Fruit Healthy

Is fruit healthy? Or can you do without?

Eat two pieces of fruit a day is the slogan … but is that necessary? Several studies, on the other hand, indicate that fructose is perhaps the most underrated thickener. That is why in some diets the eating of fruit is also limited. So? Two pieces of fruit per day or not? I am trying to answer that question here.

Is fruit healthy?

Let’s answer that question first … I will not turn around the hot knit … fruit can be very healthy! Fruit is mainly known for the large amount of vitamins, dietary fiber and antioxidants in fruit. And it is indeed true that it is good for our body. But that is of course not the only thing in fruit. For example, an orange and an apple contain more than 23 grams of sugars (fructose) and that is less good for us. But this is just the ‘short-the-bend’ reasoning … technically you could say that you better eat vegetables, because then you have the vitamins, the fibers and the antioxidants, but not the sugars. But fruit, on the other hand, is tastier and easier to carry on the road.
So is fruit healthy ? I searched online for research results and the good news is that with normal quantities of fresh fruit, fruit is indeed healthy for you. Now I can imagine that you think “why the hell are you writing this article? Didn’t we all know this? ”… That’s right. But more and more diets prescribe a limited sugar intake and even fruit is then excluded, or limited to a minimum. And then the question arises … can you live without fruit if it is that healthy?

Can you go without fruit?

The answer is “yes.” Every person can stay healthy his entire life without having eaten a single piece of fruit in his life. In fact, it is only since we have cooled transportation and heated greenhouses that it is possible to eat fruit at all outside the harvest season.
You can get enough vitamins, dietary fiber and antioxidants from vegetables and nuts. So if your diet prescribes not to eat fruit, you don’t have to worry that your body will give up after a few months. However, you must ensure that you eat enough greetings, meat and nuts … and you do not make any concessions there.

Then why would you exclude fruit at all?

As described earlier, fruit is simply healthy. And if you eat fresh fruit, it is almost impossible to “overeat” with fruit. Yet there are reasons to ignore fruit (for a large part). For example if you eat low carbohydrate. Low carbohydrate diets are aimed at bringing your body into a state of ketosis . This means that your body mainly draws energy from fats due to a lack of glucose (sugars / carbohydrates). This significantly increases your fat burning. A diet based on ketosis leads to unimaginable results when it comes to fat loss and weight control. In such a case, it is no disaster if you no longer eat fruit.

Just for the fruit lovers … why is fruit so good for us?

Fruit is full of fiber, water, vitamins and antioxidants and has a high chewing resistance. Due to the high chewing resistance and the slow digestion of the fruit, the fructose enters very metered in the liver. As a result, with a normal diet (low in carbohydrates) there will be little or no insulin peak. Our body can deal well with fructose that comes from fresh fruit, because the fructose is released in doses. Fructose in foods other than fruit do not have these benefits !! Fructose candies or added fructose is not healthy.


Fruit is healthy and in a non-carbohydrate diet it is certainly advisable to eat some fruit every day … if only because it is so delicious! But you can also do fine without fruit if your diet requires it.
Breakfast Easy Recipes Fruit Healthy Smoothie Vegan Vegetarian Video

How protein shakes help me lose weight

For a while I have been using proteins to lose weight. Inspired by the book by Timothy Ferriss, I went looking for scientific studies that found that a low-carb, but high-protein and fat-rich diet was healthier and produced better results. Losing weight with proteins is HOT! The scientific evidence appears to be in large quantities and the results do not lie. At the bottom of the article I have listed the 3 most important studies that show that weight loss works with proteins. The light was therefore green and I started the diet (or actually diet) of Timothy Ferriss.

Quite soon after I started the Timothy Ferriss diet ( body a body book ), I started protein shakes. The Timoty Ferriss diet is based on protein intake and low carbohydrate eating. But to make a good start, it is important to start your day with a breakfast free of carbohydrates and an intake of at least 20 grams of protein.

The first week I started in the morning with 3 eggs with a little Zaanse mayonnaise, 4 slices of bacon and two large glasses of water. But after two weeks the eggs came out of my throat. You still have to do quite a bit to get those 20 grams of protein. And it is almost the basis if you want to lose weight with proteins. That is why I started looking for an alternative to the eggs. So you can start with 200 grams of chicken fillet, a generous salmon steak … but yes … who wants to get up early in the morning?

The outcome: Protein shakes
A turbulent diet period began … 🙂Protein shakes soon seemed the solution, but the road to the perfect shake was a long one. I tried maybe 10 different varieties … one even dirtier than the other! Some had
a very bad taste, others just couldn’t be plum and others didn’t really have a good impact on my diet.

I ended up with  these protein shakes because of the natural ingredients. The taste is great and there are few carbohydrates in it (which is very important!). I take about 1 scoop every morning and mix it with 250ml almond milk. My experience is that if you start your day with this, you will last at least 4-5 hours … without getting hungry. Eat some more fat (a handful of almonds for example) and the 4-5 hours after breakfast your body is burning fat. I lost more than 10 kilos with this!

Why proteins help in burning fat
Proteins prevent large fluctuations in your glycemic index. A low glycemic index means that the diet contains carbohydrates that are absorbed slowly by the body. This gives you a feeling of satiety for longer during the day. As a result, you do not feel hungry all day long and saying no to delicacies becomes much easier. [ 1 ] This forms the basis for weight loss with proteins. Of course there are more factors that play a role, but this is the most important.

You also need proteins to build and restore your muscles. And this is really not only important if you want to body build! Every effort you make causes small cracks in your muscles. Your body repairs those cracks with the help of proteins. If you do not get enough protein, your body will not repair those cracks at all or not enough … and then you break down muscles. People who exercise lightly also benefit from it. Mix the proteins with water and not with milk.

Why losing weight with proteins has no yo-yo effect
The reason why many diets cause a so-called ‘yo-yo effect’ is that many of those diets are used for calorie restriction. And calorie restriction leads to a number of reactions in your body, of which these two reactions provide the yo-yo effect:

Your body does not get enough energy to keep your body running properly. From ancient times it is genetically determined that our body will use less energy (and therefore calories) to survive. Your body goes into a kind of ‘fuel-efficient mode’. As a result, your body starts to prepare for difficult times … and it does so by building up fat reserves. So as soon as you stop your low-calorie diet, your body starts storing like crazy.
In addition, because your body doesn’t get enough energy, your body starts looking for natural energy sources in your body. A source that can always provide the body with energy are the proteins. And your body gets it from, among other things, your muscles. Your body will therefore break down muscles to get energy. And your muscles use a lot of energy, which means that you will use even fewer calories at rest. In addition, less muscle mass ensures less burn. If you are going to lose weight with proteins, you do not have that problem.
And so after your diet it seems as if every pound goes through your mouth, directly clinging to your hips and stomach … and actually that is true. Although with the best of intentions, because your body wants to prevent it from having to draw energy from muscles the next time.

Do I have to eat completely low in carbohydrates?
You don’t have to! I have benefited a lot from it myself and feel better since I did it, but…. it is not necessary. You can lose weight with protein shakes by just doing your breakfast low in carbohydrate with a protein shake and some fat, then you will get through the day whistling. No hunger, no muscle breakdown and more resistant to impulsive binge eating. Of course, the effect is 10 x greater if you eat completely low in carbohydrates. In fact … that is easier to maintain. But starting with baby scoops is better than not starting😉

Some small tips
This protein shake works best for me and I think the tastiest tastes (with free shake cup)
The book by Timothy Ferriss is highly recommended
For me, losing weight was a little faster when I started taking  these caffeine tablets  (don’t you bounce;))
Studies that endorse my experience
Comparison of energy-restricted very low-carbohydrate and low-fat diet on weight loss and body composition in overweight men and women

Low carbohydrate food
On this blog we write a lot about low carbohydrate eating and low carbohydrate diets. Read more about the low- carbohydrate diet.


Fish reduces the risk of depression in women

Eating fish twice a week reduces the risk of depression in women by 25 percent. This is the conclusion of a study by the Menzies Research Institute.

The team followed more than 1,400 men and women aged 26 to 36 for five years. The participants kept track of what they ate, including which types of fish. Data on their mental health were also kept. Even after correction for other factors such as smoking, weight, exercise, alcohol consumption, level of education and occupation, there appeared to be a connection between eating fish and depression.

Women who ate fish once a week were found to have 6 percent less risk of depression. Women who put fish on the menu twice a week had a 25 percent lower risk of depression. In men, no link was found between fish consumption and depressive symptoms.

Why fish has this effect on women, but not on men, the scientists don’t know yet. Possibly the omega-3 fatty acids in fish in combination with the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone ensure that the female brain functions well. It is possible that men already get more omega-3 fatty acids from other sources, for example from meat. The results of the study appeared in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Fruit Healthy Vegetarian

‘Tomatoes improve sperm quality’

Tomatoes have a positive effect on the quality of sperm. According to research published by the Cleveland Clinic. According to American researchers, the substance causes lycopene, the substance that causes a tomato to be red, that the amount of sperm increases by about seventy percent. The quality of the sperm also increases.

For the research, the scientists studied the data from twelve different studies around the world. All these studies showed that lycopene ensures that the number of sperm cells present increases and that the seed starts to swim a lot faster. According to the research leader, Ashok Agarwal, the studies clearly demonstrated the positive effect of lycopeem on sperm.

Follow-up investigation
Previous studies have also shown that lycopene reduces the risk of prostate disease. The research team immediately started follow-up research and will, among other things, study the effect of taking lycopene supplements in men who are inexplicably infertile. The results of that investigation are expected next year.

Easy Recipes Healthy Recipes Vegan Vegetarian Video

Are vitamins lost during cooking?

Our body needs vitamins for a healthy metabolism. Vitamins ensure, among other things, that our resistance is maintained. Many people get a flu during this period, so it is important to get enough vitamins from your food. Unfortunately, there are a number of vitamins that are very sensitive to heating, which means that many vitamins are lost during cooking. That is why it is important to know how you can cook in a different way so that the vitamins are retained!

All vitamins at a glance

There are 13 types of vitamins:

Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B8
Vitamin B11 (folic acid)
Vitamin B12
All these vitamins have their own effect. For example, vitamin A is important for the skin and vitamin C is important for the immune system. We need these vitamins every day, one more than the other. To get enough vitamins, it is important to eat healthy and varied food.

The preparation, what goes wrong here?

Everyone has their own way of cooking. The preparation will therefore also be different for everyone. Vitamins can be lost during the preparation of a meal. If you look critically at how you prepare your food, you can adjust certain ways that you save vitamins!

Wash your vegetables briefly. Soaking your vegetables for a long time is a real no-go!
Did you know that vitamins are already being lost while vegetables are being cut? Therefore, do not buy pre-sliced vegetables, because you never know how they prepared the vegetables. Cut your vegetables yourself and preferably as short as possible before cooking.
Prefer not to peel vegetables. It is often customary to peel a zucchini, for example, but the skin is full of vitamins!
Place the vegetables in boiling water instead of cold water. If you let cold water heat up in a pan with vegetables, more vitamins will be lost.
Cook with the lid on the pan. There are many vitamins in the cooking fluid! Therefore, also use your cooking fluid as the basis for a sauce, for example.
5 tips to preserve vitamins during cooking
Many vitamins are also lost during cooking, while you naturally want to keep every vitamin !

# 1 Eat fresh

Fresh vegetables contain the most vitamins. That is because it has not been processed much and is therefore still in the store in a short time. Always store fresh vegetables in a dark and dry place.

# 2 Poach

If you poach vegetables, the cooking temperature stays below 100 degrees. This means that the taste is better preserved and the vitamins are still in your vegetables!

# 3 Cook at a higher temperature

By cooking at a higher temperature with a shorter baking time you limit the loss of vitamins even more!

# 4 Wok

Wok is very easy and fast. You can put everything in the wok and bake everything briefly. Meat sears quickly so that all juices and vitamins remain in the meat. The vegetables are quickly cooked without losing the vitamins.

# 5 Use as

little water as possible By using little water, you lose fewer vitamins. Is it customary for you to add salt during cooking? Do not! Salt extracts all vitamins from your vegetables. That’s how they disappear in the water. Therefore, add a little salt only when you start serving the dish.

Low Carb Lunch Recipes

Hello Fresh makes me a top chef!

After my sister-in-law and best friend had both enthusiastically recommended me the Hello Fresh box, I could no longer ignore it. So hop on to the Hello Fresh site to order one. I was somewhat suspicious about it (as with almost all new things). Would it really be that fresh, tasty and “easy” ?! Well, I can tell you: I’m up!

No worries about your dinner

With a man at home who wants to eat low-carb / free food, a toddler son of 2.5 who decides on the spot whether he wants to eat and myself as an anti-stampot woman, it is really a drama in the supermarket every week. How in heaven’s name do I put together a menu for the three of us in which I also mainly cook healthily? Hello Fresh offers me a solution: no longer putting together a menu, but simply receiving it in a beautiful booklet with accompanying ingredients.

Freshly delivered at home

In the supermarket it is quite a hassle to get everything together for such a great meal. And when my son interrupts my search for the tenth time, it sometimes happens that I just forget something. That does not happen anymore, because everything (except for some oil, salt, etc.) is supplied ready-made in the box. The quantity for the number of people is also taken into account, so I don’t throw away half afterwards.

I feel like a top chef

The first week was just as exciting, because I am not such a great cook and now I suddenly had to “really” start cooking. There was just ginger in my package, Hake fillet and pumpkin. But with the handy recipe book where everything is mentioned in detail, I even managed to create a great meal! Cutting the vegetables myself is not that bad, I now also enjoy cooking much more. All of a sudden I put a delicious dish on the table every evening, made of all pure ingredients and I feel like a true chef!

Suitable for any age & diet

The meals that I have made so far were very tasty and also suitable for our young son. Hubby eats carbohydrate-free twice a day, so he can eat some carbohydrates in the evening. The advantage of Hello Fresh is that the proportions are correct and that you do not eat more rice or pasta than you need. In addition, we also eat much more varied than before, we all get the nutrients that we need. A win-win situation for all of us.

Not expensive and flexible

We now eat a Hello Fresh dish 3 days a week, but we eat 5 next week during the holidays. You can adjust the frequency and sometimes skip a week. If I look at what I had previously lost in the Jumbo and now on my Hello Fresh box, I see no financial reason for not doing it, it is rather cheaper and more expensive.

Become a top chef too!

Are you now also a busy woman, not a master chef, or weekly plagued by all choice stress? Then I would definitely try the test box without obligation. You will be amazed by your own cooking skills: D!

Breakfast Easy Recipes Keto Low Carb Lunch Recipes Vegan

Crispy Potato Tacos

Yield: 8 Tacos


2 Large Russet Potatoes 3/4 cup Sour Cream 2 cloves Minced Garlic 1/2 tsp Cumin Salt, to taste 1/2 tsp Oregano 8 Corn Tortillas Oil for Frying Optional Toppings: Sour Cream Salsa Cotija Cheese Cilantro


Thoroughly wash the potatoes & peel the skin off. Cut into smaller pieces and place in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and allow potatoes to cook until they are soft. Place softened potatoes into a large bowl.

Mix in sour cream, cumin, salt and pepper and mash until well combined. Wrap the tortillas in a damp towel or paper towel and microwave for 15-20 seconds, so they don’t break.

On half of the tortilla, place about 1 Tbsp. of the potato mixture and spread it around. Fold the tortilla in half and repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a pan. Carefully, place the potato tacos in the pan, allowing them to cook for about 2 minutes on each side.

Once they have developed a golden color, remove from oil and strain excess oil off on a paper towel. Serve with your favorite toppings & enjoy! Recipe by: Carrie Hildebrand

Easy Recipes Keto Low Carb Lunch Recipes Vegan

Loaded Queso Tortilla Bowl


for 4 servings

1 flour tortilla
¼ cup  olive oil (60 mL)
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon  cumin
1 tablespoon  paprika
1 teaspoon  garlic powder
1 teaspoon  chili powder
1 teaspoon  salt
1 lb  flank steak (455 g)
1 tablespoon  olive oil
2 tablespoons  butter
½ onion, diced
2 jalapeñoes, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons  flour
1 cup  milk (240 mL)
4 cups  cheddar cheese (400 g)
guacamole, to serve
tomato, diced, to serve
sour cream, to serve
fresh cilantro, to serve
tortilla chips, to serve


  1. Preheat an oven to 400˚F (200˚C).
  2. Place a flour tortilla over an oven-safe bowl. Place another oven-safe bowl over it. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the bowls and set the tortilla bowl aside.
  3. In a shallow container, place olive oil, lime juice, cumin, paprika, garlic powder chili powder and salt. Mix well.
  4. Place the flank steak in the spice mixture, rubbing until fully coated. Marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
  5. Heat a cast iron pan or stainless steel pan over high heat. Coat with olive oil and Add the steak and sear for 6-8 minutes.
  6. Rest the meat for 5 minutes. Cut them into a bite size. Set aside.
  7. In a medium size saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
  8. Add the jalapeños and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  9. Sprinkle in the flour, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add milk and cook until the mixture has thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
  10. Add the cheddar cheese ½ cup (50 g) at a time. Stir constantly until the cheese is completely melted.
  11. On a flat plate, spread tortilla chips. Place the tortilla bowl on top. Pour in the queso and top with chopped steak, chopped tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream and cilantro.
  12. Enjoy!


Breakfast Easy Recipes Keto Low Carb Lunch Recipes Vegan

Sweet Potato Breakfast Bake


for 8 servings

2 large sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon  olive oil
2 teaspoons  salt, divided
2 teaspoons  pepper, divided
8 eggs
1 tomato, diced
¼ cup  green onion, chopped (40 g)
1 bell pepper, diced and cooked
½ teaspoon  garlic powder
½ cup  milk (120 mL)
cooking spray
10 slices ham
2 cups  spinach (80 g)


  2. Using a mandolin, slice the sweet potatoes lengthwise into about 3-millimeter thick slices.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the sliced sweet potatoes, oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss until well coated.
  4. Lay out sweet potato slices on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until the edges start to crisp.
  5. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, tomatoes, green onions, bell pepper, garlic powder, remaining teaspoon of salt, remaining teaspoon of pepper, and the milk. Whisk well.
  6. Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C) .
  7. Grease a 9 x 5-inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan. Line the sides and base of the pan with sweet potato slices, overlapping slightly.
  8. Layer half of the ham slices over the sweet potato, then add the spinach, another layer of sweet potato, the egg mixture, the rest of the ham, and the rest of the sweet potato slices.
  9. Fold the outside sweet potato slices over the loaf.
  10. Bake for 30 minutes.
  11. Invert the loaf onto a serving plate, then slice and serve.
  12. Enjoy!


Breakfast Easy Recipes Keto Low Carb Lunch Recipes Vegan

Loaded Vegetarian Nachos


for 6 servings

1 cup  lentils, rinsed (200 g)
2 cups  vegetable broth (480 mL)
1 teaspoon  salt
½ teaspoon  pepper
2 teaspoons  chili powder
2 teaspoons  cumin
1 teaspoon  garlic powder
1 teaspoon  dried oregano
15 oz  corn, 1 can, drained and rinsed (425 g)
15 oz  black beans, 1 can, drained and rinsed (425 g)
1 lb  tortilla chips (455 g)
1 ½ cups  shredded mexican cheese blend (150 g)
1 cup  shredded lettuce (75 g)
1 cup  tomato, diced (200 g)
½ cup  red onion, chopped (75 g)
2 jalapeñoes, sliced
⅓ cup  fresh cilantro, chopped (15 g)


  2. In a large pot, over medium-high heat, bring lentils, broth, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and oregano to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 35 minutes.
  3. Once cooked, mix in the corn and black beans.
  4. On a baking sheet, place a layer of tortilla chips, followed by the lentil mixture and cheese.
  5. Add another layer of tortilla chips, lentils, and cheese.
  6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
  7. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, jalapeños, and guacamole, and cilantro.
  8. Enjoy!