How to eat healthy and have no waste in your belly? People often ask me, if I break my “diets” sometimes. It is funny, that people think that I eat this way because I must. They think, that it is a diet from a magazine. The one which you try to follow for a few days . believing that you’ll lose a few kilos. But then you come back to your old eating habits.
I have chosen my eating habits not because I wanted to look better wearing my swimsuit in the summer. It is a lifestyle to have a happy belly, energy and to prevent illnesses.
HOW TO EAT HEALTHY? WHAT DID I EXCLUDE FROM MY MENU?
SWEET SNACKS
What I don’t eat are sweets. Furthermore, I reduced sugar. I still love sweets, of course. But I eat healthy versions. I quit eating typical cakes, biscuits, chocolate, candies, puddings, etc. Instead, I enjoy fruit, dark chocolate (with at least 70 % of cocoa), home-baked cakes made from flours like buckwheat, almond, teff, coconut.
In case I have a cake in a cafe or a market, I always try to choose a healthy version with no chemicals and sweeteners. I fell in love with a strategy of sharing. Especially in winter. Because I like to enjoy weekends in a cosy cafe with a cake and coffee. Espresso with no milk or sugar. Cake sharing with my partner. Win-win situation. We both can enjoy a cake but don’t eat so much sugar. Sharing is caring, huh? To sum up, it is a good way to eat
SALTY SNACKS
Sugar and salt. Undoubtedly, there were times when I was able to eat a whole package of chips at once and I wanted more. After a long relationship, we broke up. Yep, sometimes I am not strong enough and buy one, but it is maybe once per six months. Except for all these unhealthy salty snacks I like to have raw nuts, olives, or just veggie. Moreover I also try to use less salt when cooking. Do you know that we need just 5 grams of salt per day? (= 1 teaspoon)
What helps is to not have any of these unhealthy temptations on hand. I’ve always had some, you know, for an unexpected visitors. Ha! Guess, who finishes it alone? Me. What more? Why should you serve others what you think is not healthy?
FAST FOOD
Further, I said goodbye to pizza and burgers. Not definitely. Who doesn’t love pizza? We made a deal to meet once a month. One month pizza, another one burger. Not both in a one month 😀
No pizza and burgers, as well as no more fried stuff! Honestly, I don’t miss it so much. Time to time I eat bacon, but it is very occasionally.
I EAT MEAT
I am not vegetarian, nor vegan. Despite all my health challenges, I need to eat animal products too. However, because of my environmental awareness, I’ve reduced eating meat markedly.
BYE BYE, PROCESSED FOOD!
The most important thing about all this is that I put a radical STOP to processed foods, artificial ingredients, flavourings, sodium glutamate, glucose-fructose syrup, etc. I buy and cook from fresh, single-species foods. I read the ingredients on everything. Not just because of my intolerances, but to know what I’m buying. However, it is often difficult to choose. And there are times when I leave a supermarket with an empty shopping cart. Sometimes with an empty belly. But with the peace of mind.
ALCOHOL
I reduced alcohol
WATER
I replaced lemonades, sweet mineral waters, juices, etc. by fresh tap water and herbal teas with no sugar, neither sweeteners.
OMG, IT TASTES SO GOOD!
Meanwhile, I’ve read somewhere that if you reduce sugar, salt and artificial strong taste meals, you will suddenly realise that an ordinary apple is so sweet. So I waited and waited for it to happen to me. It took a while, so I forgot about it. Until I got a bite of milk chocolate. And I didn’t like it! It was too sweet! Nowadays, I enjoy the taste of an ordinary cucumber. I recommend you to try, and you will not want to go back 😉
WHAT DID I INCLUDE ON MY DAILY MENU?
VEGETABLES AND FRUIT
What I can eat all day is fruit. Vegetables were my stumbling block. Especially the fact that to get the necessary vitamins and nutrients, you need to consume about three pieces of fruit, but up to half a pound of vegetables per day. So I eat less fruit and much more veggies now.
MILK PRODUCTS
Although many condemn the fact that we are the only mammals that consume milk even in adulthood, some dairy products contain beneficial bacterias for our digestive system. And thus white plain yoghurts, sours and acidophilic milk.
Lactose intolerance limits my options here. However, I can consume goat and sheep products and long-ripened cheeses (parmesan, pecorino, gouda) sporadically. I don’t consume lactose-free products. What I use for cooking is almond and coconut milk
PULSES
I remember very well how I hated pulses when I was a child. I could sit at the table for an hour while I was fighting with a bean soup. Nowadays I eat legumes a few times per week and surprisingly enjoy them.
BREAD
Since I have been living in Australia, I haven’t found a gluten-free bread I like. What is more, most of them contain at least one ingredient I should not eat. So I started baking sourdough by myself.
I COOK
I cook as often as possible. Preparing meals at home is time-consuming, I admit. And lazy days visit me more often than I would like. But it gets better. For example, I started to make kombucha at home and sauerkraut in winter. I also grow herbs.
GOLD RULE
Let me sum up how to eat healthy in three words. Variety. Local. Seasonality. Try to buy food from local ethical growers and breeders.
Outside the diet, I introduced movement and time for myself into my lifestyle – specifically, yoga, walking, cycling and meditation. I was pleasantly surprised that even 15 minutes of yoga a day could improve my mood and return colour to my cheeks.
If you went through my previous articles, you have already noticed that waste-free life, minimalism, permaculture and everything around it create one harmonious whole not only on the outside but also inside, in our tummy.
Here I feel like to write my grandmother’s favourite sentence: “A bit of everything, but sparingly.”
If you would like to know more about healthy eating and overall nutritional well-being, I recommend Canada’s food guide.
What are your eating habits? Do you eat groceries from supermarkets, or would you prefer a crunchy apple from the farmers market? Did you include something on your menu to be more healthy? I look forward to your comments!
PS: For more tips or inspiration, follow me on FACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM.
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This is probably the biggest one. And one that you’ll probably start thinking about now because just from reading this you’ll be more aware of how much there is in the world. A big part of going zero waste is trying to cut down on the number of items that you buy that can’t either be composted, reused, or recycled. By being more aware of packaging and how to dispose of it, like knowing styrofoam goes in the trash, you are not only helping the planet but you are also escaping some packaging types that are worst for your health (again styrofoam!).
Start by evaluating the trash that you re producing. Unless you have a place to start, it s kind of like diving into a pool without knowing how to swim. When I was in the beginning stages of going zero-waste, I saw that I was throwing out a lot of food, and so I learned how to compost. I also think a really easy step is making your own beauty products. I have replaced what I was using before with four really simple products. One is a zero-waste toothpaste it s just baking soda, coconut oil and essential oils, and it s all organic. Then I have a body moisturizer made with coconut butter, shea butter, coconut oil and almond oil. And I make my own deodorant, which is just baking soda, arrowroot powder, shea butter and coconut oil, and I make a bar soap that I use for my face, my body and my hair.