Hi! Welcome to Tropically Lina. This blog is all about living a healthy and organic plant-based lifestyle that is down-to-earth, fun and tasty! It’s about thriving on the most abundant and wholesome ingredients for your mind, body and soul. It’s about sustainability for our big blue and green planet and compassion for the voiceless animals. I believe in this 100% plant-based vegan lifestyle with every ounce of my being. It has opened up my mind, heart and eyes to world and allowed me to live and embrace the present moment. Our health is a treasure to care for because without it, life becomes impossible.
MY HEALTH JOURNEY
A plant-based lifestyle hasn’t always been my reality. Growing up as a kid, I ate so much junk and fast food. My diet was very high in meat and animal byproducts. I carried the habit well into my high school years, where I developed binge eating disorder. It controlled my mind and was my outlet to almost every issue I faced. This was shortly followed by major calorie restriction in college, where I rapidly lost a great deal of weight. I was living in an illusion, where I thought because I was now thin, I was healthy. But I was far from it. During this phase of calorie restriction, I completely destroyed my metabolism. To top it all off, I dealt with major acne breakouts and scarring which covered my face.
Looking back at those dark times, I always felt extreme fatigue and was too low on energy to even think. I remember having this dreaded feeling that I was never going to get well. I became so sick and tired of restricting daily, losing weight only to gain it back and trying so hard to be healthy with no avail. I was so unconscious about the unhealthy ingredients found in many of our food and snacks, such as mainstream ice cream and all the processed junk that fills our supermarket aisles. This meant, when I did eat, I was eating empty calories. I reached a very low point in my life, but I never gave up and somewhere deep inside, I knew the only way left to go, was up. I knew there had to be another way to enjoy delicious meals and treats, without all the artificial harmful ingredients.
To say the least, this plant-based vegan lifestyle has been heaven sent! I don’t know where I would be without it today. When I first found out about the existence of this way of eating, it was primarily to save my life, to rebuild my life and to get another chance at life. It was not an overnight transition by any means, but rather a hard one. I needed to reverse over 20 years of bad behavior and addiction to meat, dairy and unhealthy processed food.
After educating myself about where the food we put on our table comes from, through reading a ton of books and articles on the topic, watching documentaries and visiting farms – I decided to strip everything down to simplicity and prioritized eating fresh fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. This slowly turned into a habit. Ultimately, I started to feel energized and invigorated with a clear mind. This was the light at the end of the tunnel for me; my awakening moment.
Without question, I wanted to share this knowledge with all my friends and family. Not only did I want to share with them, how easy and fun it is to be vegan, but that one could absolutely thrive on it. That’s how my Instagram was born. As the days went by, I was amazed to learn that I wasn’t the only one searching for healthier but creative delicious vegan food! And that inspired me to continue sharing all the ideas in my mind throughout my social media. Through every creation, if I inspire one soul to look at a healthier alternative of their favorite treat or dish that puts a big smile on my face!
MY PLANT-BASED PHILOSOPHY
My daily plant-based lifestyle is made up of all 3 primary nutrients: loads of carbs from raw and cooked veggies, fresh fruit, plant protein and healthy fats. This is just a general breakdown of what I eat in a day. I don’t follow any strict rules like 100% raw, grain-free or eating mostly starches. Everyone’s body is different and it’s so essential to tune into it and figure what is best for you.
Carbohydrates which are often demonized in mainstream media are not your enemy. In fact, they are absolutely essential to thrive on a plant-based lifestyle. They provide your muscles and red blood cells with energy and play a major role in the regulation of fat metabolism. Without carbs, our bodies wouldn’t be able to work efficiently and to fulfill our daily tasks. I mostly get my carbs from dark leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes.
Protein is another essential nutrient necessary for growth and maintenance of body tissues, enzymes, hormones, as well as regulation of bodily fluids. There are nine essential amino acids, which are the basic building blocks and must be provided through diet because our body does not produce them.
So, the big question arises, how can one consume protein if they are eating only plants. Luckily everything we need can also be found a variety of plants. I love to get my protein from cruciferous veggies, grains, legumes, lentils, beans, tofu, vegan protein powders and so much more! The list is truly endless, so you don’t have anything to worry about in this category.
Fat makes up the third primary nutrient required by the body. On this plant-based lifestyle, it is essential to keep this dense nutrient low. Fat is associated with causing havoc in the body. Consuming too much fat raises your chances of diseases like cancer, coronary heart diseases and obesity. The China Study, which I highly recommend you get your hands on, has shown clear results of what happens in the body after decades of eating a 100% plant-based diet, free of all animal meat and animal by-products, like dairy.
There are different types of fat and this is because of the cholesterol, which exists in two forms: dietary and serum. Luckily on this plant-based lifestyle, you’ll be avoiding the harmful cholesterol which is, dietary cholesterol and can be found only in animal foods. Serum cholesterol, which is also known as blood cholesterol is found in the bloodstream and is essential for living. But it is not essential for us to consume it because our body is able to manufacture the amount it needs internally. When it comes to fats, I like to keep it as clean as possible. I mostly get my fats from coconut milk, coconut cream, hemp seeds, ground flax seeds and a variety of nuts ranging from cashews to almonds.
In addition to these nutrients, I supplement with Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin on a 100% plant-based lifestyle. A deficiency in this vitamin can cause many illnesses such as extreme fatigue, anemia, depression, mind blur and so much more! It can be found in some vegan foods, but in small amounts. So, I like to be on the safe side when it comes to this vitamin. I simply buy a vegan B12 liquid, which I add to my juices and water on a daily basis. It is incredibly essential for your mind, body and overall health.
I also believe in getting enough sleep, de-stressing through light or vigorous workouts and detoxing the body through cleanses and essential oil baths once a week to keep the mind and body sharp, while nourishing skin for a radiating glow!
I hope you enjoy this blog! Thanks for stopping by!
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