#25 - Importance of Diet

Three of the most important pillars of good health are:

• Regenerative Sleep (which I hope you took care of).

• Nutritious Balanced Diet.

• Everyday Physical Exercises.

Take care of those three and your well-being will skyrocket!

There are many different types of diets. We are not going to cover all of them in this article. There is not any 'one best' fit for all. But there are some similarities, some important points to make the diet worth considering. In my opinion, the diet should be balanced, low in added sugar, and nutritious. Use common sense, as it's not good to base diet on trash fast food.

We need to work on body consciousness to strengthen the connection.

You should choose, or find a diet which will work for you. The best way is to eat something and observe how your body reacts after consumption. If something causes discomfort or you feel that it's taking a long time to digest, then it's good to consider eating less of this.

How often do you check the list of ingredients on the back of a package? How often do you consider if the food you are going to consume will provide the best fuel for your body? How often do you think about the consequences of long exposure to chemicals in food?

We start our journey of conscious food consumption by building awareness of what ingredients are packed into everyday food.

Usually, a long list of ingredients means danger! Many people are concerned about the long-term effects of consuming E-numbers, especially the effect they could have on children. With the exception of when the ingredients are natural. Completely natural and organic food is even better. Take a cucumber: it only contains one ingredient: a cucumber, the good one from a farm.

Simple. That’s one of the reasons why we should try to eat simple whole food. But as soon as you look at foods in packets, sachets, containers, and bottles, it tells a different story. Plus, often the letters are small purposely so you need a magnifying glass to read them. Many E substances occur under different names. Not mentioning all those chemicals which are used for growing groups!

Help your local farmer and get the proper food - eat clean!

Check your food supplies and go through their ingredient lists. Very often we buy similar things each time. On the back, there always must be a list of ingredients.

In Europe the list of contains are in descending order, basically, the first products are in largest percentage, then respectively those in lesser amounts. What would be actually the easiest way to check what is it made of, the food that you consume?

Go for some mobile apps, there are pretty good ones available. With time you will learn to recognize which substances to avoid.

I will highlight those that I try to avoid. I encourage you to do your own deeper research about it. Especially, by looking for differences between natural and artificially made. Sometimes instead of using an "E" type of name, they put these very complicated names. Also try to read about names that are more frequent, like artificial sugars, food colorants, preservatives, and so on. There are plenty of materials available online.

Start checking products you buy on an everyday basis. It will take you some time, but you will also learn a few by heart.

Different E-numbers.

The list of E-numbers is endless. There are several groups, but not all of them are bad. Here are some of the main groups:

• E100–E199 (colors). As the name states, it is to give the food some color that is mainly done for sales purposes, to make it look good and fresh.

• E200–E299 (preservatives). It is a list of chemicals in food to prevent it from spoiling right after packaging to make the food long-lasting.

• E300–E399 (antioxidants, acidity regulators). These are to change or keep the acidity (pH) of food in balance as it supposed to be.

• E400–E499 (thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers). Helps blend together two or more different liquids, liquid mixes.

• E500–E599 (acidity regulators, anti-caking agents). It's an additive to prevent caking (formation of lumps) in food.

• E600–E699 (flavour enhancer). Additive to enhance the flavor of the food, so the natural taste is not authentic but "artificially enhanced".

• E700–E799 (antibiotics). Some antibiotics can be used in food and beverages, mostly against bacteria.

• E900–E999 (glazing agents, gases, and sweeteners). Synthetically produced additives.

• E1000–E1599 (additional additives). This additive might be various acids and stronger chemicals.

Can you imagine that some of those magical ingredients are banned in some countries, wherein others are still available? Crazy! The list is very long, but I didn't put all of them, as you will not learn all of them by heart anyway. My aim is to build your awareness of what you consume and what your body will use to build new cells. Check your food supplies very thoroughly, as well as the new food you are going to buy. You can also search for the phrase: banned e-numbers - it's actually pretty terrifying, there are dozens to avoid! To be honest this list is just a small piece of the full list on a few pages.

The list of top 10 E- numbers to avoid:

• E621 - monosodium glutamine, MSG - flavor enhancer commonly used to make food taste better. Amongst the known side effects can cause symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, muscle pain, palpitations, and even pain. It can also make you overeat, which can cause many health concerns.

• E951 - aspartame - artificial sweetener, often found in products aimed at dieters or diabetics, such as desserts, low-fat foods, low sugar drinks, snacks, and sweets. Aspartame has become a concern and has side effects such as headaches.

• E151 – black PN / brilliant black BN - a form of black synthetic dye, it has been linked to allergic reactions in some people.

• E102 - tartrazine - food coloring that was linked to hyperactivity in children, commonly found in products such as mustard, marmalade, jelly, marzipan, ice lollies, fizzy drinks, squash, custard powder, and soups.

• E104 - quinoline - synthetic yellow coloring used in smoked haddock, linked to hyperactive problems in children.

• E211 - sodium benzoate - preservative found in margarine, salad dressing, soy sauce, sweets, and soft drinks. Causes hyperactivity and allergic reactions.

• E122 – azorubine (carmoisine) is a synthetic red dye used as a coloring in many foods. Already banned in several countries, found in products such as sweets, yogurts, packet soup, jelly, and jam. Hyperactivity, allergic reactions in adults as well as children.

• E129 – Allura red is a red or orange-like synthetic dye used as a food coloring in drinks and sweets. As well as being linked to hyperactive behavior in children, it may also cause allergic skin reactions in adults, especially anyone sensitive to aspirin. It’s worth noting that E129 has already been banned in many countries.

• E133 – Brilliant Blue FCF is another synthetic coloring dye, which adds blue color to products. Some people have been found to experience allergic reactions after consuming products containing this.

• E213 – calcium benzoate is a form of preservative used to lengthen the shelf life of foods and drinks. It’s often found in low sugar products, but it has been linked to side effects in people who have allergic conditions.

This list of food that a diet should not be based on. If you decide to reach for this food, make sure it's less than 3-5% of your daily diet.

• Maggi (popular in Poland spice in fluid) - contain E621, ribonucleic disodium E635 - use lovage instead.

• Instant noodles - highly processed, might contain harmful preservatives, made of white flour, loaded with bad fats, high in sodium, might as well contain E621.

• Ready-made stock cube/broth - usually high in sodium, check ingredients. It might contain E621, palm oil, where the main ingredient is salt, there are some good bio brands, or you can always make up your own recipe.

• Energy drinks - very bad for the body, especially kidneys, and highly addictive.

• Farm-raised fish/seafood - often feed with antibiotics, PCBs, polluted living conditions, artificial coloring (lax or other fish).

• Table salt - it might contain fluoride, E621, bleaching compound, go for Himalayan salt instead.

• Wheat flour - gluten, instead, go for coconut, almonds, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame flours that you can purchase in your town.

• Hydrolyzed oils - might increase bad cholesterol and decrease good cholesterol. The sunflower, rapeseed, palm, soybean, cotton, rice, margarine.

• Alcohol - we all know, that is heavy for the liver. However, a good homemade vine or good local beer in a reasonable amount won't harm as much as irresponsible consumption.

• Corn - a highly genetically modified crop, it is high in cellulose, which is an insoluble fiber that the body cannot digest, however, the body can digest other elements from corn.

• Chewing gum - some brands contain some amounts of controversial ingredients.

• White bread - contains gluten. Should not be consumed by people with gluten intolerance, so I recommend reading more about it.

• Fruit juices - even 100% are not healthy, because of rich in sugar and calories, low in fiber, beneficial in reasonable amounts as they contain vitamins and minerals.

• Sweetened breakfast cereals (including the granola) - loaded with sugar and refined carbs, sadly, marketed for children.

• Coffee - it's addictive, it might wash out some minerals if used in excess. Yerba Mate is a healthier replacement, check also bulletproof coffee as the better alternative for a regular one.

• Coffee upgraders - syrup, nondairy creamers, refined sugar, and others. People really know how to make things even more unhealthy just for this extra dopamine injection. If you drink coffee, it's good to at least eliminate the additional chemical-packed sweeteners.

• Potatoes - high glycemic index, they are healthy in a balanced diet.

• French fries - especially those from restaurants, which often use the same oil over and over again, deep-fried food - not healthy at all.

• Gluten-free bread - this one is here just to be more aware and read ingredients, I noticed that often they fill the bread with some sugars.

• Low-fat milk, UHT, low-fat yogurts - it scavenges extra health and nutritional benefits, go for country products instead (from farms nearby which promote good treatment for both cows and quality of hay fed).

• Processed meat - bread ham, jerky, canned, salami, etc. As they are linked to diseases like cancer and heart disease, high blood pressure.

• Fast food - full of unhealthy fat, sodium. Highly unhealthy food is one of the factors causing obesity in society (especially in children and young adults).

• Deep-fried food - typically high in trans fats, search for the list of deep-fried food, you will be surprised by an extremely long list.

• Ready to bake pastries (usually delivered frozen to retailers) - contain preservatives to keep them fresh for a long time, it's easy to make good ones at home.

• Ready-made sauces - often full of preservatives, added salt, and sugars, it's actually very easy to make the homemade healthy sauce.

• Margarine - often highly processed, may be high in trans fats, choose country butter instead.

• Milk from the grocery store - instead of milk, I buy 250 ml of coconut cream, then I mix with 1 liter of water. Or cow milk from the local farm.

• Snacks like chips, nachos - high in empty calories, there are also healthier alternatives like lentils, dried vegetables, bean chips, and more.

• Ice cream - usually full of sugars, there are some healthier alternatives, for example, vegan ones which are without added sugars.

• Donuts - hard to digest, low in nutrients while simultaneously high in calories.

• Bottled water - hurts the environment, waste of money, some brands sell tap water, so it's better to invest in a home filter.

• Soda water, sports drinks - either it is sugar-free, no calories, whatever it is, still chemically processed water, it has so much sugar, that without special E you will naturally puke after drinking.

• Glucose syrup - glucose syrup regularly might increase the risk of obesity, high blood sugar, poor dental health, and heart disease.

• Cakes, sweets, candies - especially those from chain bakeries, but there is a variety of healthy alternatives.

• Pizzas, Burgers (including frozen) - high in sodium, there are obviously healthier versions of each for example burgers with veggie paddies and etc.

• Canned soup - BPA, might contain added sugar, salt, preservatives. You might be surprised how easy is to make soup at home and have it for a couple of days.

In many traditions it is believed that if you eat some animal brain you will become smarter, it goes the same for other parts of the body.

When the family sits together, everybody will get different parts of animal meat according to what values this person might need.

In other cultures, people believe that drinking the blood of the bear or a wolf before battle gave them the ferocity of that animal. There is a lot of wisdom in those old traditions, the same goes for old sayings. There are many different examples showing that you embody what you eat. These beliefs start to diminish, but it's very obvious, that your body will work on transforming food into new body cells.

Interpretation is very simple if you eat good food - you will feel and look healthy. What you eat determines the composition of your cell membranes. Everybody loses around 300 billion cells to old age every single day. How are they replaced? Literally by what you eat.

When we eat healthy food, our bodies have an easier job to manufacture strong healthy cells. So we are learning to find balance in what we eat, make smarter choices, and find the difference between healthy and unhealthy food. As well as balancing the amount that we consume by drinking more plain water.

The brain uses the vagus nerve to connect and communicate with many parts of the body. Including the vocal cord, heart, lungs, and digestive tract. It uses this tract also to convey fight of flight messages to the body, which explains why you might experience cracking voices, racing heart, shortness of breath, a feeling in the stomach when you are stressed or nervous. Scientists have noted that 80-90% of the nerve fibers and the enteric nervous system are actually going from the gut to the brain.

The gut is your second brain and controls you more than you can imagine.

The microbiome in your gut is responsible for actually over 50% of dopamine found in your body, and 90% of serotonin. It's influenced by what you eat, by your genes, age, stress levels, and even by your habitat/location. These microbes can manipulate your craving and eating behavior for their own survival. They affect your decisions via the vagus nerve to eat food they love.

Gut controls your behavior.

It's recommended to eat probiotic yogurt which might balance the number of sugar crave bacterias in your gut, as a result, decrease the chance for anxiety and depression. Research shows that you can even have fewer stress-related hormones, perform better on learning and memorizing. Healthy gut bacterias can lead to higher resilience of negative emotions from others.

I was wondering why in some places people tend to live longer? One of the important factors was a source of good healthy food, growing naturally without chemicals.

There is nothing better tasting than food straight from the brunches! It actually smells and tastes like heaven, no need for aromatizers! Mostly in villages or open-air markets fresh products are sold. Also in cities, there are some local markets, where you can get locally grown food.

If you don't want to pay a little extra now, you will pay later for medications, even though in the majority of cities I've visited, the prices were similar to those in supermarkets. It's important to find a trusted supplier, so we actually know what farming method they use.

There are plenty of reasons why buy locally:

• The short distance between the farm and your table, so producers don't have to use any chemical compounds to prolong the lifespan of food.

• Support local families, build community - no need for the middle man. Often they keep reasonable prices, as well as it can create a place where many families could experience a natural way of life, so kids grow healthier and immune.

• Local farmers aren't anonymous, so mostly they care about food safety and try to provide quality food.

• Local food benefits the environment and wildlife. When well managed: conserve fertile soil, protect water sources, and sequester carbon from the atmosphere. The farm environment is a patchwork of fields, meadows, woods, ponds, and buildings that provide habitat for wildlife.

• It can help to keep taxes lower.

There are dozens of more reasons, besides that our cells grow strong and we will live longer and happier.

Moreover, it's not only about veggies and fruits - cheese, milk, and eggs taste a hundred times better than those processed ones.

Awkward silence at a family dinner or during the first date will not exist anymore if you will understand the benefits of eating in silence!

Lack of conversation and outside noises can change the way your body reacts to food.

You will eat a lot less without distractions. We are able to feel our body responses when we eat in silence, we will eat more self-consciously, so we will not have a problem with overeating as we are not dulled by noises.

• You will chew better - it will help the organism to digest food, and support metabolism since digestion starts from the saliva in the mouth.

• Food will taste better when the brain is not overloaded with information. Then we are able to truly focus, have a space for our senses of smell and taste. We could feel and engage in sensations.

• Food makes noise - you will become more mindful, and you will be surprised how many different sounds it makes! It corresponds to the receptors in the tongue and mouth. It's one of the aspects of food enjoyment.

There will be more about this in future months, for now, apply this to everyday life: no phones, no talking, no music - learn to enjoy silence. Start eating in silence.

In my opinion, we should observe our body reactions, as well as levels of energy to find out what is best for us.

There is so much wisdom in our bodies. It doesn't matter if we accept, but we live according to natural rhythms, as a part of nature. We can live to align to natural rhythms or against.

Let's focus on food time consumption:

• 7:00 - 9:00 - time of stomach - here we can eat the biggest meal of the day, some sources recommend having porridge type of food.

• 11:00 - 13:00 - time of heart - a good time for lunch, cooked meal, meat time, a cup of tea is also recommended.

• 15:00 - 17:00 - time of bladder - light snack, another cup of tea.

• 17:00 - 19:00 - time for kidneys - a great time for evening meal, eat some soup or cooked vegetables.

Don't eat your last meal later than 20:00, also no sweet honey, only pure water. It will support good sleep and body regeneration.

BMI

The most widely used way to measure, if somebody is overweight or underweight in body mass is to use Body Mass Index. BMI is often criticised because it doesn't take into account gender differences and doesn't distinguish between bone mass, muscle mass and excess fat.

You can calculate your BMI and then compare it to table below:

Metric BMI = weight(kg)/ [height (m)]²

Imperial BMI = 703 x weight (lbs) / [height (in)]²

Or as shown in a chart below.

RFM requires a tape measure to calculate. It's called the relative fat mass (RFM) index. It takes gender differences into account.

Calculate using the formula below and fit it into the table.

Formula:

• MEN: 64 – (20 x height/waist circumference in cm) = RFM

• WOMEN: 76 – (20 x height/waist circumference in cm) = RFM

If you want to maintain your weight, then a basic understanding of how many calories you need can help you figure out how many calories to consume, and balance it.

The total number of calories you consume every day is a major determining factor in your body weight. When you have any idea of how much energy your body requires, you can make adjustments to your energy balance and as a result, you can decide for yourself if you want to change your weight.

Consecutively, if you eat less - you lose weight, if you eat more - you gain weight depending on what is your goal. If you want to balance food consumption to feel both full of energy and look good, then only the diet won't do much. Remember about exercises, or if you just want to keep yourself fit then try to be physically active.

On average, men should consume between 2000-4000 depending on age, weight-height balance, and women around 1500-2500 daily. These numbers also differ depending on the lifestyle: for instance, athletes need to have a special diet for weight-maintaining purposes; or how physically active a person is; or pregnancy, and so on.

The simple way to discover caloric balance is to observe our weight before the first meal.

• If your weight is stable in a week or two and it's desired, it means your diet provides you enough calories

• If your weight is dropping when you compare one week to another, it means you don't provide enough calories based on physical activity - desirable for weight loss.

• If weight is increasing when you compare one week to another, it means you provide a surplus of calories - desirable for weight gain.

You can start calculating calorie intake as well as calorie burn. There are so many available calorie calculators and scales online, apps, or you can do it by hand if you want, noting on a notebook to keep track.

Weight-related problems can be diverse, however, the main and visible types of them are underweight or overweight.

It makes you more likely to have certain conditions, not everybody will have those problems, but there is always a chance.

Underweight:

• It can increase the possibility of heart disease.

• Constant tiredness, since a person doesn't simply have the energy to move because the amount of consumed food is smaller than needed.

• Another problem includes malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, or anemia. Feeling tired or drained of energy goes along.

• Decreased immune activity, it's about getting sick more often or having trouble fighting off illness.

• In females, it might affect the menstrual cycle by having irregular or skipped periods, which consequently harms the uterus, womb, and other reproductive system organs.

• When it comes to appearance, it causes hair loss or thinning exfoliating dry skin, teeth, and gum problems.

• Osteoporosis from lack of vitamin D and calcium or even dystrophy.

• Higher chances for complications from surgery, or slowed regeneration of a body that is also connected to the function of the immune system.

• Fertility issues both in men and women.

• It might cause underdevelopment or growth problems, especially in children and teenagers as the young organism is still in process of growing and becoming mature.

Overweight:

• Heart disease and stroke chances are increased because the heart is going to grow fat making it complicated for proper functioning.

• Increased blood pressure, might also increase the chance of diabetes.

• High cholesterol is a problem connected to the overconsumption of unhealthy fats which doesn't transform into muscles since it has low-density proteins. Thus it increases the chances of stroke or heart attacks.

• Diabetes. It is a problem connected to sugar, that is caused by the inability of organisms to produce insulin to break sugars and transform through the bloodstream. It is followed by severe symptoms to fatal outcomes like amputation or worse.

• Cancers. Overeating can cause cancer in inner organs mainly because of the heaviness of food consumed during long periods of time.

• Gallbladder disease and gallstones (stones are food particles that couldn't be digested and eliminated) so they remain in organs causing pain and if untreated, leading to worse wellbeing.

• Osteoarthritis.

• Gout. Presence of acid crystals in the joints and bloodstream.

• Breathing problems, such as sleep apnea (when a person stops breathing for short episodes during sleep) and asthma.

• Pregnancy complications.

So both these two major weight-related imbalances might cause great suffering for a living being, and that's how we know that we want to avoid them by eating healthy and keeping a balanced diet.

There is no real need to overcomplicate things. To lose weight in a healthy way is as simple as possible, eat less - apply kaizen, regular exercise - apply kaizen.

There are plenty of things to remember:

• Accept, that the most healthy way is to do it slowly. Celebrate the process and apply kaizen.

• There isn't a size fit nutrition plan, as everyone's body is different so it's good to observe and treat our body with products that don't cause discomfort in the stomach. Definitely, if you want to lose weight you need to go for those products that are easier to digest.

• Drink a lot of water, it helps to improve metabolism, it's a natural appetite suppressant. Go for warm water because it improves metabolism.

• Counting calories, it's good to know about nutrition contained in products which we consume on an everyday basis. It might be difficult and stressful to always remember, so it's good to have some sense about what is in food (written in nutrition facts or internet). Simply train awareness of what you eat!

• Good quality sleep will help you maintain low levels of the stress hormone, the one that slows fat loss and decreases appetite.

• Eat simply, you can have a piece of your favorite chocolate, it's really nothing wrong with it, have a piece and not the whole bar. Let's say 20% will be less healthy food and 80% fresh, natural, simple, whole food - at least for the beginning :)

• No need to skip meals, just eat smaller portions. Drink more water.

• Don't go fat-free, it might sound obvious to cut fats if you want to burn. But what do you say about the keto diet - which is based mostly on fats. In fact, there are many vitamins in fats, minerals, and other necessary elements for proper body functioning. It's much better to cut your favorite sweets, pastries, and sugars and only limit fats.

• Laxative teas, can be harmful and not exactly help you lose fat. However, you can go for teas that support digestion and metabolism.

• Diet soft drinks, please don't be fooled by thinking it is healthier for you because it doesn't have "sugar" or calories. It is sweet after all, so it must be sweetened, usually with some E number. So if you're a lover of "light" or "zero sugar" energy or sparkling drinks, then quit consuming them. It'll do more good than bad.

• Eat enough proteins, load up your breakfast with healthy fats and proteins and observe the level of food craving. It is proven that it can boost metabolism. When you work out, or you are on 'reduction', it's important to fill your muscles with healthy proteins by consuming rich in protein meals.

• You will be surprised at how many calories can be found in products like fruit juice, additionally to sugars. So watch out for those sugary beverages and food.

• Too much alcohol, beer, wine, sugary alcoholic beverages are very high in calories. Additionally to the harm, they cause to your stomach and brain.

• Eat more fiber.

• There are many mistakes people make when trying to lose weight. Do your own research and be aware of all those instant miracles, as without healthy common sense it can all turn out very unhealthy.

• Above all, it's important to commit to an everyday workout routine! Mix your routine with what will give the biggest shock to your body. Don't go only cardio. You need to get tired to burn as much as you can. Regular running, saunas, interval training, dancing are only some of the great workouts to lose some weight. Keep your pulse in "fat-burning rate" and apply kaizen. Check how many possible calories an activity would burn, and you need to move more than you eat. We can eat enough, but it has to be balanced with more movement. That's the key to look and feel healthier!

On the contrary, I know it's as difficult to gain weight for skinny people as to lose fat for overweight, but there are some tips for it. It's important to do it in a healthy way!

Our goal is to work out to get a balanced amount of muscle mass rather than unhealthy body fat.

• Soda, donuts, burgers are not a perfect source of calories.

• Eat more calories than your body burns, to create a calorie surplus.

• Eat plenty of protein, so they can be turned into muscles - 1.5 - 2 grams per kilogram.

• Eat more often plenty of proteins, carbs, and full fats - 3-5 times a day.

• You really need to eat a lot, sometimes even force some food in, also squeeze healthy snacks.

• Most importantly - incorporate, lift heavy weights more than cardio exercises, and remember you eat more than you burn.

• Add creatine supplement, you will be amazed when you connect it with regular exercises. For maximum results, apply this later on when you have a strong habit of regular practice mastered.

• Try weight gainer shakes, make sure to read the ingredients tag. Go for natural ones if available.

• You can fill your diet with fat milk and protein shakes mixed with seeds and nuts.

• Smoking tobacco might interfere with weight gaining. Causing more damage to lungs and organisms than everything you do to be healthier.

It's important to adjust the diet to our current body fat situation. You already know your RFM and BMI, your weight index, if you are underweight, or overweight, or other deviations. Generally, it's good to aim to have a good-looking, healthy body with low body fat, as well as to have good endurance, be flexible, and strong.

The basic principle is quite simple:

• If you are skinny you need to incorporate a positive caloric balance by increasing healthy fats, carbs, and proteins. At least 300-400 calories more than basic caloric need, and focus more on less dynamic exercises, like free-weights, keeping the lower amount of cardio and intervals.

• If you have too much body fat, you need to decrease caloric take, 200-300 calories for the beginning (kaizen), and incorporate more active exercises like running, HIIT, Tabata, cardio. You need to eat more proteins and decrease calories that come from carbs and fats. Unfortunately, we are very often unable to avoid muscle strength drops, which is an inherent phenomenon of a reduction diet. It's especially helpful to decrease sugar intake.

• If you are quite fit and have just enough body fat, for maximum results you can go through building mass then reducing fat. For good results, it's good to have those cycles short (small steps) to shift between the cycles (reduce or gain fat).

The best method is to monitor your weight and appearance, and adjust diet and exercise plans for your needs. You should do it slowly. If nothing changes, we either can increase caloric supply for building muscle mass or decrease body fat.

It's quite common to get more visible effects in the beginning and with time as the body will adapt, it will become harder. It all certainly requires a great patience. After calculating basic caloric requirements based on current average of physical activity, we can either add/reduce some calories and observe a body reaction. You can reduce caloric content on non-training days. Remember each activity costs some calories burn so adjust accordingly.

Best results, in my opinion, for normal BMI (if it comes for regular activity) will be achieved from mixed workout, like stretching, running, and calisthenics with elements of added weight. There are many different approaches, I would assume that how many experts that many ways.

Regardless of whether we decide to increase or decrease body weight, we should follow a balanced diet and eat healthy, least processed products. Often, a change of body shape is associated with sacrifice. On weight reduction people can often go hungry and irritated, and people who want to gain weight may feel heavy and full. However, such feelings should not be too bothersome, if we feel extremely bad when changing habits, it is worth going to an experienced dietitian or personal trainer for advice.

Probiotics are beneficial bacterias, that apart from independent health benefits, may improve digestive healths, reduce depression and promote heart health, and better-looking skin. You can get them from fermented foods like:

• Yogurt - be aware, always read the label on yogurt, go for natural one, without added sugar.

• Kefir - in Turkish keyif means "feeling good", it might be well tolerated for lactose intolerance, might be a better source than yogurt.

• Sauerkraut - popular and very tasty (at least for Polish guys like me), based on shredded cabbage, it has a sour, salty taste equivalent to yogurt. Buy unpasteurized so it will contain live bacteria

• Tempeh - fermented soybean product, interesting taste, similar to a mushroom, great meat substitute.

• Kimchi - Korean salad, often spicy, made from fermented cabbage.

• Miso - Japanese seasoning, made from fermenting soybeans, and a type of fungus called koji, used in miso soup.

• Natto - other Japanese fermented soybean product.

• Kombucha - fermented black or green tea drink. It came from watering a special type of mushroom with tea, you can often get this mushroom for free as it grows very fast.

• Tibetian Mushroom - you can make kefir from it, very nice taste, recommend to drink it cool.

• Pickles - popular in Polish culture, don't confuse it with vinegar pickled cucumbers, those ones are differently made, in water and special herbs. Some make it in a wooden barrel, others in a glass jar.

• Traditional buttermilk - made of leftover liquid from making butter, popular in India, Nepal, and Pakistan.

Antioxidants are substances that can prevent or slow damage to cells (oxidative stress) caused by free radicals, unstable molecules that the body produces as a reaction to environmental and other pressures. The sources of antioxidants can be natural or artificial. The body also produces some antioxidants.

Free radicals are waste substances produced by cells. If the body cannot process and remove free radicals efficiently, oxidative stress can result. This can harm cells and body function. It has been linked to cancer and other diseases.

Factors that increase the production of free radicals in the body can be internal, such as inflammation, or external, for example, pollution, UV exposure, cigarette smoke, consumption of certain food, radiation, exposure to pesticides and drugs.

“Antioxidant” is not really the name of a substance, but rather it describes what a range of substances can do.

Examples of antioxidants that come from outside the body include:

• vitamin A,

• vitamin C,

• vitamin E,

• beta-carotene,

• lycopene,

• lutein,

• selenium,

• manganese,

• zeaxanthin

• flavonoids,

• flavones,

• catechins,

• polyphenols,

• phytoestrogens.

Foods that are particularly high in antioxidants are often referred to as a “superfood” or “functional food.”

Adequate amounts of fiber may benefit digestion and reduce the risk of chronic disease. There are different types of fiber, and each has slightly different health benefits.

Dietary fiber is a non-digestible carbohydrate. There are two broad categories. Fermentable and non-fermentable, referring to use that comes from gut bacteria. Not all fibers have health benefits, some are just natural.

In our body, we have trillions of bacterias, which support body functions. There are bacterias that live on the skin, in the mouth, nose, and large intestine (apart from other places). Let's focus on gut bacterias, known as gut flora (microbiome). They are very important for health. They take care of many things, which the body cannot do on its own. It's connected to the immune system, mood, mental health, many diseases, and skin conditions. Equipped with enzymes, they can also help digest many types of fiber, which is also a perfect food to support the bacteria.

Consuming adequate amounts of fermentable fiber is very important for optimal health because it optimizes the function of the friendly bacteria in the gut.

Some fibers can help lose weight by reducing appetite, can reduce blood sugar spikes and cholesterol, also might affect the risk of cancer.

If you are aiming for a healthy diet, you should get a variety of fiber from whole fruits, vegetables, and grains. Look for high-fiber foods.

Other ways to help with a healthy microbiome are:

• lowering stress levels,

• getting enough sleep,

• eating slowly,

• proper hydration,

• probiotics,

• healthy diet.

Cholesterol (type of lipid) is a fat-like substance that the liver produces naturally. It's vital for the formation of cell membranes, certain hormones and vitamin D. Liver produces lipoproteins as cholesterol doesn't dissolve in the water so it can't travel through the blood. Lipoproteins are particles made from fat and protein. They carry cholesterol and triglycerides through the bloodstream.

The two major forms of lipoprotein are low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

When your blood contains too much LDL cholesterol is known as high cholesterol. When left untreated, high cholesterol can lead to many health problems, including heart attack or stroke.

LDL is called "bad cholesterol". If levels are too high, it can build up walls of arteries (cholesterol plaque) that limits blood flow, raises the risk of blood clots. The body needs it in moderate amounts to function properly.

HDL is called "good cholesterol". It helps return LDL to the liver to be removed from the body. Healthy levels cause to lower risk of blood clots, heart disease, and stroke.

Triglycerides are another type of lipid used as a source of energy. When you eat more calories than your body can use right away, it converts those calories into triglycerides. If levels are too high, it might increase the risk of several health problems.

How to take care of cholesterol:

• You don't need to think about consuming enough cholesterol.

• Generally look for low cholesterol, alternatives.

• Incorporate enough activity into the daily routine.

• Stop smoking tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption.

• Stop drinking soda or fruit juice - swap to plain water

• Eat more fish (or alternatives) - 2 times per week.

High cholesterol typically causes no symptoms. That’s why it’s important to get your cholesterol levels checked on a regular basis.

In some countries on the "Nutrition Fact" tag, there is information about sodium. Many people consume too much of it in their daily diet, simply because it can be found almost everywhere. So the tag must be provided to let consumers know and try to balance consumption.

Sodium is necessary for health, but like with everything, too much or too little can lead to dysfunctions. It's important to be aware that sodium is one of the important elements in our bodies, so we need to find optimal intake between the two extremes.

Most of our sodium comes from added salts, packaged food, and most the processed foods.

Salt (NaCl) made of sodium and chloride. Some varieties of salt may contain traces of calcium, potassium, iron, and zinc.

The essential minerals in the salt function as important electrolytes in the body. They help with fluid balance, nerve transmission, and muscle function.

Some amount of salt is naturally found in our foods. Sometimes it's added in order to improve the flavor. It was also used to preserve food.

It's important to choose a good quality salt.

Most of the World’s salt is harvested from salt mines or by evaporating seawater and other mineral-rich waters.

Most common and the worst one is Refined Salt - Regular Table Salt, which contains unwanted substances like iodine which in high amounts can be very harmful. Sea salt might not be the best solution either, as oceans are polluted and salt contains traces of heavy metals and microplastics.

One of the best types of salt:

• Himalayan salt

• Kosher salt

• Celtic salt

Should you consume less salt?

The best way is to go for the blood test and it will show you if you need to limit salt intake. I personally try to control levels of salt due to its abundance in food.

I am not a fan of using sweeteners or sugars. I think the average diet contains too many sugars already. Learn to drink teas, coffee just as they are, without adding extra sugar. It might be difficult to switch, but when you decrease your daily dose of sugar, you will find it even weird to add sugar for those warm beverages afterward.

If you decide to use some white refined sugar alternatives, go for those very natural.

• Stevia - very popular low-calorie sweetener,

• Molasses - fine replacement for refined sugar, but still you need to keep low consumption,

• Maple - make sure to go for high-quality ones, it contains antioxidants, a decent amount of minerals,

• Honey - my favorite choice, if you use it for your tea, it's not recommended to add honey to a hot drink. Keep the beverage temperature lower than 37 C to add honey to sweeten. Some sources suggest using a wooden spoon instead of metal as it might damage and reduce the healing properties of honey.

There are many others, but I don't use them personally, so I don't have enough knowledge about them.

I encourage you to reduce unnecessary sugar consumption, as:

• Sugar is under many names: high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), dehydrated cane juice, dextrose, fructose, glucose, syrup, cane sugar, sucrose, raw sugar, corn syrup, and more.

• If a packaged food contains sugar in the first 3 ingredients - try to avoid it.

• If a packaged food contains more than one type of sugar - try to avoid it.

• Be aware of food marked as healthy, gluten-free as they might contain an extra amount of added sugars.

This topic is extremely long, and most likely, it could be good for a separate book. They are not only about good taste, but they have also remarkable health benefits. Each spice has its own special blessing.

For example:

• Cinnamon - can lower sugar levels

• Ginger - may reduce nausea and has anti-inflammatory properties

• Turmeric - contains curcumin, a substance with anti-inflammatory effects

• Garlic - can improve heart health

• Chilli pepper - can speed up metabolism.

Each of the World's cuisine has its own unique mix of spices, which is an important element that brings this amazing taste.

Spices add flavor, aroma, better the taste of food, change or enhance color. A good mix of spices can reduce the need for adding salt to a dish. Well-chosen spices will raise your appetite to another level, which is especially beneficial in building a body mass.

It's good to choose spices, which will support our body constitution. You can learn a lot about spices from Ayurvedic medicine. Some spices pair well with others, whereas some of them don't mix very well.

Don't be afraid to test, mix and create your own compositions. There are also many convenient already mixed ones, just remember to avoid glutamine monosodium that's often added to mixes.

This topic is very wide, and I encourage you to spend some time and read more about the health benefits of spices.

Interesting fact that many natural supplements contain extracts from a variety of different spices like oregano.

Gluten is a family of storage proteins (prolamins), naturally found in wheat, barley, rye. Gluten-free diets are becoming more popular than ever. People with celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten and must eliminate it from their diets to avoid harmful adverse reactions.

There is a variety of whole and processed foods that contain gluten. It might be challenging to avoid gluten completely as it's often used as a thickener or stabilizer, or food might be contaminated during processing. If you strictly stick to the gluten-free diet, you might consider contacting the manufacturer. Even with special diet labels, there might be some traces of it, often it shouldn't cause any reaction.

There are many medical conditions such as celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, wheat allergy which may require a gluten-free diet. There are certain gluten intolerance symptoms, which include digestive issues, skin problems, neurological issues, and others.

When choosing a gluten-free diet put extra attention, as gluten-free doesn't mean healthy. Make sure to read Nutrition Facts. The typical Western diet is full of gluten. If we consider a balanced diet, we might want to work towards limiting the excess of gluten in the diet.

There are theories that human bodies may not be able to handle gluten, or it's very difficult for the body to break it down.

Some people claim to feel better, lose weight, feel less fatigued, and have less joint pain on a gluten-free diet.

If you decide to go gluten-free, make sure to consume enough nutrients which you could get from grains.

This is a list of some good oils, this list contains those which I use personally due to their positive impact on health. It's good to consider the manufacturing process for all types of food like fruits, vegetables, and oils. Cheap production methods usually (not always) lead to lower prices and lower quality.

It's also important to understand that some oils disintegrate into harmful substances when heating. Each oil has also a different smoke point, which is good to consider when choosing a purpose for oil. Saturated fats (fat from meat, butter, ghee, coconut) are generally good for cooking thus can be heated to high temperatures without getting into a chemical reaction.

Unsaturated oils, which usually come from plants are best for when unprocessed and consumed at lower temperatures (heating to high temperatures produces toxic chemicals - free radicals). These oils usually might be consumed in cold meals like salads or appetizers.

Hydrogenated/Trans fats artificially produced should be avoided completely.

Generally, all-natural high-quality fats are good for us in moderated consumption. We should balance saturated and unsaturated in our diet.

There are also polyunsaturated which include omega-3 and omega-6 - essential for brain function and cell growth. Our organisms do not make those acids, so you can only get them from food.

Monounsaturated, liquid at room temperature starts to turn solid when chilled, they can help to reduce bad cholesterol levels (it's described as omega-9).

The top 3 best-saturated oils are: 1.Ghee, 2.Coconut Oil, 3.Country Butter

The top 3 best-unsaturated oils are: 1.Virgin olive oil, 2.Hemp, 3. Sesame

The top 3 best polyunsaturated are: 1.Fatty fish, 2.Chia seeds, 3.Walnuts

The top 3 best monounsaturated are: 1.Avocado oil, 2. Canola oil, 3.Peanut oil

Bonus:

MCT Coconut Oil - you can add it to your after breakfast coffee. It has amazing health benefits. This oil is recommended for people looking to lose weight, boost endurance during a workout. Some claim that it can also improve the ability to think.

The word "Balance" often occurs in this course, as this universal truth can be applied to almost everything. It means not too much, nor too little, but just enough.

Find what works best for you, your body will show, for example; skin, hair, nail condition, levels of energy, or feelings of discomfort must give you hints.

There are some standardized balanced ratios that were established based on averages, it doesn't always work best as there are many factors like different types of diet, age, gender, and goal.

Different researches show different results. Here will be attached general instructions for a healthy balanced diet. It's not practical to follow strictly the given percentage rations. The balanced style of eating should be focused to eat what is essential for sustaining life. Use common sense - eat healthily.

“According to the National Academy of Sciences, current recommendations for healthy adults suggest a diet with 10 to 35 percent of calories from lean protein, 20 to 35 percent from healthy fat, and 45 to 65 percent from complex carbohydrates.”

Imagine this distribution on the plate. At least half of the plate should be made up of carbohydrates, with one-quarter of the plate filled with lean protein and another quarter or less occupied by healthy fats. That's very general information, and obviously, it will work differently for people with different lifestyles.

• Eat more unsaturated fats than saturated fats. "The American Heart Association recommends limiting your intake of saturated fat to less than 6 percent of your daily calories."

• Cut completely or limit trans fats - Less than 5 g a day.

• The balanced ratio of omegas 3-6-9 are 2-1-1 or some sources suggest the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 is less than 4-to-1

• Balanced ratio of HDL (Good) to LDL (Bad) Cholesterol - check with your doctor

• Sugars - according to the American Heart Association (AHA), the maximum amount of added sugars you should eat in a day are: for men 150 calories per day (37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons). For women 100 calories per day (25 grams or 6 teaspoons)

• Fiber - according to the American Heart Association, the daily value for fiber is 25 grams per day on a 2,000-calorie diet for adults. This number may also depend on age or sex. Generally it's good to eat more fiber than less.

• Proteins - Nutritional Guidelines suggest a daily intake of 1.6 and 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram

There are plenty of other rations which are connected to vitamins, minerals, and others. I recommend not get too obsessed with it. It's much easier to eat more plant-based food and limit animal-based food.

You know a lot about good healthy food now, but there is another obstacle which can turn our food into a toxic pleasure. It is a cooking method.

Starting with those bad ones:

• deep-frying - one of the worst cooking methods, frying oxidizes oil which ends up creating trans fats.

• pan-frying - the temperature is high, this method leads to the formation of acrylamide.

• smoking - it contaminates the food.

Those methods generally create cancer compounds, increase the chance of heart disease, as well as increase the chance of diabetes.

Not the best ones:

• Microwaving - this one has both supportive and unsupportive types of research. It's important to avoid heating up plastic containers, always use a microwave-safe container or simply glass.

• Boiling - not the best, because it causes loss of nutrients and vitamins due to high temperatures and the large volume of water. High heat.

• Grilling - it can be good, depending on what you grill, the type of wood you use and etc. Avoid charcoal. You need to have some skills to cook with this method. Regularly consuming charred, well-done meat may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer and breast cancer. Cooking at high heat can also produce a chemical reaction between the fat and protein in meat, creating toxins that are linked to the imbalance of antioxidants in the body and inflammation, which can lead to an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

• Pressure cooking - can destroy vitamins due to the high heating temperatures.

• Roasting - starts at a high temperature to create a crisp surface on the food. The temperature is then lowered until the food is cooked. Not the best, as it can damage vitamins, use low settings, keep temperatures below the oil smoke point.

There are plenty of healthy cooking alternatives like:

• Steaming - one of the healthiest and simplest methods of food preparation, no need for adding fats nor oils, and it can help to retain nutrients in vegetables.

• Stir-frying - food is usually cooked for a short time, stirred rapidly, in a small amount of oil. Typically with the use of wok. Use a nonstick frying pan.

• Poaching - water is not brought up to boil before food is added, heat is also lower than in simmering, a small amount of water is added.

• Blanching - with this method, you submerge the veggies in a boiling pot of water for short time. Then, you stop the cooking process by putting them in an ice bath. This technique allows you to maintain the vegetables’ bright colors and help retain their nutrients.

• Baking - uses the dry heat to cook slowly, but simply, no need for added fats, or moisture that helps to retain nutrients.

• Simmering - like boiling, but at a lower temperature, usually liquid is brought to boil, and heat is turned down.

• Stewing (braising) - cooking in a liquid, at a lower temperature. Braising begins with browning food on the stovetop and then adding liquid and simmering on low heat. The leftover liquid makes a great sauce or gravy.

• Broiling - broiling uses very high heat for a short amount of time to cook the food quickly and evenly.

The time of cooking also plays a key role, making food tender and not mushy. However, never overcook so you will be able to keep the maximum nutrients in a meal.

High temperature combined with the time of cooking wash away some nutrients. That's why eating raw, washing, and not peeling (if possible) is one of the best ways to eat the food.

Apart from eating in mom's or grandma's place, we can obviously enjoy healthy food in some restaurants. If you live in a big city, you are lucky, as most likely you can try cuisine from all around the World. Definitely check the Indian food! There are some places, where you can buy a monthly subscription to save some coins.

Or go for healthy catering, a bit costly, but an amazing option, where we can make sure that dieticians will take care of our individual needs.

For people who want to cook at home, I will share some ideas with you for healthy and most importantly, quick to prepare food for busy people. You will find plenty of recipes online so please do your homework. We are going to focus on simple healthy food. It might not taste or look like a luxurious meal from a restaurant, but your stomach will be filled with enough proteins and fiber to digest easily, making you feel satisfied and energetic.

It’s important to provide proper nutrition to the body for new strong healthy cells development. I am going to introduce you to the type of food I consume. Always, check ingredients, if the food contains nutrients that we want to bring into our amazing system.

My diet is very simple and nutritious, and often not time-consuming. From time to time I eat outside and that includes family and restaurants. I have a lot of physical activity every day and a very good metabolism, so I take a lot of calories to build muscle mass and sustain weight. I am focused to provide 1.5/2 grams per kg of proteins each day, reduce processed sugars, reduce meat and fish, reduce trans-fat, eat more plant-based fats and less animal-based, keep in mind the omega 3/6/9. I aim for high-quality, natural (if available) food from a trustworthy source.

It's good to understand that there isn't one "standard fit" diet for everyone, as mentioned previously. Diet depends on the lifestyle that you have. Diet routine has to be in balance with the mind activities, as well as with workout routine, and obviously, to your goal you want to achieve. I encourage you to conduct self-studies, find out what works best for you. It's all about what is your goal: want to gain, lose weight, reduce cholesterol, and so forth.

The meals I attached are here to inspire you, but you need to find what works best for you. If you seriously consider your diet, you will need a kitchen scale and do research about nutrition facts (including vitamins and minerals). There are free apps that will help you track your everyday intake. After some time you will just know things. If there are some vitamins or minerals missing in my food, I try to supplement them in liquid form.

• Breakfast - the biggest meal, must be full of healthy fats and proteins. I practice intensively, that's why this meal is very filling and contains a lot of calories.

• Lunch - I eat more heavy meals, but not always. This meal is full of proteins and carbs.

• Snack - is usually time for light things like raw fruits, vegetables this is time to fill my vitamins and minerals needs. Usually healthy sugars and carbs.

• Supper - it's usually a light warm food to bring this cozy warm feeling to my stomach. Must be low sugar and vegetable type of food.

After many years of self-research, I just know what works for my body the best. We have good communication :) I observe how my body reacts to the meal I have had. "Do I feel heavy?", "Do I feel discomfort in my stomach?" If so I deduct that I must reduce this type of food. Other questions like "Is this healthy?", "Is this good for my body?", "Can I replace this ingredient with another one that is healthier?" helps me to keep on track for longevity. I do a blood test from time to time to evaluate if there is something I do wrong, and simply adjust my diet and possible supplementation. I've never had any vitamins or mineral shortages. I also observe my weight, 177 cm height I aim between 77-81 kg. Diet doesn't have to be complicated.

Eat clean food for its nutritional value, not taste ;)

Ingredients(per serving):

• 200 ml almond milk (no added sugar),

• 30 grams of protein whey isolate + concentrate,

• 50 grams of oats,

• 10 grams of hemp seeds,

• 5 grams of flaxseeds,

• 5 grams of pumpkin seeds,

• 5 grams of chopped walnuts,

• 5 grams of chia seeds,

• 3 grams of goji berries,

• 3 grams of sesame seeds,

• 2 grams of cocoa powder,

• 1/2 of a medium-sized banana,

• 5 grams of honey,

Preparation: 5-10 minutes

Blend all the ingredients and voíla. You can also go for the warm version of this meal.

Ingredients(per serving):

Base:

• 3 eggs,

• 1 tbs of coconut flour,

• 2 tbs of oats flour,

• 1 tsp of vanilla,

• 15 grams of protein whey,

Coating:

• 1 ripe medium-sized banana,

• 1 apple,

• Pinch of cinnamon,

or

• 20 grams of mashed berries,

• 1 tbs of peanut/almond butter,

or

• 2 tbs of natural jam (the best is from the traditional market),

Preparation: 15-30 min

Base: Separate white from the yolk, whip whites to form foam, add yolk, add coconut flour, add oats flour (while mixing), add vanilla, add protein whey.

On the pan add oil and heat up a pan, add whole mass and put lid, cook it on the lowest possible heat. When it turns light brown, flip it on another side.

Coating: smash and mix ingredients, pour it over the base (after when the base is cooked)

Ingredients for scrambled eggs: (per serving)

• 3 eggs,

• 10 g of spring onion,

• 25 g of spinach,

• 60 g of mushrooms,

• 15 g of country butter,

This meal goes with:

• 100 grams of cottage cheese,

• Raw vegetables (paprika, cucumber, tomato, radish),

• Parsley,

Spices:

• Pinch of turmeric,

• Pinch of curry,

• Pinch of cayenne pepper,

• Pinch of garlic powder,

• Pinch of himalayan salt,

Preparation: 10-15 min

Heat up a pan and add country butter. Peel and cut mushrooms, add them to the pan. Add turmeric, curry, and cayenne pepper. Mix it all up. When mushrooms turn golden yellow, add spinach and garlic powder. At the same time, separate white from the yolk. Add whites and mix them with other ingredients, add salt. Let it fry for some time, then add yolk and spring onions, and mix it for 30 seconds. Serve with parsley and raw vegetables on the side. (try to make it all in low heat)

Ingredients: (per serving)

• 3 eggs,

• 15 g of Ghee butter,

Spices:

• Pinch of curry,

• Pinch of turmeric,

• Pinch of himalayan salt,

This meal goes with:

• 50 g of crispbread (gluten-free with seeds),

• 100 g of white cheese,

• 10 g of spring onions,

• 200 g of avocado (optional),

• 100 g of celery,

• 60 g of radish,

Preparation: 15 min

Heat up a pan and add ghee butter. Add 3 eggs, sprinkle with spices. Fry on one side and just flip it for a few seconds so yolk will stay liquid.

On the side, serve crispbread with white cheese and spring onions. The big avocado, peel it and cut it into slices. Wash celery and radish, and consume them raw. (try to make it all in low heat)

Ingredients: (big portion for 2-3 days)

• 1 can of black beans (best-dried ones, soaked the day before),

• 1 can of red beans (best-dried ones, soaked the day before),

• 1 can of lentils (best-dried ones, soaked the day before),

• 150 g of mushrooms,

• 100 g of buckwheat,

• 100 g of quinoa,

• 200 g of spinach,

• 150 g of kale, (added in the meal or on the side)

• 100 g of celery,

• 10 g of fresh parsley (on the side),

• 100 g of red onion,

• 50 g of pumpkin seeds,

• 400 g of tofu,

• 2 cans of 100 % tomato sauce,

• 4 tbs of ghee butter

Spices:

• Pinch of turmeric,

• Pinch of cilantro,

• Pinch of thyme,

• Pinch of oregano,

• Pinch of ground cumin,

• Pinch of garlic,

• Pinch of Himalayan salt,

• Pinch of white pepper,

• Pinch of chili powder,

Preparation: 10-30 min

Heat up the wok. Add a ghee butter. Peel and cut the onion, add it to the wok. Add some salt, pepper, and chili. Fry it for a few minutes until it gets golden-yellowish. Add sliced mushrooms, mix them with turmeric. Add pumpkin seeds. Add smashed tofu, mix them with cilantro, thyme, and oregano. Rinse quinoa and add it to tofu after a few minutes. At the same time boil water, add some cumin to the water, boil for 15-20 min. Add cubed celery and cook for a few minutes. Add spinach with smashed garlic, mixed with some salt. Add black beans, lentils, red beans, and tomato sauce. Let it cook on low heat, covered with a lid for 15 minutes, stirring it from time to time.

Ingredients for base:

• 3 medium-sized spinach tortillas (or any other healthy one),

• 1 can of red kidney beans (best-dried ones, soaked the day before),

• 1 pack of mixed salad leaves,

• 1 big tomato,

• 1 red paprika,

• 2 cucumbers,

• 1 onion,

• 50 g of grated yellow cheese,

• 100 g of feta cheese,

Ingredients for sauce:

• 250 ml of greek yogurt,

• 2 cloves of garlic,

• 1 tbs of olive oil,

• Herbes de Provence spice mix (thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory herb, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaf),

• salt and pepper,

Preparation of base (10 min):

Cut tomato, paprika, cucumber, onion. Heat up tortilla. Smear tortillas with garlic sauce. Add a mix of salads, kidney beans, cubed tomatoes, paprika, cucumber, onion, feta cheese, and yellow cheese.

Preparation of the sauce (5 min):

Mince garlic with salt. Mix greek yogurt with olive oil, Herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper.

Fruits time: eat raw or mix, making a smoothie

• Kiwi,

• Apple,

• Grapefruit,

• Pear,

• Lemon,

• Lime,

• Raspberries,

• Blueberries,

• Blackberries,

• Peach,

• Cherries,

• Currant,

• Pomegranate.

Raw vegetables:

• Raw carrots,

• Avocado,

• Beetroot,

• Red cabbage (great with hummus).

From time to time:

• High quality of dark chocolate,

• Vegan protein bar,

• Beetroot juice,

• Dark chocolate 85%,

• Raisins,

• Sesames seed candy,

• Nuts, mix of all kinds of nuts,

• Crisp bread with natural homemade hummus.

Ingredients:

• Frozen vegetable mix - better to go for fresh (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, green beans),

• 1 onion,

• 20 g of butter,

• Broth or stock - you can make your own, pay attention to the most healthy options,

• A mix of spices (lovage, bay leaf, cayenne pepper, dill, parsley, basil, estragon),

Preparation: 40 - 60 min

Peel onion, heat up a pan, and add butter, cook until it turns golden color. In the meantime, defrost vegetables and add them, fry them a little bit. Take a pot to add their broth or stock, add boiled water, add all vegetables into one pot, add spices, decrease the temperature to the lowest possible, put a lid on and let it boil for 40 minutes or longer.

Ingredients for salad:

• Cucumber,

• Iceberg salad,

• Lettuce,

• Green salad,

• Curly kale,

• Fresh dill,

• Fresh parsley,

Ingredients for sauce:

• Extra virgin olive oil,

• Oregano,

• Basil,

• Estragon,

• Marjoram,

• Himalayan salt,

Preparation 5 min:

Wash the vegetables, then cut the vegetables into cubes or the way you like them in salads in a big bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix olive oil with oregano, basil, estragon, marjoram, and a little bit of salt. Mix all the ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 200 g of broccoli

• 50 g of green beans

• 50g of yellow beans

• Extra virgin olive oil

Spices:

• Dill

• Parsley

• Thyme

Preparation: 8-12 min

Steam for 8-12 min. Smear vegetables with extra virgin olive oil, and add spices.

List of some other tips for a healthy balanced diet:

• Always shop with a list and a diet plan if you have - that will keep you away from buying junk food.

• Try new healthy recipes - make a habit of it.

• Eat fruits, instead of drinking fruit juices, this way you would consume fiber and other important plant components.

• Eat more fresh instead of dried or frozen ones - be aware of dried ones that are covered in sugar.

• Consider eating more often, but less in quantity.

• Consider using a food diary or special tracking apps.

• Connect with your family, friends or get your accountability partner for extra motivation (or all of it if applicable).

• If you share a kitchen, consider cooking in shifts - that will not only save you a lot of time, but it might also be a cheaper and healthy way.

The majority of people do not need to take vitamin and mineral supplements as a balanced diet should provide you with all you need. The best way will be to do a blood test to find out what shortage we have, adjust our diet to cover the shortage, and maybe consider supplementation. If you have some health problems, check with your doctor what supplements might support the healing process as well as the immune system.

The problem with the supplement market is a lack of regulation, that's why it's sometimes difficult to find something effective, and often it just produces only expensive urine. Some supplements when taken for too long and too much can be harmful. It's good to go for higher quality vitamins and minerals made from good quality compounds. Don't get fooled by marketing, do research instead.

If possible, consider the liquid form of supplements, if in capsules then empty it into a protein shake.

Let's say supplements are only 5% or less of the whole balance life puzzle. So you might ask me, why do I supplement then? When traveling much, or living in a cold climate like Iceland, it's sometimes difficult to get enough fresh products, so I just fill potential deficits (diet app tracker will help).

If I would have to choose, between a luxurious supplement for a month or boosting my diet with healthier ingredients for this money, I would definitely go for the latter as for more natural quality of products.

Remember, supplements are never substituted for a balanced, healthy diet. Maintaining a healthy weight; reducing stress, smoking, and drinking alcohol, coffee, and meat consumption, exercising regularly is the best. This will guarantee you the most of the benefits.

Staying healthy doesn't have to be complicated.

I tested dozens of different supplements. There was a time when I consumed more than 15 different dietary pills per day. Quickly I found out, that it's not an effective way to take care of the health. The more I knew, and more connected to my own body I got, it led me to minimize the number of supplements. I decided to put more work into creating healthy habits.

If it comes to supplements, they must be made of high-quality compounds that are mostly organic.

What stayed with me:

• Vitamins and minerals - when I was first reading about proper supplementation, I literally got a headache. Complexity. Specific times of a day when you have to consume them, some with fats, some with water, others must be consumed before or after the meal. Many vitamins and minerals compete for absorption. If you go for multivitamins and minerals - you need a high-quality solution, best in form of liquid (natural juices and extracts). When you organize your diet or test your current one - put all your meals into the diet app. A good one should show you what vitamins and minerals you take or should take, so you can make proper adjustments.

• Vitamin D - I take due to lack of sun in Iceland.

• Omega 3/6/9 - I take them in form of fish oil, nuts oil extracts. I supplement them only when I couldn't provide good proportions in my diet.

Superfoods:

• Chlorella - these supplements can support the body detox process and improve cholesterol levels. Very nutritious, full of proteins, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. It's also a good source of fiber. Most importantly it binds to heavy metals and helps remove harmful metals from the body. It has a specific taste, so add a small amount to a protein shake. There are some recommended doses, but an optimal dose has not been established.

• Maca root - plant native to Peru. Traditionally been used to enhance fertility and sex drive. It improves energy, stamina and enhances your mood. It has a specific earthy and nutty taste, some people dislike it, so they add it to their smoothies or porridges, or you can get it in form of pills. It's also a great source of important vitamins and minerals.

• CBD oil - a very powerful supplement, supported my grandfather during chemotherapy. He took 2 drops twice a day, high in concentration (~30%) CBD. This compound's not psychoactive. It can relieve pain, reduce anxiety and depression, may reduce acne, and many other benefits.

• Bee pollen - a mixture of flower pollen, nectar, enzymes, honey, wax, and bee secretions. They isolated over 400 pro-health substances among the others, such as enzymes and antioxidants.

With workout supplements, it's a little bit different. I can notice (not only me), the difference when using. Most (list below) of those compounds, can naturally occur in the food, but it's difficult to get them in a highly concentrated form.

The best (tested by me) supplements for the physical workout:

• Creatine - one of the well-tested, cheap, safe supplements, naturally found in muscle cells. It helps produce energy during intensive workouts, supports an increase of muscle mass, strength, and exercise performance, it also positively impacts the brain. It requires a loading phase of around 20/15 grams per day for around 7-10 days (for some people it's good to split it into 5 grams x4), then lower it to 5-7 grams per day. Remember to increase water intake - very important.

• Citrulline - naturally produced in the body and found in foods like watermelon. Reduces the level of muscle pain, fatigue and increases endurance during exercise.

• Beta-alanine - if you are looking for some extra boost, consider beta-alanine before the workout, it helps to lessen fatigue, increase performance. Generally a very powerful supplement. Remember to comply with the manufacturer's recommendations especially for this one.

For maximum results of workout supplements, it's not recommended to take them right after the beginning of the journey. Get into a regular practice for a month or two, fix your diet, and only then consider applying them. Be aware of pre-workout supplements, as they might be harmful to you in an extended time period.

Those you can start right away:

• Protein Whey - sometimes it's difficult to provide enough amount of proteins, protein shakes are very handy. Quality also matters here, the combination of Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) and Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC) is the best choice.

• Yerba Mate - a traditional South American drink. It contains vitamins and minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants. The perfect alternative for coffee boosts energy and improves mental focus. It has plenty of other health benefits.

• Green and Black Tea - loaded with antioxidants, very healthy, considered a "safe" beverage. It contains L-theanine and caffeine, so this synergic connection has effects in improving brain functions.

Exercise for this week is to take care of your diet. Make a food plan for the whole week. Notice the difference in how your body feels after the change.

In the end, I wanted to mention a "Reward system". If you are not familiar with it, it's about rewarding yourself for a "good job" with something "pleasant". This "pleasant" must not always be unhealthy, obviously. However, it creates a negative association, that a healthy lifestyle is something demanding and out-of-norm. This approach can make a living balanced life often or always unpleasant, difficult, challenging, or complicated. There are so many benefits from eating or just simply living healthily, especially those which we all will experience with the time. Is well-being, and good health for years not "pleasant" enough? The world is truly turned upside down. Let's return to normal, and let's create a healthy lifestyle, which will become just our norm.

Eating healthy might sound like a huge sacrifice, since you won't be able to eat in those fast-food chains as often as you used to, maybe. Remember there are many other healthy alternatives which taste really good! Also, think about all those years you are going to live. Who doesn't want to live a long and healthy life? You can, of course, let yourself a burger when you feel like it but balance it with physical activity, and a healthy diet. Consider the long-term effects of short-term pleasure, so to chose what is the best for your organs and body. The decision is in your hands.