This post is about presence in everyday life – about morning swimming before the pool has even opened, about soup that is allowed to take time, and about letting the body be part of what we do.
In a world that keeps speeding up, there is something deeply human in slowing down, sensing inward, and trusting what we already know.
Läs detta på Svenska ->Närvaro i vardagen – simning, soppa och tid
Presence in Everyday Life – Morning Swimming and the Body’s Response
Today I made it to the swimming pool early. I arrived before it even opened and had to sit and wait for a while in the entrance.
There were many people there to swim – and they were swimming fast.
That made me swim faster than I usually do.
Today I swam 1500 meters; I usually swim 1000.
My body feels a bit tired.
Or maybe not tired – strained is probably a better word.
And it still feels good.
There is something about letting the body respond, without pushing or holding back.
That, too, is presence in everyday life.
A Real Soup Day – à la Carina
Presence in Everyday Life in the Kitchen
Yesterday I made a real soup day – à la Carina.
Maybe not entirely what the family wished for, except for the eldest son.
The others simply had to accept it.
There was soup with crème fraîche seasoned with chili oil.
Freshly baked gluten-free bread sweetened with honey.
And for dessert: pear crumble with vanilla sauce.
It was a full day in the kitchen.
The body was present.
Flavors and aromas created a sense of home.
There was nothing quick here.
Nothing efficient.
Just presence in everyday life, in the hands and in time.
Tim Spector – Research That Confirms What Many Already Know
I have read quite a bit by Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology and one of the founders of the ZOE study, where he researches food, gut health, and wellbeing.
What appeals to me is that he does not talk about restrictions or quick fixes.
Instead, he emphasizes things like:
- variety in the diet
- real, minimally processed food
- fiber and vegetables that support gut health
- the fact that bodies work differently – there are no universal solutions
When I read his work, I am struck by how well it aligns with how I have always lived.
I almost always cook from scratch.
I nearly always include vegetables in and alongside my meals.
I avoid sugar more than necessary.
But sometimes – like on a soup day – dessert belongs.
Not out of habit.
But out of context.
👉 Read more about Tim Spector here:
https://tim-spector.co.uk
https://zoe.com
Presence in Everyday Life in the Kitchen
🥕 Root Vegetable Soup with Carrot, Parsnip, and Potato
Ingredients
- 4–5 carrots
- 1–2 parsnips
- 1 yellow onion
- 1–2 cloves of garlic
- 2–3 pre-cooked potatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil or margarine
- approx. 1 liter water
- vegetable stock (cube or paste)
- 1 bay leaf
Seasoning:
salt, black pepper, a little oregano, optional chili
Method
Peel and chop the carrots and parsnips. Finely chop the onion and garlic.
Heat the oil or margarine in a pot.
Sauté the onion and carrots until softened and fragrant.
Add garlic and parsnip, let them cook briefly. Season lightly.
Add water, stock, and the bay leaf.
Let simmer for 15–20 minutes until everything is soft.
Cut the cooked potatoes into pieces and add toward the end.
Remove the bay leaf and blend the soup until smooth. Adjust seasoning.
💡 Did you know …
… that I almost always let my soup simmer longer.
Not because it has to.
But because it can.
I remember a lecture at the Bohuslän Museum, where they talked about how food was cooked in the past – and how it was natural for soups to simmer for a long time. Not at high heat, but gently. Flavors were given time to find each other.
When soup simmers longer, several things happen:
- flavors soften and blend
- the natural sweetness of root vegetables emerges
- the broth becomes deeper and more cohesive
But there is another reason, too.
When the soup is quietly bubbling on the stove, I slow down.
I don’t leave the kitchen.
I listen, stir, and taste.
It is a way of staying present.
So yes – 15–30 minutes is enough.
But sometimes both the food, and the person cooking it, need more time.
And that, too, is presence in everyday life.
🌶️ Crème Fraîche Sauce with Roasted Chili
Ingredients
- 1–2 dl crème fraîche
- ½–1 tsp chili oil with roasted/burnt chili
- a pinch of salt
Method
Stir everything together and taste.
Let it rest for a few minutes so the flavors develop.
I like heat, so I used about 3–4 tbsp of chili oil.
A little lemon juice and a splash of yogurt also went in.
Serve as a dollop on the soup or on the side.
🍐 Pear Crumble with Oats & 🍶 Vanilla Sauce
Ingredients – Pear Crumble
- 3–4 pears
- 1–2 tbsp sugar
Crumble topping:
- 2 dl oats
- 1 dl wheat flour (or gluten-free flour)
- 1 dl sugar
- 100 g margarine or butter
- optional pinch of cinnamon
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F).
Slice the pears and place in a baking dish. Sprinkle with sugar.
Rub together the crumble topping.
Spread over the pears.
Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden.
🍶 Homemade Vanilla Sauce
Ingredients
- 5 dl milk
- 1 vanilla pod
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1½ tbsp cornstarch
- 1 egg
Method
Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds.
Bring the milk to a boil with seeds and pod. Remove from heat and discard pod.
Whisk together egg, sugar, and cornstarch.
Pour the hot milk over the mixture while whisking.
Return to the pot and heat gently until thickened (do not boil).
🍞 Gluten-Free Sheet-Pan Bread
Ingredients
- approx. 12 dl gluten-free flour (Lailas)
- 2 dl oats
- 50 g yeast
- 5 dl water
- 50 g butter
- salt
- 1 egg
- approx. 2 tbsp honey
- sesame seeds for topping
Method
Bring 2.5 dl of the water to a boil with 50 g butter and the oats.
Remove from heat and add the remaining water.
Let cool to about 37°C (98°F).
Crumble the yeast into a bowl and pour over the liquid, stirring to dissolve.
Add egg, honey, and salt.
Work in the flour to form a sticky dough.
Let rise for 30 minutes.
Spread onto a lined sheet pan and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Let rise another 30 minutes.
Bake at 250°C (480°F) for 10–15 minutes, until golden.
Presence in Everyday Life – Conversation, Body, and Daily Life
There is a red thread between the swimming and the soup.
Letting something take time.
Not rushing a result.
It is the same approach I carry into conversations.
Listening all the way through.
Staying present.
👉 Read more about conversation and presence here:
https://malix.se/samtal
Questions for You as a Reader
- Where in your life do you experience presence in everyday life right now?
- What are you already doing that is more sustainable than you think?
- When was the last time you did something slowly – with your whole body present?
💡 AHA – Between the Lines
This post is not about training.
And not about recipes.
It is about trust.
In the body.
In experience.
In the everyday things that carry us, if we allow them space.
Reflection
I don’t think we need more rules.
I think we need more moments where the body is allowed to be present.
Yesterday can rest in history.
Tomorrow waits further ahead.
But right now – this is where life happens.
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