A HEALTHY vegan lifestyle- tips and tricks based on wholefoods

Tips and tricks towards a healthy and simple lifestyle! My personal experience and thoughts.

Hi dear friends on steemit! Today I would like to share some easy tips and tricks how to stay healthy based on a plantbased diet.

Vitamins

First of all: do you get enough greens, veggies and fruits every day?
Did you know that we need about 800-900 g vegetables and fruits every single day?

Try to find a way to get these vitamins you needs. Vegetables and fruits contains proteins, a lot of good nutrients, healthy natural sugars and will help you keep a high energy level during the day.

Healthy oils
Many people are afraid of oils and recommend to avoid oil in a healthy diet. And yes we should avoid refined oils and don't use oils for cooking. Because in the heating process oils develop toxins that can be very harmful for our bodies. But we need a small amount of oil every day. The best and easiest way to get them is through cooking with virgin coconut oil (you can heat coconut oil, coconut oil is the best oil to heat because it doesn't develo toxins.) and adding a little linseed or olive oil to our greens. Be sure to always buy raw and cold pressed oils.

Nuts and seeds
Add one handful raw organic nuts or seeds to your daily good plan. A good source for iron and protein is pumpkins seeds (unsalted), sesame, and sunflower seeds. Or some walnuts (brainfood) and almonds.

Omega 3
A great source for omega 3 is avocado, linseed (flaxseed), walnuts, greens, chia seeds and berries. Simply add some of these foods to your breakfast or snack. The easiest way to get these essential omega 3.

Iron
From nuts, legumes, greens and seeds. Focus on some of these sources for iron every day and your body will get what it needs.

Proteins
Proteins are in all foods. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds and nuts.
If you are trying to gain muscles you can get more proteins from nuts, qinoa, amaranth, pumpkin seeds, chia, buckwheat and legumes like chickpeas or beans.

What to avoid

1. These a the top 5 foods you want to avoid:
2. Refined sugars (like white sugar)
3. Soft drinks as cola, Pepsi, red bull and so on.
4. High processed food as pomes frites, burgers, white bread, refined oils. You get it.

Focus on wholefood
Eat the ingredients and not food with many ingredients. If you buy food try to find them with only one or not more than 3 ingredients. If you cook your own food you have the control over it.

And you will save money when you just buy what you REALLY need.

Tips:

• Buy dried legumes and soak them 12 hours before cooking them for about 1 hour until soft. Canned legumes tend to contain a few more ingredients than only the chickpeas or beans. And most of the time a lot of salt.
• reduce salt in your cooking. You can buy sea salt or Himalaya salt to get more nutrients from it. Normal salt contains fluoride and iodine.

• try to think about the 80% - 20% rule when you plan your food intake. 80% should be healthy and wholefoods based. 20% can be sweets, chips or what ever you like that is not very healthy. We all have certain cravings and don't be to harsh towards yourself. Allow your self to eat these things. A piece of cake made of raw ingredients or some chips on a movie night.
• Think more about what to add to your diet rather than what to avoid. That makes it so much easier and you will automatically live a healthier life.
• add natural sweetener to your baking or desserts. For example use coconut blossom sugar instead or white sugar. Maple syrup or agave syrup. Dates or bananas. Fruits and berries.
• drink a lot of water. 2-3 litres a day is recommended.

• Add garlic to your cooked food right before serving. Don't heat garlic. Than you lose the healthy benefits of it.
• Learn how to cook with herbs and spices.
• eat at least 50% raw foods every day.
• only eat when you are feeling hungry! Dont over-eat.

• My tip to stay healthy and away from illness during cold winter days: eat 1/2 - 1 raw onion with your cooked food EVERY day! This is so great! Just trust me.

• Add one piece of ginger to your tea, sauce, dip or eat it raw every single day. Your only immun system will thank you for it.
  

**HAPPY **

• Last but not least: live a life you love. A happy mind and happy thoughts will keep you healthy. When you wake up in the morning think about every thing you are thankful for. And do the same right before sleeping.

Depression means you don't like the life you are living. So change it when necessary. You have the power in your own hands to create the reality you desire.

With these end words, I wish you an exciting journey towards a simple and rich healthy lifestyle.

Questions or thoughts you want to share? Leave a comment below!😚

Love, Niina💖🙏