How to build your Aquaponics System

Hello Guys, did you miss me??? Yes, I did miss you guys! I have been working so hard that I couldn't find any time to share my new idea and all my culinary adventures!!! I learned some great new recipes, and in the future I want to share here. But today I want to talk about something that it is really important for us and for the world, I want to talk about food. How it is so important to buy good vegetables and fruits, a how this is really good for your life. I believe in this, and as I already spoke in some posts before, I want to continue to share this idea with everybody.

Some years ago when I still used to live in Brazil, I started to grow my own food. The idea to have my own garden in my house, was unbelievable great! I started with some herbs, after gingers and tomatoes. The best day was, when I was walking around the Lagoon in Rio de Janeiro, I found in the middle of street an Avocado Tree. Imagine that, it was like a dream! Everybody knows that I love so much avocados, and find that Tree was a God gift! This is one of the best parts to live in a tropical country, live with full of Tree around you. Amazing!!!

Gavin picking the Avocados. Every week we could have some fresh avocados!!! Lucky

When I moved to Canada I couldn't forget this amazing experience and I wanted to continuing to have this culture in my life. Canada has a complete different weather than Brazil; COLDER, and dryer.  So I needed to start all over again, and study what kinds of plants, fruits and vegetables, it will be possible to grow in this environment! But it is possible, and because all of these aspects and issues Gavin (my partner in crime and my man) had the brilliant idea to build an AQUAPONICS SYSTEM!

Aquaponics System is in my opinion is one of the best idea of the millennium to save the world!!! Do you guys realize that this system we can save the world and still be healthy? Perfect combination, don't you think? Now you guys ask me: what it means save the world? Aquaponics System it is a combination of aquaculture and fish farms. We have at the same system plants and fish, and they feed themselves and also using the same water to pass the nutrients and the bacteria for each other. Speaking better, the fish poop feed the plants throw the water; and then the plants clean the water and giving back the perfect water (with right Ph) to the fish. It is a cycle.

Wikipedia:  "Aquaponics  refers to any system that combine conventional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as snails, fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in asymbiotic environment. In normal aquaculture, excretions from the animals being raised can accumulate in the water, increasing toxicity. In an aquaponic system, water from an aquaculture system is fed to a hydroponicsystem where the by-products are broken down by nitrification bacteria into nitrates and nitrites, which are utilized by the plants as nutrients, and the water is then recirculated back to the aquaculture system. As existing hydroponic and aquaculture farming techniques form the basis for all aquaponics systems, the size, complexity, and types of foods grown in an aquaponics system can vary as much as any system found in either distinct farming discipline"

My Aquaponics System

Tilapia Fish





                                                     The Pumps

Tomatoes, Cucumber, Rosemary, Basil and Cilantro

The other side we have: Spinach, Arugula, Beets, Lettece and more Cilantro

Can you see the Spinach growing???? The roots stay 
between the water and the clay.
















For me this is unbelievable. It is just the begin, the fish will grow and we will procreate them. In time we will able to see what it will be easy to grown, what it's hard, and maybe in the future we can be more sustainable and healthy.  I will keep posting and sharing the new, and tell you guys if the Tilapia is really more tasty. The only problem for me is: not have feelings for the fish, and I don't know if I will have courage to kill them... :l

Let's see, keep asking and I will let you know the news!!!!

Be Healthy in the Winter Time.

Finally winter arrived. This one of the warmest winter over 20 years in Toronto. Most of the time, the temperature was above zero, and unfortunately we didn’t have a lot of snow. Yes, we love snow! That’s the best part of the winter, see the snow flakes falling from the sky is amazing. And also fresh snow is the best snow to do ski and snowboard for who loves Outdoor sports!  Actually, Canadians are one of the best in winter sports, like: Hockey; Skating, Skis, Curling. It's a nice opportunity to be fit and healthy and still doing what you like.

  

  

I came here to alert who doesn’t like to do winter sports, and prefer stays home watching Tv. sitting on the sofa. I know this is so cozy be inside, beside the fire, under of a heavy blanket and drinking a delicious hot chocolate. Sounds like a dream, and it is. But not everyday, once in a blue moon, maybe in a romantic night with boyfriend or husband. Let’s celebrate life, enjoying the fresh air, being outside doing something productive (whatever makes you happy), but please don’t spend all your winter’s nights, inside and eating.  This will makes you sedentary, fat and depressed. Don’t think negative, that it is so hard be outside feeling cold. Think positive, I’ll stay outside feeling the fresh air, exercising, and burning calories. Winter is not the best time to gain weight, but it is to lose weight.  To warming up your body you can burn many calories. Using temperature to increase your caloric expenditure can be beneficial. If you are cold and shivering, you can take encouragement from the fact that you are burning extra calories while trying to stay warm. The more you shiver, the more you burn. Don’t think is it amazing?

  

Now let’s talk about we like more, food! Because you are burning calories all the time to warming up, you need to consume more calories. BUT this is not an excuse to eat just fatty food. You just need to do winter diet, and of course you can eat much more than in the summer!

Some Winter diet tips:

Soups

Not only does it warm the soul, but a steaming bowl of soup is also one nutritionist's secret to calorie-control. Most Sundays in the winter, I make a pot of a non-cream vegetable soup to keep in my refrigerator for the week. At work, I'll eat a small container of the soup right before having the rest of my lunch, and then when I walk in the door starving, I have a mug of warm soup before dinner. It's a therapeutic, low-cal way to curb my appetite -- and research has shown that eating soup before a meal can slash the overall number of calories you consume.

Shepherd’s Pie

It is a little bit heavy, but still a good choice to have for lunch. Nutrition ingredient; potatoes, extra lean beef and you can add some vegetables and cheese. Try to use more vegetables, and less cheese.

Oatmeal

Everybody know how Oats are really really healthy. I enjoy a lot to have some with bananas. Sometimes we need something that it will give us more sustainability throughout the day. So let’s make an Oatmeal with some nuts, very nutrition and you’ll keep you awake for all day.

I am so excited to enjoying my winter, even if this one was so short. Spring is coming and will be another beautiful season to make different things, and eat different food. One of  the best things in Canada for me, we are able to have the 4 seasons, that in Brazil is 

just the summer. Have fun!!!!

Kensington Market - The Hippest Place in Toronto

The first time that I went to the Kensington Market in Toronto, I thought a little bit confuse. First impression it was look like a big market, where you can buy cheap and no value thing (China’s “nothing things”). But when I started to walk toward the Augusta Ave I realized that Kensington Market is much better, much more culture, fun, cozy and healthy than I thought. You can see different types of people walking throw the market; Hipster, Grunges, Business and Style people everywhere. Also you can see some “cool homeless” talking with the local people. It seems that everybody belongs to the same tribe. Kensington Market is a richly multicultural downtown neighbourhood in Toronto, Canada. The development of the neighbourhood first began in the 1850's when the Denison family started to sell off parts of their property as building lots.  The first lots were offered at $350 a piece but didn't sell very well. Subsequently, each was divided into three smaller lots which were more affordable and, as is still seen in Kensington today, higher density.  As the lots were sold, more roads were built, often named after members of the Denison family or in reference to their home country of England. The majority of the homes in the area were built between 1870 and 1880. At that time the neighbourhood was composed of immigrants from Ireland, Scotland and England.

Anyways, for me the most special thing is: you can find fresh, healthy, vegan and gluten free food in many cute stores and restaurants.  Today this place is a reference for this kind of food or for who wants to belong to this world.

  

I started to buy my fruits and vegetables there, because the small stores have more variety, cheaper and remains me my open market in Brazil. I can’t wait for the summer arrive and I’ll start to buy fresh food from the local producers. Actually as I said before I always prefer to support either the local producers and these small stores.

  

Another store that had my attention was the Natural Food Market that I found there. Everything looks fresh, kindly and super super natural, everything inside the store is made by wood. All the time that I go there I want to buy something different, the Nuts are amazing, special cookies and dry fruits, and also I could find Acai. This Brazilian fruit so delicious, healthy and taste, made my day better.

                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                               

I could spend all my day writing and posting photos from Kensington Market, it has so much to see there. If you can go, have a  delicious brunch in one of the many cafes and restaurants there, after walk around and you'll be able to enjoy this hipper neighborhood!!!!