Barefoot Vegan Mag Jan_Feb 2017

It’s the New Year, and your book is perfect for
those of us who need a health reboot! What
are some of the health goals people should be
setting for themselves?
There are a few easy things people can do to achieve optimal
health:
Hydrate: drink plenty of low sugar fluids like filtered water,
freshly made juices, and herbal teas, as well as increase the
intake of high-water contents raw fruits and vegetables like
melons, cucumber, celery, lettuces and leafy greens, citrus
fruits, radishes, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Go Green: increase the consumption of green vegetables
like spinach, kale, chard, collard greens, bok choy, arugula,
lettuces, broccoli, brussel sprouts and other mineral-rich
vegetables. Either use them in a salad, or add them to stirfries,
stews, and soups, or throw them into a smoothie.
Push The Probiotics: include pre-biotic and probiotic-rich
foods to aid gut health and immunity. Include beverages like
kefir, kombucha, or rejuvelac, eat ½ cup of cultured
vegetables with a meal, or add some probiotic powder to a
smoothie or juice.
80/20 Plate: Reverse your thinking about portions. Consider
filling 80% of the plate with vegetables and 20% with clean
protein choices.
Move: engage in some kind of gentle movement – walking,
rebounding, stretching every day, and some kind of weight
bearing exercise a few times a week.
How does the content in The Perfect Blend
support people towards achieving these
goals?
I open the book with a master list of nutrient-dense hero
foods that help keep the body in optimal health. Anchored
to this master list, the recipes are then divided into 12
chapters, all categorised by health goals. You can make
recipes to gain energy, optimise protein intake, boost
immunity, lose weight, combat inflammation, lower carbs,
utilise healthy fats, include probiotics, balance alkalinity,
combine foods for optimal digestion, or just blend fabulous
flavours for culinary pleasure.
Each chapter opens with the top foods that help
you achieve that specific goal, practical information
about their health benefits, and tips for how to blend
them for amazing textures and tastes. Then, there are
recipes for smoothies, elixirs, snacks, salads, sides,
mains, and desserts utilising these foods. So,
incorporating your daily quota of fruits and veggies is
easy and fun.
The recipes are designed to be functional and
flexible, and all include three optional boosters that
enhance flavour and nutrition. So, you can tailor these
meals and snacks to your own preferences to find your
perfect blend.
On your blog, you describe your own
health journey, and explain that one of
the biggest lessons you learnt was that
there is no ‘one size fits all’ diet approach.
What advice would you give to others who
are still searching for the way of eating to
suit them best?
Yes! I dogmatically followed countless whole foods
diets, and the moment I embraced the concept of bioindividuality,
and adopted a flexible and fluid approach
to health and nutrition my whole world opened up.
We all have varying needs depending on our genes,
BAREFOOTVegan | 26