MY EATING PHILOSOPHY
I've been thinking for a while now to write about my eating philosophy, and I am finally here. Most of you probably follow me on Instagram -If you don't, what are you waiting for?- and you have been asking yourself 'is she vegan? Sometimes she shares foods that aren't vegan'. To answer your questions, and because it is something that I want to share with you, I will explain all of this in a better and extended way.
I eat a primarily whole food plant-based diet. What is this? This is a diet, or a lifestyle, that emphasizes fresh, whole ingredients and minimize processed foods.
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A couple years ago I discovered-after suspecting this for a while- that I had some intolerances. I was feeling bloated, tired and my mind was foggy most of the time, and my physical condition was not the best.
After going to the doctor, He told me two things: You are healthy, but it looks like you need to do some changes in your life.
First of all, I had to stop eating lactose and gluten and some additional ingredients. Secondly, I had an autoimmune disease that was causing some problems, the main one hypothyroidism.
After I started taking a daily medication for my thyroid and stopped eating these 'forbidden' ingredients is when I started to feel better.
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After almost 2 years of learning and understanding more about food -you never stop learning though- this works for me. I overall feel better, I am even taking the minimum dose of thyroid medication.
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I eat what makes me feel good and that’s mostly whole foods prepared in simple and delicious ways. I try to keep my recipes as simple and minimal as I can.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENT BETWEEN VEGAN AND PLANT BASED?
A Vegan Diet completely eliminates animal-derived foods of all kinds, 100 percent of the time. Being a Vegan does not mean that you are eating healthy, that is a personal decision. As a vegan you can be eating all processed vegan food or you can be eating all clean, or a mix of both.
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The basic principles of a whole-foods, plant-based diet are:
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Emphasizes whole, minimally processed foods.
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Limits or avoids animal products
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Focuses on plants, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts, which should make up the majority of what you eat.
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Excludes refined foods, like added sugars, white flour and processed oils.
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Pays special attention to food quality
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IMPORTANT! This is the basics of the Plant Based lifestyle, but it isn't exclusive, which means that I sometimes eat processed foods, sugars and even animal products.
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WHY ARE MOST OF YOUR RECIPIES VEGAN THEN?
Well, normally I make vegan recipes using unprocessed products, as I said, within veganism there are many options, and vegan recipes made with unprocessed products coincide with the Plant Based philosophy. Other times I make vegan recipes that include a more processed part, such as desserts, since I can't eat lactose these fit my needs.
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So overall, day-to-day, I eat a Plant Based diet, using many vegan recipes.
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I hardly ever eat meat. I may eat some Jamon Serrano once or twice a year. I eat eggs sometimes, I eat honey ( most vegans do not approve) and at specific occasions I eat Turkey, seafood, etc.
Basically I might sometimes eat animal products, but I never choose to cook these things.
Most days my diet consists of legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds and whole grains.
LOVING WHAT I EAT
I think food is one of the best things in life and I certainly love eating, so I don’t worry too much about it. It’s pretty simple, I just eat whole, fresh, real food most of the time, but I treat myself too!
When it comes to social events, holidays, travelling, or simply days I want to, I don’t restrict my diet at all -I even sometimes take a lactose pill and have some cheese. I drink beer and wine, I have fries, chips and I absolutely love chocolate!
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As a summary I'd say follow the 80/20 rule. For enjoying a balance of food that’s good for the body and food that’s good for the soul.
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I am not an expert, nor a doctor, I am sharing here my personal experience and what works for me. I hope it can help you, but of course, eat what it is best for you and always consult your doctor when changing your diet/lifestyle.