Anna's Kitchen
Why what you eat is so important for your physical and mental health?
I strongly believe that to build your health and wellbeing from the within, you need to nourish your body and mind through a healthy diet.
Food is not only your fuel to carry your body and mind throughout the day, but also to get you through the stress, overwhelm and challenges life throws at you. The more nutritious foods you eat, the more energy you will have to enjoy your life.
For me food is medicine, and it should be used to heal your body and mind from illnesses. Sadly, many illnesses you battle today, are caused by the unhealthy foods you eat. But this can be easily changed by incorporating a balanced diet into your lifestyle.
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My rules for a healthy diet:
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o A healthy diet is a balanced diet, this means consuming all food groups: protein, fats, and carbohydrates in their natural forms.
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o Eat plenty of vegetables (this should be your main ‘ingredient’ in all your meals. Eat a variety of vegetables but use locally
produced whenever possible (or grow yourself), and always buy products which are in season.
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o Eat fruit in moderation. Fruit is a great source of vitamins and minerals, but most fruits are high in sugar, so go for the fruits which
are low in sugar such as berries or kiwis.
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o Add fresh herbs and spices, always.
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o Read labels. Use natural products and avoid highly processed products. If the list of ingredients is higher than 5, and you can’t
pronounce the ingredients, don’t eat it.
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o Cut out sugar from your diet. This also means any artificial sweeteners and any other sugars which are listed under various
names such as dextrose, maltose, molasses, sucrose, treacle, corn syrup, and so on (there are around 40+ different names
sugar can be listed under on food labels so always check). Sugar is in everything, so even if you don’t think it should be
added, most likely it was added.
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o Don’t eat junk food. This does not only mean fast food (burgers, fries, candy, sodas) but also any so-called ’healthy snacks’ ‘diet
drinks’, ‘low sugar, low fat’ which are often loaded in sugar, unhealthy fats, or processed flour.
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o You should be able to get all vitamins and minerals through your diet, if you have any deficit and were prescribed a
supplement, take it with caution. Check if it is naturally processed (if possible), use it to build up the level in your organism but
look for healthy, natural alternatives, so you don’t have to keep taking the supplement forever. Most of the diet supplements
are made of synthetic, artificial, and inactive ingredients. Popping a pill should not replace eating a carrot.
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o Reduce consuming wheat and wheat products. Go gluten free whenever possible and choose whole grains.
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o Drink plenty of water, not only when you’re thirsty, but especially before and after your meals.
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Let's get cooking!
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I love to experiment with recipes! As a vegan, I heavily rely on high quantities of nutritious vegetables, in all their colours, shapes, flavours, and textures!
I’m a free spirit when I cook, and I don’t like to be bound by measures unless it’s necessary for the end product to be eatable. That’s why you won’t find ‘the exact measures’ in my recipes. The amount of ingredients can be easily altered to fit your taste buds (e.g add more chili if you want a spicier meal). However, I always make sure to balance all the food groups, so you get the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals your body needs.
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