Eating 3000 calories a day!

Last night me and my lovely roommate were making some kale salad. I was going to pour olive oil to my dressing but the bottle was empty. I was surprised...Why?

Because,
*I also have used one third of my coconut oil.

*I eat one avocado a day

*I eat almonds, cashew nuts, brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, chia seeds, flax seed and raw nut bars daily. Not all every day, but still a lot.

*AND I have lived in this house for 3 weeks and there have been days when I haven't cooked at home.

I never count calories and I eat what my body tells me to eat. Last night I made an exemption and found out that I eat 3000 calories/day in average (sometimes more, sometimes less)
I am not gaining weight at all though. I know they say you are supposed to eat a handful of nuts a day, and that you get enough fat from eating one avocado a day.
If we take a look at my diet, it is really based on fatty acids, from oils, nuts and seeds, vegetables, berries and fruits. I don't eat animal based food at all and In the summertime I probably eat 90% raw food, including A LOT OF fruits (who cares about the fructose), vegetables and Super foods. Maybe twice or 3 times a week I eat brown rice, quinoa, pasta or rye bread.

The question is my diet bad for me?
My opinion is that we are all individuals. What works for me might not work for you. If you feel great, you have energy to work out twice a day, you need only 6 hours of sleep and you are not gaining weight, you have found the balance that we all should find. In that situation, If you start thinking about your diet too much it might only cause you stress and make the overall results negative. But I also believe that if your diet is bad for you, you should find a way to change it anyway.

This all is just my opinion though. I know there are a lot of health experts reading my blog, so I would really like to hear your opinion about my diet and all this. Should I change something in my diet or listen to my body? I would really appreciate hearing your opinions. You can send them to essi.liljama@gmail.com

Have a healthy (nutty lol) weekend everybody!

-E-

Sources of plant-based protein

What are proteins?

Protein chain

Proteins are large, complex molecules that are made of hundreds or thousands of smaller units called amino acids. These amino acids are linked together to form protein chains in different combinations. Proteins play many critical roles in our body; they maintain and foster the growth of our cells, make antibodies and hormones, and help regulate our fluid and electrolyte balance.

There are 23 different amino acids, fifteen of them our bodies can manufacture on their own and eight of them must come from our diet alone.

My sources of protein

I felt like writing about plant-based proteins, since I feel like these nutritious sources of amino acids are not always in people's mind when talking about protein. That's where I get all my essential amino acids from. The list of the good plant-based sources is long, so I'm just going to focus on the ones that are included in my top4.

Greens and vegetables: 

Compared to calories to protein content, per one hundred calories, broccoli has 11,2g or protein, as compared with steak, which only has 5,4g. Good other sources of protein are spinach, romaine lettuce, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and asparagus.

Nuts and seeds: 

The protein in nuts and seeds lacks one essential amino acid called lysine, which can be found in legumes and animal products. They contain a lot of nutrients in relation to their calories. They are rich in flavonoids and fiber, and a great source of energy. My favorite nuts and seeds are brazil nuts, pine nuts and almonds and I eat them as a snack or use them in salads.

Hemp: 

The protein found in hemp is similar to protein found in human body. It is complete protein which means it contains all the essential amino acids. It is a great source of fiber and contains all the essential fatty acids, provides antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and chlorophyll. The hemp protein I take (The golden bag in the picture) contains 50% of protein. I take it in my smoothies or with fruits but you can also drink it with water or soy milk.

Fitline pro shape amino: 

Contains all the amino acids for life. It is a supplement that only includes plant-based protein without artificial flavors, preservatives or sugar. I would not necessarily need a protein supplement but for anyone who does this is a Great option!

There are also legumes, beans and grains that play an important role in my protein intake. 

Tomorrow I will post two of my favorite recipes that are rich in protein and fiber and taste DELICIOUS!

-E-

Library of recipes: Homemade muesli

Homemade muesli is a good option for muesli and cereal lovers and actually for anyone looking for a fibrous meal or snack before going to sleep. It is quick and easy to make, and you can use all kind of nuts, brans, dried fruits and berries. This time I used rolled oats, oat bran, sunflower seeds, rye bran, almonds and raisins. 

Muesli

your choice of brans, nuts, dried fruits and berries

organic honey

cinnamon

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Heat up the oven to 200 C and roast the muesli in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until it gets golden brown. Let it cool down and enjoy it with soy yoghurt and fruits or alone.

-E-

"A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book"