Here we share tips that suit most people who want to change their dietary habits to a healthier level. No diet suits everyone, that's something we've learned. But regardless of which diet you follow, there are certain things you can do that elevate you to a healthier level.
What should we be careful with?
Limit white sugar
Limit or completely eliminate white sugar. It's easy to understand that soda, candy, cookies, and pastries are not good for us and don't provide any nutrition at all. But even things that become unnecessary sugar in the body like white flour, white bread, pizza, white pasta, cooked white rice, corn, conventional juice, and conventional yogurt need to be limited. This causes blood sugar to ride a roller coaster, which is difficult for the body, regardless of age.
2. Avoid gluten
Gluten should be avoided for the most part. Sourdough bread made from rye, for example, is fine in moderate amounts. Organic grains such as quinoa, millet, brown rice, and buckwheat (an herb) are preferable. These grains are best soaked overnight before cooking, making them more digestible and much tastier.
3. Limit dairy products
Limit or remove certain dairy products from your daily diet. Choosing lactose-free options is not enough; it's better to remove milk products completely, as casein is not good for most people. If you want dairy products, goat and sheep products are usually easier for the body to handle. Cow products are harder to digest, and drinking milk is not recommended. When/if you choose dairy products, choose organic.
4. Minimize animal protein
Limit animal protein to wild fish, wild game meat, or white organic meat a maximum of a few times per week. Remember that this is not only good for you but also for animals and the environment. Preferably avoid red meat and cold cuts (processed meats) completely as they contain many additives that are not good for the body. If you want to eat eggs, it's up to you and depends on how you feel afterward. You can sense how you feel from what you eat approximately 2-4 hours after the meal. If you're vegan, make sure you get good protein from other sources such as legumes, nuts, and seeds, as well as plenty of vegetables.
What can we eat more of?
5. Vegetables – eat the rainbow
Let vegetables make up the largest part of your diet; fresh, raw, steamed, and oven-baked vegetables as well as sprouts, algae (sea vegetables), and herbs, both fresh and dried.
Eat all the colors of the rainbow every day on every plate. Vegetables work for everyone regardless of age or diet.
Also feel free to eat raw grated root vegetables or cooked root vegetables that have been allowed to cool, such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, rutabaga, beets, or carrots. If they cool first, they don't convert directly to sugar in the body. Beetroot juice is also good as it supports healthy blood pressure.
6. Fruit & berries
Try to eat two portions of fruit and/or berries daily, and if you find that it contributes positively to your health, eat more. But keep an eye on whether your blood sugar is negatively affected. Fruit and berries are very positive, full of vitamins and phytonutrients, but if you're sensitive to fructose, very sweet fruit can be difficult to handle. Berries work well for most people.
7. Legumes, grains, seeds & nuts
Eat fiber-rich legumes, seeds, and nuts such as sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, peas, beans, lentils, almonds, and other nuts like walnuts and pine nuts. If you follow Paleo, legumes are excluded, but the choice is yours. All seeds, nuts, and legumes (with the exception of some like lentils and cashew nuts) are best soaked overnight before being eaten or cooked, making them more digestible and much tastier. You should not eat nuts in large quantities as they can be difficult to digest, so moderation is best.
8. Clean water, herbal tea & green juices
Drink clean water, water with lemon or lime. Other ways to enhance your water can be with cucumber, vegetables, berries, goji berries, chia seeds, and citrus fruits. Drink herbal tea, green tea, white tea – choose organic. Green juices. Green juices provide that extra super nutrition. If you cannot make cold-pressed juice at home yourself or buy it nearby, choose a greens supplement instead. If you like coffee, drink in moderation and choose organic or unsprayed coffee, preferably from coffee vendors who roast the coffee themselves and know where it comes from. This is now available everywhere.
9. Fatty acids
Eat good, clean fatty acids. Algae oil for Omega 3 (EPA, DHA). Other good oils include olive oil which provides Omega 9, flaxseed oil & hemp oil which provide Omega 3, 6 & 9. There are also specialty oils such as black cumin oil and pomegranate oil that are beneficial for many purposes. Coconut oil is a good oil for frying and cooking.
10. Eat dietary supplements
We don't always get enough vitamins and minerals from our diet. In such cases, dietary supplements can be an excellent idea. As the name suggests, they are exactly what they're intended to be; an extra supplement alongside our diet, not a replacement. It's also a very good idea to take supplements when we use medications or birth control pills to replace the deficiencies they create in the body.
11. Mini-fasting
Try taking breaks from food, like a small fast 1 day a week or more. It's simple: no food after 6:00 PM and before 12:00 PM the next day. This gives your body a chance to recover. Note that if you have tired adrenal glands (burnout syndrome), this is not always beneficial; in that case, it might be better to eat small amounts frequently. You shouldn't feel shaky but rather feel that you're gaining energy.
Remember: of course we can all make exceptions now and then. Relaxing, feeling happiness and togetherness are just as important as eating healthily. So if you end up at a dinner where the food isn't what you would have chosen, you can handle that too!
It's what we do every day that affects us the most.
We're here if you have questions. Warm regards, Rahima
