Por: Jideon F Marques

Feeling better starts here!

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Now more than ever, so many of us are looking for ways to improve our health and boost our immunity, and the very best – and easiest – place to start is in the kitchen.

Paying attention to what and how we eat is such a simple way we can all take more control over our wellbeing. I truly believe that plants have the power to heal and I’m so excited to share this new collection of recipes and wellness ideas with you. My recipes are inexpensive and low effort, but packed with incredible ingredients that will make you feel instantly better. These are the recipes I cook and eat at home that keep me and my family feeling happy and healthy, and that help us get back on track when illness does inevitably strike. My food is always bright and colourful, using 100 per cent plant-based wholefoods along with some of my favourite magical superfood ingredients to boost your mood and supercharge your immunity.

I’ve studied plant-based nutrition extensively and am incredibly passionate about the amazing ways plants can be used as medicine to help heal us from the inside out. I know, first hand, the incredible impact diet can have on how we feel, having been on my own journey to wellness when I began eating a plant-based diet ten years ago. Ever since making that life-changing decision, my energy levels have increased, my hormones have felt more in balance, my mood has lifted and I get ill much less often. More recently, I’ve learnt about the powerful effects specialist ingredients like medicinal mushrooms, plant powders and seaweed can have, and I’ve seen some really impressive results.

For me and my family, eating plant-based wholefoods keeps the focus on un-refined, healthy and nutritious meals, with small amounts of animal products included – I still have eggs and a little dairy from time to time and my kids sometimes eat fish and meat, so I don’t claim to be vegan. That is why my recipes occasionally contain honey or other non-vegan ingredients. To maximise the nutritional benefits of ingredients, it’s generally fine to just wash or scrub fruit and veg without peeling them. The skin is rich in nutrients, so this increases your intake of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre.

Whether you are currently experiencing a period of ill health, have specific recurring symptoms, or simply want to learn about ways you can support your immune system, I’ve included all my favourite ways to give yourself a head start, maximise your wellbeing and take control over your health. It can feel like such an enormous and overwhelming topic, with a huge amount of information available out there, but I hope I’ve been able to bring together the key ideas to produce a practical guide to keeping well. Don’t feel you have to suddenly overhaul your life! Even eating a few more veg-based meals, trying a couple of the self-care ideas or adding a plant powder or two to your morning smoothie will bring you so many benefits – and you can build on it from there!