Frida Harju is the in-house nutritionist at leading health and fitness app, Lifesum- www.lifesum.com
Vegan on Female First
Mediterranean Diet
First of all, the Mediterranean Diet is very rich in fruits, whole grains, legumes, vegetables and healthy oils, making it very easy for vegans to add the essential elements to their daily diet and create delicious and healthy foods in the process. Here are some of the Mediterranean elements that you should be adding to your diet this year:
Olive Oil
Instead of using margarine or various butter substitutes, add healthy and mono-saturated fats found in olive oil to your food when you season and bake. Olive oils with a dash of balsamic vinegar are also perfect for dipping bread in and can be a great starter for when guests come to visit. If you prefer other oils, most plant-based oils are full of the healthy monounsaturated fats and omega-3 acids.
Almonds
Almonds are one of my favourite nuts as they are healthy as well as tasty. To get all of their nutrition, eat them with the skin on. As most of the healthy nuts, it is high in in monounsaturated fats, which are great for heart health.
Additionally, the phosphorus that you can find in this nut helps to build strong bones and teeth. And almonds are one of the richest sources of vitamin E, which improves your skin and can also reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Lastly, almonds are the only nut and one of the few proteins that are alkaline forming. An alkalized body has better immune function and energy.
Spinach
Spinach, like tomatoes, contains antioxidants that combat free radicals. When tested on rats, researchers at the University of South Florida found that spinach improved both memory and learning skills. The high potassium levels found in spinach increases the speed of signals between neurons, helping our brains to be more responsive. In recent years, spinach has become a fashionable superfood so it is often included in restaurants’ menus but the easiest way to consume spinach is to add raw leaves to a salad or eat boiled spinach with a vegan muffin for a nutritious breakfast.
Beans
Most vegans will already have beans as a diet staple, as they are a good source of protein. Beans are also integral to the Mediterranean diet, as they contain lysine, an essential amino acid, which helps the body to convert fatty acids into energy. Lysine also helps lower levels of cholesterol and speeds up the body’s absorption of calcium, leading to strong and healthy bones.
Vegetables
Most of us won’t get enough vegetables in a day, even if we follow the vegan diet – you should aim to consume between 5 and 8 servings of vegetables in a day. Fresh and cooked vegetables are an essential part of the Mediterranean diet, providing a wide range of antioxidants and vitamins. Aim to have some vegetables at both lunch and dinner, particularly good ones to add are: carrots (rich in fiber, beta-carotene and vitamins A, C, K and B), red peppers (ample vitamin C, capsacin which eases inflammation and lowers bad cholesterol, and low on calories). You can also add even more greens to your diet by following the ‘Eat Greens’ plan on Lifesum.
Fruit
Fruit is a great way of having a healthy and sweet desert, without having to consume too much refined sugar and getting plenty of vitamins and antioxidants in the process. If you feel that your fruit could still do with some sweetening, try a dash of honey or some agave nectar.
Spices
Lastly, the Mediterranean diet contains plenty of herbs and spices, which make the food so delicious, such as garlic, mint, cinnamon, pepper and basil. Not only do these add flavour to whatever you are cooking, but cinnamon has been found to lower blood sugar levels, mint can reduce symptoms of IBS, basil boost immunity, while pepper helps to reduce your appetite and garlic help to improve heart health.
If you would like to receive some more advice on following the Mediterranean diet if you are vegan, you can also try out apps like Lifesum (www.lifesum.com), which has a dedicated Mediterranean diet plan, which can be tailored towards vegans. Whether your aim is to gain or lose weight, the Lifesum app will help you with helpful recipes and tips to make sure that you benefit from all of the advantages of the Mediterranean diet.
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