About
Hi, welcome, I'm glad you are here! Are you interested in learning about why I created My Nutri Balcony blog and why I decided to take a nutritional counseling course? Here is my story how it all started...and how it continues :-)
My Story
I'm Pavlina and I would like to share recipes that are healthy and full of color, while also giving you useful information about the food. I take pleasure in eating great food, enjoying it with my family or friends and I would like YOU to have the same feeling. Because it wasn´t always like this for me...
I grew up with traditional Czech cuisine and I love goulash and pork with dumplings and cabbage. I have been involved in sports since I was a child, so I didn't have to limit myself in regards to weight. When I was at university, I ate pasta or fast food most of the time because there wasn't much time to cook. But the turning point came when I was 30 years old and gallstones developed, and I had digestive problems even after a light salad.
Over time, gallstones severely limited me in everyday life and threatened me with further complications, so I decided to get surgery to remove my gallbladder. When I asked the doctors what the cause was and what I should avoid, they told me it was probably genetic but I had nothing to worry about and could eat as before.
Since my husband and I were already living in Switzerland at the time, Fondue, Raclette cheese and chocolates were a real attraction for me. However, when they brought me in hospital a croissant with a nutella the next day after the operation, that was probably a real turning point. I knew that I need to change my eating habits.
Even though I'd been studying pharmacy for five years, they taught us little about proper nutrition and prevention. So I started searching the internet, and I was overwhelmed by all the information. I didn't know what to really believe. Is it right to eat eggs or not? Is it good to have a smoothie for breakfast or not? How often should I eat? Should I become a vegetarian?
That's why I decided to spent one year studying nutritional counseling and it changed my life. We had a great professor who guided us through the chemical composition of food, the best way of cooking food to keep their nutrition, but also psychology and consulting with the client.
From the course, I went home full of energy and enthusiasm and gradually began to apply the information I learned not only to our kitchen but also to our lives. My husband and I also became more interested in what we eat and the origin of our food. We started shopping at small local farmers markets, and we also got more into the issue of Zero Waste.
The sign that I was heading in the right direction in my life came symbolically the morning of the last day of the course. At that time, we had been trying for a baby for several months, and that morning I found out that I was pregnant. At that moment, the next chapter of our lives began.
I created My Nutri Balcony blog in March 2020. At that time I had already a two month old boy and the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic had begun. Like the rest of the world, we found ourselves at home away from friends and family. As a lover of good cuisine and restaurants, I created a small garden for us on the balcony, and I started to share photos and recipes with my friends.
However, this pandemic was the reason why, over time, I decided that I would like to share the information so that it could be useful and inspiring for more people around me. My Nutri Balcony blog was also an escape from everyday reality in the pharmacy at the emergency clinic, where I saw various states of COVID infection and their consequences every day.
Therefore, I had a far more urgent need to help patients and pass on the information I learned so far. This situation has shown us all that prevention and good health are the basis for overcoming any difficulty, both physical and mental.
In June 2022 I decided to create my own website, Nutrition by Pavlina, where I would creat a space for more complex information.
You can find here the recipes section, my blog with information not only about food but also about lifestyle inspiration.
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If my story resonates with you, come with me to take an interest in the needs of your body, the food we eat, all in an easy and colorful way.
Pavlina
