Short Guide To A Healthy Plant Based Diet

A Plant Based Diet is not a Vegan Or Vegetarian Diet. On a Plant Based Diet you get most of your nutrients from plants but allow for a small amount of animal products.

If you want to skip the whole explanation, and just know what you have to do: click here for a guide to a complete vegan meal. Though I would recommend that you inform yourself thoroughly. Fact check this post with reputable sources. I recommend some science based sources at the end of this post. Don't fall for quacks, but you need to immerse yourself in science, to recognize the quacks. If they are selling supplements, or say "everything you learned is wrong", or sell conspiracies about the food pyramid... they are probably full of manure. The following is a great resource for health related topics: https://www.mayoclinic.org/

Click here for a breakfast that will increase your brain power.

Click here for a 15 minute healthy meal.

Eating mostly plants is one of the most impactful things you can do for minimizing the harm you do to animals, your body and the wildlife on this tiny planet. But there are bad plant based diets and good plant diets. This is a guide to a healthy plant based diet. If you eat mostly plants, you need to plan your diet carefully. Unhealthy Vegans are bad advertisement for the movement.

Your taste will adjust to your new diet. When you eat healthy foods for a while you will start craving healthy foods instead of junkfood. That is because you are nurturing gut bacteria that eat healthy foods and they will manipulate you into wanting healthy foods. If you eat junk, you will grow gut bacteria that will make you crave junk. Craving something doesn't mean your body needs it.

A healthy Plant Based Diet can be cheaper than a junkfood or regular diet. At my local shop, a portion of Organic Tofu costs €1,2 while one Non-Organic Chicken Breast costs €5. Cans of Legumes (plant protein) are also very cheap. The trick is to cook for yourself and avoid expensive fake meat products.

A Plant Based Diet doesn't feel restrictive when you realize the abundant whole plants you can find in a good supermarket and on the internet or grow yourself. Of the estimated 400.000 plant species on earth, half are edible.

A Plant Based Diet can make you fart a lot but Vegan Farts Don’t Smell.

When both my parents died when they were not yet old, I started researching healthy living. This is my gathered knowledge. But doing is much harder than knowing. Every day, every moment, is an opportunity to make healthy choices. But I'm not going to say it is easy to grow out of bad habits.

Plant Based Diets are linked to positive health outcomes like lower heart disease, which is the most common cause of early death in the western world. Also a reduction in certain cancers, lower obesity levels, less diabetes and less age related cognitive decline. In the Blue Zones, regions of the world where people 'used to be' the healthiest and longest living, people ate at least 95% plants. In Okinawa, a former Blue Zone, people got 70% of their calories from Purple Sweet Potatoes alone. Most Blue Zones have switched to an industrial diet, and have gotten as sick as the rest of the world.

What motivates me the most is that according to scientists, if the world went plant-based, we would use only 25% of the agricultural land we do now. We could give that 75% back to wild nature. Read about that science here on "Our World In Data."

❗️!WARNING!: Some people with gut issues like a poor microbiome or some autoimmune disorders will have a bad reaction to suddenly eating lots of Fiber, which is in all plants. IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) may be caused by the absence of certain healthly bacteria in the gut and sufferers may experience bloating and pain with certain plant foods. But for most people it is very healthy to eat lots of Fiber. Introduce more Fiber slowly, so that your gut has time to adapt.

You may be alergic or intolerant to certain plants. If you experience issues, look into 'histamine intolerance protocol' or a 'FODMAP Diet'. Try to determine what you can't tolerate by eliminating and re-introducing. It may be something you can fix. Don't miss out on the thousands of different Phytonutrients and Fiber only found in a large variety of plants because you have a reaction to some of them.

If you do eat animal products, stick to Chicken, Fish, Seabugs (shrimp, scampi...) and if that's your thing: Insects. Buy and eat animals clean. Unprocessed. Not marinated, smoked, coated or turned into a sausage or burger. Red Meat (Beef, Pork, Lamb) causes heart disease and may cause cancer.

Go easy on the Dairy Products (Cheese, Milk, Yogurt from animal excretions). The dietary cholesterol in Eggs does raise your blood cholesterol levels except if it is already high.

Make animal products an exception.

❗️You need to take supplements on a Plant Based Diet!!! Don’t worry about it being natural or not. The essential supplements that plant eaters have to take are Vitamin B12, Omega 3 DHA and EPA (you can get these in vegan versions but make sure it is DHA and EPA) and Vitamin D. These supplements are also recommended for Meat eaters. More on supplements later.

Get enough calories!!! Plants have a lot of nutrients but are much lower in calories than animal products. Getting enough calories on a plant based diet can mean a lot of eating and chewing. Many beginners make the mistake of not eating enough. One way to get more calories into your vegan diet is to add plant oil like olive oil. Nuts are also very calorie dense.

Get enough protein!!! Eat lots of Legumes (Beans, Peas, Chickpeas, Lentils, Soy and Tofu). Nuts and Seeds and Whole Grains are also high in Protein. You can drink Soy Milk for an easy protein boost.

Don’t worry about “complete protein”. All plants contain all 9 essential (that means we can't make it ourselves) amino acids that are the building blocks of protein (together with 11 other amino acids we can make, for a total of 20). All your body tissue is protein. You need about 0,8 grams of protein for every kg of lean! body weight.

If you are worried about complete protein, Soy (Tofu, Edamame, Soy Shoots) has the same Amino Acid ratios as Meat. So does Quinoa.

Don't worry about Protein absorption. In scientific studies they have given people the same amount of protein in plant form and in animal form and then had them do strength training. Both groups had the same amount of muscle growth.

Don't eat too much Protein! A low protein diet slows down aging. The recommended daily protein intake is 0,8 grams per kilogram of lean! body weight. Or about 45 grams daily for a woman, and about 55 grams daily for a man. Gaining muscle has more to do with weight training, and beyond 1,5 grams of protein per kilogram of lean! body weight you don't gain more muscle. 

The reason people who eat mostly plants have less Bone Density is that they weigh less and some have bad diets including eating disorders. Follow this guide for a healthy plant based diet, get enough Calcium, don't smoke and do Weight Bearing Physical Exercise for greater Bone Density. More on Calcium later.

Eat a “Whole Foods” plant based diet. That means unprocessed foods. You have to buy food that is in its natural state. As it grew from the ground. Avoid factory foods with ingredients you wouldn't use in your kitchen.

❗️A daily plant meal should be about 1/4 Pulses (Beans, Chickpeas, Lentils, Green Peas, Soy&Tofu), 1/4 Whole Grains (Bulgur, Oats, Barley, Rice, Couscous, Quinoa, Buckwheat, Sweet Potatoes, Whole Grain Bread, Whole Grain Pasta,...) and 2/4 Vegetables including Leafy Greens (Arugula, Kale), a little bit of Seaweed (for the Iodine) and Mushrooms. Use Herbs&Spices. Add ground Seeds to your meals. As desert or snack, eat Fruit and a handful of Nuts.

If you add one thing to your diet, let it be 'Beans, Greens and Seeds'. Beans means legumes: Beans, Chickpeas, Lentils, Green Peas, Soy and Tofu. Greens means Dark Leafy Greens like Spinach, Kale and Arugula. Seeds need to be ground (powdered) or they pass right through your body. I buy them already ground from the internet. Seeds that are especially beneficial are Flaxseed, Black Cumin Seed and Black Sesame Seed. You can mix them in Yogurt or a Smoothie.

Don't eat highly processed fake meat or cheese. A big reason I avoid the vegan food boxes I found.

Eat the Skin. The Skin of Fruits and Vegetables has a higher concentration of nutrients like Antioxidants and Fiber than the inside. Clean the skin thoroughly and eat it. Same goes for Grains, Seeds and Nuts. For instance buy Whole Grain Bread that includes the Skin of Grain, instead of White Bread that had the Skin removed. Or Whole Grain Pasta.

Fruit actually lowers the blood sugar spike of a meal. It is no longer recommended for diabetics to avoid Fruit but the opposite. In one study, people ate 10 to 14 portions of Fruit per day, and had only positive health outcomes.

Fermented foods can be a Probiotic, depending on how they are processed. Meaning they contain healthy bacteria to enrich your gut Microbiome. Your microbiome feeds on Prebiotic, like Fiber. Because we can't digest it, it becomes food for the bacteria in our colon. Try to eat 50 grams of Fiber per day which is easy on a mostly plant based diet. Polyphenols (a class of nutrients found in plants) and Omega-3 Fatty Acids, found in high doses in Seeds and Algae, are also essential for gut health. A healthy Microbiome is essential for health.

Your Microbiome thrives on a wide variety of plant foods. Aim to eat as many different plants as possible. It's recommended you eat 20 to 30 different plants per week. That is about 4 unique plants for every day of the week. Eat the rainbow. The different colours of plants show different antioxidants. The darkness of the produce indicates a higher concentration of antioxidants. 

Antibiotic medication also kills the good bacteria in your gut. Don’t take them unless necessary.

Research shows that taking Probiotic Supplements (bacteria in pill form) not only doesn't do good, it actually causes harm to your gut microbiome. Including after an antibiotic cure. Just eat a great variety of plants. 

Try to eat from these plant food categories (and 7 extra goals) every day or at least every week:

1. Whole Grains (every day, plant protein) - Oats, Barley, Rice, Farro, Spelt, Wheat, Buckwheat, Quinoa, Bulgur, Sweet Potato, Whole Grain Pasta, Whole Grain Bread 
2. Legumes (every day, plant protein) - Beans, Peas, Chickpeas, Lentils, Soy and Tofu
3. Seaweed - Incorporate a little bit of Seaweed in your diet for the Iodine. I put a small spoon of dried Kelp in my sauces. Iodine is a common deficiency for plant eaters.
4. Marrow Vegetables (a type of berry) – pumpkin, cucumber, zucchini
5. Root Vegetables (leave the skin on) – Potato, Sweet Potato, Yam, Ginger, Jeruzalem Artichoke, Daikon, Carrot, Celery Root, Beetroot, Turnip, Radish, Burdock, Rutabaga, Casava, Ube, Yacón, Oca, Fennel Bulb, Chinese Water Chestnut, Tumeric, Ginseng, Galangal, Arrow Root, Taro, Eddoe, Konjac, Horseradish
6. Edible Plant Stem – Celery, Asparagus, Bamboo Shoot, Cardoon, Heart Of Palm, Manchurian Wild Rice, Leek, Lotus Stem, Prussian Asparagus, Kurrat, Kohlrabi, Welsh Onion, Rock Samphire, Kurrat, Nopal, Rhubarb, Wild Leek, Samphire Greens, Banana Pith, Garlic Chives, Chives, Celeriac, Asparagus
7. Allium (every day) – Onion, Garlic, Shallot, Leek, Scallions, Spring Onions, Peewee, Ramps, Chives
8. Cruciferous Vegetables (every week) - Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli
9. Leafy Greens (Every Day) - Lettuce, Spinach (can cause kidneystones because of very high Oxalate) , Silverbeet, Kale (kale is low in oxalates)
10. Fungi (Mushroom)
11. Fermented Vegan Food - Soy Yogurt, Kimchi, Sauerkraut, Pickles, Vinegar, Miso
12. Nuts and Seeds (A handful of Nuts everyday, Seeds need to be ground, plant protein and healthy fats) - Walnuts, Pistache, Almonds, Peanuts (is actually a Legume like Beans), Ground! Flaxseed, Ground! Chia Seed, Ground! Black Cumin Seed, Ground! Sesame Seed
13. Fruit (eat fruit every day, eat fruit directly after a meal for a lower sugar spike) - Apples, Pears, Grapes, Plum, Orange, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Cherry, Avocado, Lemon, Mango, Watermelon, Dates, Pomegranate 
14. Berries (can be expensive but really healthy, eat after a meal to lower the sugar spike) - Banana (cheap), Tomato (cheap), Cucumber (cheap), Blueberry (exceptionally healthy but expensive), Strawberry, Raspberry, Kiwi, Cranberry, Gooseberry 
15. Herbs and Spices - Tumeric, Cumin, Pepper, Parsley, Cilantro, Nutmeg, Oregano, Paprika, Rosemary, Saffron, Sage, Savory, Star Anise, Sumac, Thyme, Vanilla, Wasabi, Mustard, Lemon Grass, Lucorice, Sorrel, Tarragon, Lemon Balm, Fenugreek, Rue, Glove, Ginger, Fennel, Dill, Chilli
16. Water (2 to 3 liters throughout the day) - Water, Tea, Coffee (drink max 4 cups of caffinated coffee per day and not after 13h00), Flavoured Water (try putting a strawberry, lemon slice or cucumber slice in water) (the Water from your tap is the same as Bottled Water. Don’t waste your money.)

Seven Extra Daily Goals For Health:

1. Exercise (40min of intense or 90min of moderate exercise every day) - Walking, Dancing, Shadow Boxing, Aerobics, Yoga, Pillates, QiGong, Sports, Weight Lifting, Body Weight Exercises
2. Sleep deeply 8 hours per day. Look up 'CBT-i' or 'Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia.'
3. Floss and brush your teeth. This is more important than you might think. Gum disease is linked to dementia. Look up a guide to brushing and flossing because you are probably doing it wrong and causing harm. You can buy a water flossing device that is easy to use.
4. Stay Sober - don't drink, smoke, vape, swallow, bake, blow, sniff, shoot up... Click here for my guide to staying sober.
5. Stay out of the sun between 10h00 and 14h00 and wear sunscreen in the sun. In winter the sun can be just as damaging because of reflection from snow and a thinner ozon layer. You should wear sunscreen even when it is overcast and the sun is behind the clouds. UV radiation from the sun causes your skin to age more rapidly, and can cause skin cancer.
6. Maintain a social life. Seek out a nurturing community. Make friends. Find a life partner. Visit family. Join a sports club. People need other people. Don't be cynical about humans. Cynicism Kills Love.
7. Push your boundries every day (in a healthy way). Exercise longer and harder. Eliminate that bad habbit. Enforce your social boundaries with a disagreeable person. Fix a relationship problem. Ask someone out for their company (doesn't have to be romantic). Cook that elaborate recipe instead of a ready made meal. Click on that video that will make you smarter, instead of the one that is digital junkfood. Learn a new skill. Always be growing. Always be moving forward. 

Supplements: Studies show that people who eat mostly plants are at a higher risk of having inadequate levels of vitamin B12, vitamin D, long-chain omega-3s, iodine, iron, calcium, zinc and selenium.

1. Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 in cyanocobalamin form is the most studied and seems to work well for most people. It is possible but not certain that Vitamin C Inhibits B12 absorption, which is found in plants, so some advice to take your B12 on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. Taking B12 is recommended on every diet. If you take too much B12, you just pee it out without issue.
2. Vitamin D. Opt for D2 or vegan D3 forms. Taking too much vitamin D depletes your body’s Magnesium.
3. Omega 3 EPA and DHA. These can be sourced from algae oil. Taking too much Omega-3 can cause an irregular heart beat.
4. Iron. You should only supplement with Iron in the case of a documented deficiency. The body can reject too much Iron from plant sources, but it can't reject too much Iron from animal sources or supplements. So getting your Iron from plants is safer. Ingesting too much Iron from supplements or animal products can cause illness and prevent the absorption of other nutrients. Iron stays in your body for a long time. Coffee and Tea can inhibit your Iron absorption. Don't drink Coffee or Tea with your food, or drink Herbal Tea. Vitamin C helps Iron absorption. You can make a soup out of an Iron source and a Vitamin C source. 
5. Iodine. Add a responsible amount of iodized salt to your diet daily. Or eat Seaweed as it contains a lot of iodine. Often bread is fortified with Iodine. You can take a supplement to be sure.
6. Calcium. Calcium is best absorbed when taken in doses of 500 mg or less at a time. Taking calcium at the same time as iron or zinc supplements may reduce their absorption. Supplementing Calcium can cause heart problems. Legumes, Tofu, Nuts&Seeds, Whole Grains, Leafy Greens, Sweet Potatoes and Cruciferous Vegetables (Broccoli etc.) are high in Calcium. 
7. Zinc. This is taken in zinc gluconate or zinc citrate forms and should not be taken at the same time as Calcium supplements. Legumes, Tofu, Nuts&Seeds and Whole Grains are high in Zinc. Some doctors recommend a small dose of Zinc as a supplement. Taking too much Zinc depletes the Copper in your body and causes neurological problems. 
8. Selenium. Sources of selenium are Mushrooms, Sunflower Seeds and Sesame Seeds (Seeds need to be ground or soaked), Tofu and Brown Rice.

Additional supplements I recommend is One Table Spoon Of Ground Flaxseed (mixed into Yogurt for instance), One Table Spoon Of Cacao Powder (mixed into Soy Milk), Tumeric Powder, Garlic Powder, Ginger Powder, Black Cumin Powder, Cranberry Powder,...

Don't take supplements willy-nilly. Do science-based research and be guided by scientists and doctors that do not have an agenda other than your health. 

Respect the daily recommendations of supplements. Except for B12, Omega-3 and D, you can choose to eat in a way to avoid taking other supplements on a mostly plant based diet. Eat a varied diet full of Whole Grains, Legumes, Vegetables, Leafy Greens, Mushrooms, Fruits and Nuts&Seeds.

Don't worry about drinking Water before, during or after eating. It does not dilute your stomach acid. On the contrary, it helps digestion. 

I do not recommend a completely Raw Plant Diet. A raw plant diet has problems such as not inactivating toxins and pesticides and contamination with microorganisms due to insufficient heating and insufficient intake of some nutrients.

Some nutrients are destroyed by cooking, but some nutrients become more available by cooking. I've heard a plant-based doctor claim that raw vegetables is the single best protection against cancer. The best of both worlds is to eat both raw and cooked plants. A smoothie (not juicing) is a great way to get your raw vegetables, but drink it slowly.

People with weakened immunity should not eat raw food because of possible contamination.

Warning!: look up on a science-based website whether you can eat a plant raw. I discovered I have a bad reaction to Raw Onion and Raw Chashews are poisonous (but you can buy them).

Avoid Frying, Grilling or Broiling (the oven grill) and high temperatures in general. High temperatures create Acrylamide which causes cancer. The minimum temperature at which you can get a browning effect is 165°C (330°F).

Don't worry about Vegetable Oil. There is controversy in the plant based community about the safety of Vegetable Oil and in particular Seed Oils. But this concern is unwarranted. Liquid Vegetable Oil is mostly healthy unsaturated fat. Don't worry about heat as well if the bottle says it's suitable for heat. Don't burn it of course. Be aware that Vegetable Oil is very high in calories and not that nutritious. Eating large amounts of Omega-6 can inhibit the conversion of Omega-3 ALA (found in land based plants) into EPA and DHA. But you are supplementing those anyway.

Coconut Oil and Palm Oil are high in Saturated Fat and should be avoided.

Organic Plants may be healthier and are better for the environment. Eating pesticides or dumping billions of liters of pesticides into the environment is best to be avoided. But currently organic farming takes up more land. That may be because they are behind in technology because they get way less subsidies. Eating lots of non-organic plants is still healthier than a diet lacking varied whole plants.

GMOs (genetically modified organism) have great potential. They can create crops that need less pesticide, are more nutritious or can deal with the unpredictable and extreme weather that climate change brings. Every new GMO product must of course go through strict unbiased testing for safety. A combination of healthy GMO, synthetic fertilizer but no chemical pesticides would be my ideal.

Watch out with eating plants high in oxalates if you are susceptible to kidney stones. Spinach, almonds, chocolate, rhubarb, beets and navy beans are high in oxalates. Soy also has oxalate but Soy Milk is not high in Oxalate. Generally Nuts and Leafy Greens are high in Oxalates. 

There is a genetic component to forming kidney stones. If you have a family history, you need to take care.

Drink lots of water and add Lemon to your water to help prevent kidney stones. Rinse your teeth with pure water after drinking Lemon Juice.

You can add Lemon to your meal.

Eat foods high in Calcium. Dairy Products for instance. Or Calcium fortified Plant Milk. Kale is high in Calcium and low in Oxalate.

Go easy on the Salt, Animal Products (except Dairy), Fruit Juice, Black Tea, Chocolate Milk, Almond Milk, Carrot Juice and Cranberry Juice to prevent kidney stones. 

People who eat lots of Fruits and Vegetables have a lower chance of kidney stones. Obese people have a higher chance of kidney stones.

There is a probiotic called Axolabacter Formigenes that eats Oxalate, and is connected to longevity. So Oxalate might actually be good for you, provided you have a healthy microbiome. (Taking Antibiotics kills a lot of healthy bacteria.)

It's always a good idea to drink lots of water anyway.

Don't eat Mushrooms raw! There is a molecule in them (Agaritine) that in the lab causes cancer. Cooking reduces it. Just a few minutes in the microwave works best. The good news is that despite what happens in a petri dish, data shows that mushroom eaters have no higher rates of cancer.

Raw legumes can poison you! You need to soak pulses in water for about 5 hours, throw away the water, and then cook them at 100°C (boiling water) for at least 30 minutes. But it's much easier to just buy canned legumes that are already prepared.

Lentils are an exception and don't need soaking.

Be careful with Brown Rice. Brown Rice doesn't have it's Bran removed and has more Fiber and Nutrients than White Rice that has been processed to remove the Bran. But Brown Rice is very high in the toxic Heavy Metal Arsenic. The advice is not to feed Brown Rice to children younger than 7. Don’t eat Brown Rice every day. And use this cooking tip to reduce Arsenic content by 54%: Cook the Brown Rice in a lot of water for 5 minutes and throw away the water. Add fresh water and continue till it is done. Let it rest for 10min so the carbs can harden.

However: People who eat more Animal Products have more Heavy Metals in their body. Heavy Metals concentrate up the food chain. Animals take up all the Heavy Metals from the plants and animals they eat. When you eat that animal, you are getting the stored pollution from all the food that the animal ate. Plants are of course lowest on the food chain. 

Drink Tea instead of Coffee. Especially Green Tea. Tea also contains caffeine, except for Herbal Tea like Mint Tea or Chamomile Tea. Coffee is related to positive health outcomes but Tea is even better. Coffee is bad for your teeth because of acidity, but Green Tea is actually good for your teeth. It is recommended to rinse your teeth with unsweetened Green Tea.

Drink maximum 4 cups of Coffee per day and don't consume Caffeine late in the day. Caffeine has a half-life of 6 hours. So 12 hours after consuming caffeine, 25% of it is still in your system. It acts as a signal to keep you awake and can lower the quality of your sleep. I have a rule not to ingest caffeine after 13h00. That includes Tea, except for Herbal Tea.

Coffee and tea can reduce the absorption of iron, and can (suddenly) make you feel dizzy. Don't consume Caffeine during or immediately after a meal. Green Tea is very healthy, but can make you nauseous, especially on an empty stomach. 

Don't drink Fruit Juice but do drink Blended Smoothies. Juicing leaves out the Fiber and Phytonutrients and can cause Fatty Liver, Inflammation and Insulin Resistance. But this is not a problem if you eat Fruit whole by blending instead of juicing. The Fiber does not get destroyed by blending and inhibits the absorption of Fructose.

Don't put Banana in your Smoothie as it contains an enzyme (PPO) that causes less Flavanols to be absorbed in your blood. In general, avoid combining foods high in this PPO (Polyphenol Oxidase) with those high in Flavanols. Foods high in PPO are Banana, Avocado, Apple, Pear, Greens, Mushrooms, Beet,... Foods high in beneficial Flavanols are Cacoa, Berries, Grapes, Cherries, Strawberries, Tea, Legumes,... You should off course not eliminate plants from your dieet and try to eat all the different plants they have in your local supermarket. 

If you drink a Smoothie, drink it slowly. For a lower blood sugar spike.

Go easy on the Salt. Avoid: Alcohol, Added Sugars or Artificial Sweeteners, Refined Grains (White Flour, White Bread), Saturated Fat (like Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Animal Products) and Trans Fat (like Margarine, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, also found in Animal Products).

Most people do not need to add Salt to their diet as there is already enough Salt in plants. A person that adds extra Salt to their food has a lower life expectancy. Too much Salt inhibits the Kidneys from removing water from the blood, leading to high blood volume, leading to high blood pressure, leading to congestive heart failure and strokes.

A trick to use less Salt is to add more heat (spiciness like Pepper). Your pallet will adjust to a low salt diet.

There is a healthy type of Salt called Potassium Chloride, but it seems not to taste good with certain plants.

You need some Saturated Fat in your diet. The type of Saturated Fat in Dark Chocolate is an exception and does not harm your health. You can buy Cacao Powder and mix one tablespoon per day with Soy Milk.

Alcohol is carcinogenic (it causes cancer) in the same category as Tabacco, Radiation or Asbestos. It also kills cells in your body, including brain cells. It enters all the cells of your body. It is unsafe in any amount. It also shuts down the frontal lobe in your brain which makes you more impulsive. Alcohol often leads to other harmful behaviors like junkfood or not getting enough sleep.

Not all plant produce should be refrigerated! For instance, refrigerated Eggplant becomes tough and refrigerated Cucumber loses its taste. A good supermarket will not refrigerate produce that doesn't belong in the refrigerator. 

The basics of plant based cooking:

The following is a guide to cook a meal that has almost all the plant groups for complete nutrition. Whole Grains, Vegetables, Legumes, Spices, Herbs, Leafy Greens, Seeds, Fungi... You can probably make thousands of different variations of this recipe to keep your meals interesting.

Click here for a guide to cooking a delicious and nutritionally complete vegan meal, including a breakfast for brain power.

I recommend using Stainless Steel Cookware. Nonstick Cookware like Teflon or Ceramic coated cookware leech toxic chemicals into your food. They also have to be thrown away after 2 or 3 short years of use. Aluminum and Copper also leech toxic chemicals when they are exposed to acid like vinegar, lemon or tomatoes. Stainless Steel and Cast Iron are both non-toxic, but Cast Iron is high maintenance. Cast Iron can rust and must be 'seasoned' regularly. If you buy high quality Stainless Steel Cookware, it can last you a lifetime. Thick pots and pans are less likely to warp from temperature schock.

Avoid contact between your food and plastic. Especially in combination with heat. Which is not easy.

There is a lot of contradicting advice on the timing of eating. The best advice seems to be: Eat 2 or 3 big meals per day and don't snack. 

Eat Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince, Dinner like a Pauper. If you choose to skip a meal, let it be Dinner. If you eat after 20h00 (8pm) you can have twice the Blood Sugar Spike because your body is producing Melatonin to make you sleep. Melatonin raises Blood Sugar. 

Don't eat at least 3 hours before bedtime. I have a rule to stop eating after 19h00 (7pm).

Exercise after a big meal (lowers the blood sugar spike). Walking for 2 minutes already works. The peak of Blood Sugar happens about 1h15 after eating.

It is healthy to have a 12 hour window where you don’t eat, by not eating before and after sleep.

A ketogenic diet (no carbs) and long term fasting (a day or longer) leads to muscle loss and loss of bone density.

If you are looking for quality science-based nutrition information I recommend the following YouTube Channels: 'NUTRITION MADE SIMPLE', 'Nutritionfacts.org', 'Physionic', 'Rich Roll Podcast' and 'Plant Chompers'.

Peace 🖖💜