Mari's Nutrition
This warm to the heart recipe, its so easy to make and just what the body needs on dark and cold nights. It is very versatile, the vegetables are quite easy to swap around, and add the ones you prefer or have available at home. Also you can change beans for chickpeas or lentils and would still be tasty.
Chilli is one of my husbands all time favourite, such an easy to go to recipe.
This really easy, on the go recipe is a must have. When batch cooking or needing a ready to eat breakfast.
Lets not forget easy super tasty and full of nutrients!
By Mari Ferrey, January 6, 2021
To understand were the concept of plant based diets start, we need to talk first about the Blue Zones in the world, where the world healthiest people live. There are 5 zones in the world:
In this areas people are not just leaving over 100 years of age, but also clusters of people who had grown old without health problems like heart disease, obesity, cancer, or diabetes. This has been attributed to their diet and lifestyle.
For instance, their diet is predominantly based on whole grains, fruits, seeds, legumes, nuts, vegetables and some areas might include a little dairy, meat or fish. This is were the WFPD comes from.
After many years of investigation and ground braking studies, we become aware of the many health benefits of eating a whole foods, and has been highly related to reversing and protecting of many chronic disease such as heart disease and Diabetes Type 2 (depending on each case).
As the name might suggest this is not a new “diet” trend, or something to practice as a short term result. This is more of a lifestyle, as is completely related to the blue zones dietary patterns.
This lifestyle is often used to describe a vegan diet that does not contain any heavily process food, so no refined sugar, added fats, or processed pre made “vegan meats” or meat substitutes. Just as a vegan diet, still doesn’t include, meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, or honey, for instance.
However, there are different degrees of process food, and a WFPD includes Tofu, whole grain flour, nut butter or tomato paste.
Based on the name:
Whole food: unrefined, unprocessed or whit minimal process food.
Plant-Based: food from unrefined plants, for the most parts, not containing any animal products.
Vegan: not containing any animal products, being vegan is more a political statement, is more than just what one chooses to eat but the ethics behind what you eat or purchase (vegans do not use, leather or silk) when it comes to animal welfare.
Why is it good for us this type of diet? Including into your diet whole grains, fruits and vegetables as well as nuts and sees, does not just give you health benefits, but many other benefits:
This is really very simple and with lots of variety. Many focus on what they can not eat rather in the whole variety of things that you can actually eat, such as all type of fruits, vegetables, root vegetables, legumes, beans, nuts and seeds.
Here a list of things you can eat:
Fruits: all types, fresh, frozen, dries (includes dates and raisins)
Vegetables: all types, including green leafy, cruciferous, carrots, potatoes, parsnips (fresh, frozen or pickled)
Whole grains: brown rice, millet, rolled oats, quinoa, whole grain bread and pasta.
Legumes: chickpeas, lentils, black beans, peas, tofu, edamame beans, tempeh (soya its great for you!)
Nuts and seeds: cashews, macadamia, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds/line seeds, chia seeds, tahini, and all nut butters.
Plant alternative to dairy: unsweetened soya milk (or any other none dairy milk), cashew cheese (homemade even better).
Condiments: all herb and spices, soy sauce, mustard, nutritional yeast, and vinegar
There are many who are plant based, but it does not have to be all or nothing, many are 60-80% plant based, and the whole food plant based no oil is just the best way to lose weight without even trying. You can have a plant based diet and have some animal products few times a week, or monthly, depends on your lifestyle. The more plant based our diet is, the more health benefits we get.
If you would like to look into this type of diet, the best way to start towards a more plant based diet is little by little as if you are not used to eating legumes or pulses on regular bases, you might feel bloated or heavy constantly.
Start only with breakfast for few weeks and increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, and then from there to lunch and dinner if you want to do it all the way. A gradual transition is the best.
Lets not forget as much as diet influence the health benefits of the blue zones, is also their physical activities, their sense of community and social interactions. The diet is only one aspect of how their overall health is much better than in the rest of the world.
If you are not sure about something and you need help with organizing your transition, or you are plant curios and would like to have a diet more inclusive of plant food, please do not hesitate to contact me.
By Mari Ferrey, January 6, 2021