


2.
Boil water and pour it over the oatmeals.


3.
Mix all ingredients in a blender.


4.
For extra sweetness, you can add honey but be careful because this smoothie will be sweet because of the persimmon and banana so one teaspoon will be more than enough.


5.
Tip: at the end you can add crushed almonds.
Viola! Now you can eat it :)

Hello, dear readers!

We all need a good night sleep, especially because of our busy everyday schedule. So to help us sleep better I will write down 5 things to improve our sleep. So that way we will feel better and we will have more energy.


1. Body's natural rhythm
So first things first. To sleep better, we must go to sleep every night at the same hour and wake up every morning at the same hour. Consistency is very important because that way we will wake up more refreshed and full of energy.



2. Exercise
Regular exercise will help us sleep better, just don't expect that on the first day of exercises we will sleep better. Also, we have to exercise in the morning or afternoon and not just before sleep. Our body has to ''calm'' down and if we do that before sleep we will not get a good night sleep.



3. Food and drinks
It's important what we eat and drink before our bedtime. If you drink a lot of coffee you should reduce and drink it only in the morning. Also we must avoid eating before bedtime because if we eat fatty food before going to sleep our stomach might digest for a while and we won't be able to sleep, but if you must have a snack you can eat a banana ;) and we mustn't drink too much liquid because then we will have to visit bathroom throughout the night.



4. Clear your head
Often we can't sleep because we worry about the things that we can't control. so to help us relax we can try deep breathing (slow and deep breathing) or we can visualize a peaceful and stress-free place. That way we will feel more relaxed and we will feel asleep easier.


5. Sleep environment

In order to sleep better, we must make some small changes in our bedroom. Such as if you're room is near the road or you hear neighbors dog barking that you should consider buying some ear plugs. By my experience the first time, it will be a little uncomfortable. The rooms temperature should be 18oC and not too hot or cold, I also like to open my windows at night in the summer but during the winter just in the afternoon for 10 minutes. And last make sure your bed is comfortable (waking up without back pain) and if not you should consider buying a new one.




These 5 little things will help us sleep better, but just remember it will not just happen overnight. Be a little patient and the goodnight rest will come. In the meantime, we can always count sheep ;)

Hello, dear readers!

Today I will present my choices when I visit Slovakia and it's city of Bratislava. But not all my tours are located in the center of Bratislava.

1. Devin Castle 
This castle stands on a higher ground and it's well-preserved ruin with much to see and experience. There are bike trails and you can even lend a canoe and enjoy your whole day exploring beautiful surroundings.




2. Old Town Hall
This town hall isn't just any town hall! It houses the oldest museum in Bratislava and inside we can find an exhibition of the city history and even torture devices.



3. Michael's Gate
You can either just walk under the gate or you can take a museum tour of medieval fortification. The choice is yours ;)




4. Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum
This art museum is 20 km south of Bratislava but it's still something I would love to see. This museum presents the modern art of international and Slovak artists.




5. Pub Tours
If you like to experience like me the nightlife of Bratislava we must take a tour such as Be Free Tours or Authentic Slovakia tour if you want to learn authentic drinks of Slovakia.







I hope you liked my choice on visiting Bratislava. These 5 things I would definitely want to see when I visit Bratislava. If you already visited Bratislava and you think that I should visit something I didn't mention it, comment below the article and I will surely consider it. :)

Lao Tzu or Laozi is one of greatest philosophers in ancient China. Have you ever heard of him?

For today's quotes, I picked 5 quotes from Lao Tzu. I'm very impressed by his philosophy and sayings. It was very hard to select only five because he has really good quotes.










Lao Tzu was also a writer and a poet. In his works, he encouraged people to go back to mother nature and cherish all that she has given them.

Here is his poem about the political circumstances in Zhou Dynasty.

Why are people starving?
Because the rulers eat up the money in taxes.
Therefore the people are starving.

Why are the people rebellious?
Because the rulers interfere too much.
Therefore they are rebellious.

Why do people think so little of death?
Because the rulers demand too much of life.
Therefore the people take life lightly.

Having to live on, one knows better than to value life too much.



Share your thoughts with me in comments below :)