Lifestyle change for life

We are born into a fast food society, where many people like to have ready-made, instant solutions, whether it's a pizza with mirlitas or fast food, 3-in-1 shampoo or a multifunctional wonder cookie. 

On Beauty Day, many people asked me to write more about tips to incorporate into your daily routine. Here.

I'm also extremely sensitive, when I was 3 years old in a ten-storey building, the smell of rotting garbage gave me huge blisters, and then I had eczema and stomach aches all my childhood.... Maybe that's why I care more about health than others. I went to medical school and then to medical school, but most of what I've learned since then has been self-taught through my own experience. 

When we moved to the Pilis a few years ago, I felt at home immediately, but it was a very big task to start a big garden with fruit trees, bushes, lawns, flower and herb gardens. I would have to take care of it every day...

When I was a child I spent a lot of time in the countryside and on farms, and now I regret that I didn't pay more attention, because now I don't have someone behind me to tell me how and when to prune the trees, what organic spray is, what type and dryness of wood is best for heating the fireplace, and where to plant tomatoes and dill. But I got the hang of it, and I'm getting more and more skilled every year. 

We farm in high beds, planting new fruit trees every year. We have learnt to accept that in nature no two autumns and summers are the same, no two harvests are the same, that it takes a lot of work to make a jar of syrup or jam, that tomatoes often ripen suddenly and all at once, and that it makes sense to sow economically... Today, gardening is still more of a hobby and a spiritual cure than a real farming, but I try...

I strive to buy good quality food, even if it is a challenge. Nowadays, I shop on instinct and, of course, by looking at the labels. I have a large pantry and I am loyal, I have learned to buy what works well in bulk and that makes it easier for me to shop. 

In this "high-tech" world, I like to shop online, I like to have it delivered to my door, because it saves me a lot of time and effort. I like going to the market and buying fresh fruit and vegetables.

I am not extreme, I don't follow special diets and I love to eat. But only what is good for me - for my body and my soul. 

I eat everything that people used to eat, and I eat what I want, but I try to make sure that it has no additives, preservatives, flavour enhancers, flavours or toxins. 

WHAT NEW HABITS HAVE I DEVELOPED?

• I grind my own grain in our small mill, I use this flour to bake bread when I can, and I love gluten-free flours
• in the morning, we drink freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices made with a juicer
• I eat freshly pressed flaxseed, chia seeds or some kind of cereal or muesli every day 
• I eat lots of oilseeds and my own dried fruit and vegetable crisps
• I don't buy processed foods that are high in additives, preservatives, flavourings and flavour enhancers. This is especially true for cold cuts, sauces and baked goods. We prefer to eat home-made jam bread, pancakes
• I eat cold pressed oil every day - our favourites are pumpkin seed oil, linseed oil, olive oil
• I buy lactose-free dairy products
• use syrups (rice, dates) and honey instead of sugar
• we drink a lot, especially water and herbal teas 
• I fry our fried food in cold-pressed oil
• I avoid industrial flours and pastries, we eat leavened bread made from real Hungarian flours
• no vitamins in tablets, but we eat a lot of superfoods: 5 tablets of Chlorella algae, 5 tablets of Spirulina algae, and other herbal extracts and teas

We have chocolate in our pantry and even in my bedside table! And in the summer, I also drink beer in the evenings if it's nice. But I choose everything without additives. Somehow it has become a routine, I don't even have to pay attention to it.

It may cost "more" today, but it is worth it. I'm not talking about the money - and yes, valuable food is much more expensive - but about the time and attention. That is perhaps the least of what we have now. 

I consciously develop my self-love. I can use it. I find that my respect for my life, my living space, and my physical body improves a lot as I become more conscious of my nutrition.

In the long run, this happy medium works for me, and I can do it without spending all day in the kitchen. 

BASIC ADVICE:

• always read the labels on the food you buy and put back any preservatives, flavour enhancers, stock improvers and other additives
• what we can do, we should do ourselves, but only as much as we feel comfortable with, not as a burden or a constraint
• start eating and drinking natural foods and drinks today 
• you don't have to change everything overnight, just change one thing, then when it becomes routine, you can change the next.

Eat well, be happy and healthy!