Diet change

Helsinki, 11 degrees

This year, maybe due to the fact that my father passed away, maybe as a part of my natural maturation, has been all about self-examination, soul-searching and getting to know myself better. One part of it has been changing my diet in the sense that I haven't been trying to lose weight or anything, but I've been trying to understand what kind of food I eat and why I eat it. I had noticed that some things I used to eat only out of habit, and not really out of love. And one thing I've learned during my time spent in Italy has definitely been to appreciate food. We shouldn't eat things we don't love. It's that simple. I thought I would share with you some of my thoughts seeing as this is a change that has been going on in my life for some time now.

Tämän vuoden ajan, ehkä isäni poismenon takia, ehkä luonnollisena osana aikuistumista, olen harrastanut paljon itsetutkiskelua ja yrittänyt ymmärtää itseäni paremmin. Osa tätä itsetutkiskelua on ollut se, että olen tarkkaillut ruokavaliotani. En siksi, että haluaisin laihduttaa, vaan koska olen halunnut ymmärtää mitä syön ja miksi syön juuri niitä ruokia. Huomasin, että joitakin ruokia söin ihan vain tottumuksen takia. Kun asuin Italiassa opin arvostamaan ruokaa, ja mielestäni ei kannata syödä sellaista ruokaa, jota ei voi rakastaa. Ajattelin jakaa teidän kanssa ajatuksiani koskien ruokavaliomuutostani koska se on ollut hyvin ajankohtainen asia elämässäni jo jonkin aikaa.

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There is no diet that will do what eating healthy does. Skip the diet. Just eat healthy.

So what triggered my diet change? During the summer I found a Swedish book by chance at the Academic Bookstore's sale here in Helsinki called "Höj din energi" - directly translated something like "Elevate your energy level". According to the author of this book, Sanna Ehdin, our energy level is vital for our well-being. One important energy source is definitely food. The book is divided into 11 chapters so it's quite extensive and showcases Ehdin's 30-year-long studies in health and nutrition. I warmly recommend this book to all you readers! Please let me know if you wish to hear more about the book that made me realize that I had to change my diet in order to feel better.

Mikä sitten käynnisti ruokavaliomuutokseni? Kesällä löysin sattumalta Akateemisen alennusmyynnistä ruotsinkielisen kirjan nimeltään "Höj din energi" - vapaasti suomennettuna Korota energiatasosi. Kirjailijan Sanna Ehdinin mukaan energiatasomme on tärkeässä asemassa kun miettii kokonaisvaltaista hyvinvointiamme. Yksi keskeisimmistä energianlähteistämme on ruoka. Kirja on jaettu 11 kappaleeseen, joten se on varsin kattava, ja kertoo Ehdinin 30-vuotisista ravintotiedeopinnoista. Suosittelen kirjaa lämpimästi kaikille, jotka ovat kiinnostuneet ruoasta ja sen terveysvaikutuksista! Jos haluatte että käyn paremmin läpi kirjaa, joka sai minut tajuamaan että minun piti muuttaa ruokavaliotani voidaakseni paremmin, niin kertokaa siitä minulle.

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However, when it comes to food, Ehdin is far from being the only one to talk about food's health benefits. About two months ago I stumbled upon Lauren Conrad's blog post named Foods you need in your diet, and found that they were very similar to the ones I'd found in the book by Ehdin.

Ehdin ei tietysti ole ainoa, joka on puhunut ruoan terveysvaikutuksista. Pari kuukautta sitten törmäsin mm. Lauren Conradin blogikirjoitukseen, joka oli nimetty Foods you need in your diet - ruokia joita ruokavaliossasi tarvitset. Kyseiset ns. hyvät ruoat muistuttivat hyvin paljon niitä, joista Ehdin oli kirjoittanut kirjassaan.

The reason why these foods are mentioned in many places right now, is the fact that they are loaded with the vitamins and antioxidants, so the health benefits of these “super foods” are astonishing!

Syy siihen, että niin moni puhuu juuri näistä ruuista on se, että ne sisältävät paljon vitamiineja ja antioksidantteja, jotka tekevät niistä ns. superfoodeja, eli superruokia!

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These are the ten superfoods Conrad mentions in her blog post:

Tässä ovat Conradin mainitsemat 10 superruokaa:

1. Kale and spinach. These two calcium and iron-rich leafy greens are some of the most nutrient-dense veggies there is. I prefer spinach and try nowadays to eat as much as once a week, in risotto, ricotta veggie balls, spinage lasagne, you name it. I'm crazy about spinage. Fresh spinage can also form a great base for a salad! / Lehtikaali ja pinaatti. Oma suosikkini näistä on pinaatti, ja syön sitä ainakin kerran viikossa risoton, vegepullien, salaatin tai vegelasagnen muodossa.

2. Quinoa. Packed with fiber and protein, quinoa is one of the best whole grains you can eat. I try to have it my morning muesli with yoghurt. Lately I've gone mad for Swedish Renee Voltaire and her superfood! Her crunchy morning granola includes for instance quinoa. / Kinoa. Savikkakasveihin kuuluva kinoa eli kvinoa on gluteeniton, Etelä-Amerikan Andeilla kasvava ikivanha kasvi. Sitä kutsutaan myös "inkojen riisiksi". Itse olen kinoa syönyt aamujogurtin kanssa, esim. ruotsalaisen Renee Voltairen granolan muodossa.

3. Fish. Eating fish can help lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, stroke, diabetes and arthritis. Fish like salmon and herring are so good for you. Before salmon and herring were in fact basically all the fish I used to eat, but now I try to eat pike-perch, white fish and perch. / Kala. Kalan terveysvaikutukset ovat kyllä laajasti tiedossa Suomessa, mutta yllätyn joka kerta kun kuulen miten vähän suomalaiset syövät kalaa. Viime viikolla kerrottiin esim. että suomalaiset syövät enää n. 300g silakkaa vuodessa, se kuulostaa mitättömältä määrältä! Ennen söin itsekin kaloista melkein ainoastaan lohta ja silakkaa, mutta nyt yritän myös syödä siikaa, kuhaa ja ahventa. 

4. Beans. Legumes like black beans, kidney beans, and lentils can provide as much as 17 grams of fiber in one cup. I personally prefer green beans and have them often as a side dish to my dinner. / Pavut. Vaikka kaikki pavut ovat terveellisiä, itse suosin vihreitä sellaisia. Ne toimivat oivana lisukkeenä kaikkiin ruokiin. 

5. Nuts. Nuts like walnuts and almonds are high in fiber and protein. Again this is something I have in my muesli in the morning, but sometimes I have nuts as a snack or put them on top of a salad. Delicious! / Pähkinät. Pähkinät ovat loistava proteiinilähde. Tykkään niistä myslissä, välipalana tai salaatin lisukkeenä.

6. Sweet potatoes. Up 'til now I've only enjoyed sweet potato soup, but I have plans to try to change all my regular potatoes to sweet ones. I've heard that baked sweet potatoes in the oven are to die for. / Bataatti. Yksi suosikkikeitoistani on bataattikeitto, mutta haluan myös kokeilla bataatteja eri muodossa. Ihanteellinen tilanne olisi jos voisin vaihtaa kaiken tavallisen perunan syömisen baatattin syömiseen. Olen esim. kuullut että uunibataatit ovat todella hyviä, niitä haluaisin kokeilla!

7. Blueberries. For us Finns this would be berries in general. We are fortunate enough to have a wide range of berries. I tend to enjoy my berries on top of yoghurt or as dessert. / Mustikat. Mielestäni tämä kohta voisi olla marjat ylipäätänsä koska meillä suomalaisilla niitä on niin paljon. Olemme onnekkaita koska meillä on paljon erilaisia marjoja. Itse syön niitä jogurtin päällä tai jälkiruokana.

8. Steel-Cut Oatmeal. I try to have porridge at least once a week for breakfast. Oatmeal porridge is so good! / Kaurahiutaleet ja kaurapuuro. Yritän syödä puuroa n. kerran viikossa aamiaisena. Kaurapuuro on niin hyvää!

9. Apples. There’s a lot of truth to the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Love them! Even though I used to be a little bit allergic to them at some point, I just kept on eating them and today I don't have any symptoms anymore so I guess my reluctant personality and determination drove the allergy away! / Omenat. Vaikka olin nuorempana allerginen omenoille, en koskaan lopettanut niiden syömistä koska omenat ovat yksinkertaisesti niin hyviä! Tänä päivänä minulla ei ole enää edes oireita joten voin rauhassa nauttia taas omenoista!

10. Fat-free Greek yogurt. I enjoy this kind of yoghurt, but most of all I've switched from fruit yoghurt to natural one because I've realized how much added suger the other ones have. / Rasvaton kreikkalainen jogurtti. Tykkään kreikkalaisesta jogurtista, mutta eniten syön maustamatonta jogurttia. En enää pidä hedelmäjogurteista, koska olen huomannut miten paljon lisättyä sokeria ne sisältävät. 

As Conrad, I truly find that I feel better and more energized after a healthy and nutrient-rich meal. It's important to remember though that it's not easy to change one's diet and it takes time so one needs to be patient. Your body will at first miss the things you have been eating before since it's used to them. But you will with time start to feel much better! Like Voltaire says it: "It can feel difficult to change your diet overnight, but let it take its time and remember to take one step at a time. Find your own balance is an ongoing process." I love that these foods make me feel good and not too bloated.

Kuten Conrad, huomaan että voin paremmin ja tunnen oloni paljon energisemmäksi kiitos terveellisen ja ravintorikkaan ruoan. Kuitenkin on hyvä muistaa, että ruokavaliomuutos ei aina ole helppo koska se vaatii aikaa ja totuttelua. Kroppasi kaipaa aluksi vielä vanhoja tuttuja ruokia ennen kun se tottuu uusiin. Erityisen paljon pidän kuitenkin siitä, että nämä yllä mainitsemat ruoat eivät aiheuta minulle koskaan ruokaähkyä.

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Another big change for me has been to switch from coffee drinking to tea drinking. My goal is not to leave coffee drinking in its entirety but to reach a point when I'm not addicted to coffee anymore. Currently I've had only one cup of coffee in the last month, and very proud of this! I still love coffee, but I've realized that it doesn't suit me as well as it might do other people because I noticed I had a very high pulse many times when I had had coffee, and that just isn't healthy. But I'll tell you more about my life with tea in further blog posts because I could write so much about that.

Toinen iso muutos elämässäni on ollut kahvin vaihtaminen teehen. Ihanteellista olisi, jos voisin juoda kahvia silloin tällöin mutta jos en enää tulisi siitä niin riippuvaiseksi kun olin aikaisemmin. Kahvin juominen nosti nimittäin sykettäni hurjasti, ja se ei yksinkertaisesti ollut enää terveellistä minulle. Nyt olen viimeisen kuukauden aikana juonut kahvia vain kerran, ja siitä olen todella ylpeä!

What superfoods do you swear by? Do you consider the health benefits with the food you eat?

Mitä superruokia sinä syöt? Mietitkö usein ruokavaliosi terveysvaikutuksia?


What's your opinion?

  1. I actually never had greek yogurt

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  2. I'm currently studying here in Finland, I'm always searching for new finnish blogs to follow (:
    Loved yours and your post about the importance of eat healthy food, I'm already following!
    http://contemporaryliveshere.blogspot.fi

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    1. Thank you Maria! Welcome as a new reader and to my lovely city! :) My city is your city!

      xxx
      E

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  3. I love greek yogurt ;)

    I follow you beautiful blog on bloglovin. I hope you will follow me back and I will wait for you in my blog www.gabusiek.blogspot.com

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  4. I am so sorry about your father I know how hard it is to loose a somebody you love :(

    Back to your post: Oh I love greek yoghurt, I could eat it every day and I love outs and nuts :) I always eat healthy because I am convince that it will worth it :)

    Love, T ♥

    http://voyagevoyagelamonde.blogspot.de/

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    1. Thank you, yes it's been a difficult year for me, so I really appreciate your kind concern.

      xxx
      E

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  5. I just ate a huge piece of salmon for dinner and it was to die for, so incredibly delicious! I love salmon. it's actually the only fish I love, to be honest. but when it comes to food overall I must say I eat what I want. when I feel like McDonald's then I grab a burger, when I feel like green leaves I have a salad and so on. like you said, it's important to love what you eat and eat what you love. I love chicken, avocado, cucumber, tomato, cottage cheese, bananas but there are also days when I love french fries or a sweet cake. oh and I also love working out always when I have some free time for this :)

    Maiken,
    Maikeni blogi - part of me

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    1. Yes, the idea with this diet is not to never eat something but to think about what one eats.

      xxx
      E

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  6. i only recently learned to love greek yoghurt (i found it kinda boring until i added some honey & strawberries to it!) i often have salmon, avocados, almonds... there is also quinoa in my cupboard and if i have porridge it always is from steal-cut otameal :) however my weakness are sweets and that really is a hard job to stay away from them ;) x

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    1. Some sweets now and then isn't all bad for you :)

      xxx
      E

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  7. I definitely agree with you! I used to count calories before and focused on quantity instead of the quality of what I ate. Now I just stick to healthier choices and complex carbs and I've kept the weight off without so much effort <3 My skin is better too!

    http://www.pinkoolaid.com/

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  8. Hi Elisabeth, this is such a great informative post, I will keep it bookmarked. I fully agree with you - you really shouldn't eat what you don't like. I am surprised about this list of recommended eats, its everything that I like and wouldn't mind to include in my diet....Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me, wishing you a good start to the new week!

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    1. Thank you! I appreciate the feedback, I'll keep that in mind while planning future blog posts :)

      xxx
      E

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  9. I have been doing clean eating for the past 2 months and i have never felt better ! i even lost some weight and everybody keeps asking me what's my diet.. LOL...Even my skin is thanking me now! BEst decision ever!!

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  10. such an informative post! thank you for sharing, definitely will use this for reference.

    www.thestylebender.com

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  11. I love the title, and I totally agree with it! Many people thinks "dieting" means eating less but they don't eat healthy. I hope many people will learn how to eat a healthy diet. Thanks for sharing the informative post! :)

    Take care always, love Christine ~ xo
    Chriissydollxo Blog | BlogLovin'

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    1. Thank you Christine for your kind comment, I'm happy that you liked the post :)

      xxx
      E

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  12. Great! :)
    Would You like to follow each other? Just follow me and I will follow U back :)
    http://astbakay.blogspot.ru/

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  13. I can't agree more! eating healthy is what gives you energy and makes you fir strong & healthy

    Xx

    Alexandra

    www.fashion-bridge.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks Alexandra, I'm happy that you agree!

      xxx
      E

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  14. such a great inspirational post!! ppl need to be more educated with a healthy way of eating!

    www.thestylebender.com

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@elisabeth.rundlof