Eating out in restaurants

Eating out in restaurants..... a fear which i know many have and one i used to have. It's been a very long time since i last felt anxious about eating out or worried about calories in the food or compensating when eating out. So whenever i write these types of posts about fears i had or such as posts about rest days or eating more, its not a "new" thing for me that i eat out without anxiety or rest several days without feeling anxious or compensating or eat more when i need it and dont feel bad about it. I have been able to do those things for several years, but these posts are just reminders for YOU, and me looking back to how i was 3-5 years ago when i couldnt do those things without anxiety!

So, the past few days, Sunday-Wednesday i ate almost all of my meals out in restaurants. It wasnt planned to be this way when my mum came to Gothenburg, that was just what happened.

Truth is that i actually like eating out... if i could i would eat out once or twice a day if i had the economy for it. However i do love making my basic meals of potatoes, avocado, tofu and salads and not to mention my lentil soup which i love!!

When i eat out, even when i go out with friends i never worry about vegan food instead i just follow with and know that either ill eat from side dishes or in the worst case scenario there wont be anything i can eat, but then i'll just eat something later, but in most places im sure i could get a plate or potatoes and some salad if i wanted to eat something and nothing on the menu was vegan.
As my mum is a pescetarian it wasnt so hard to make a decision about where to eat, haha.

In the past, if we were ever going to eat out i would HAVE TO know where we were going. I would then look the menu up online, prepare myself mentally for it, then i would eat less and exercise more the days leading up to the restaurant visit. I worried so much beforehand. (Reminder, this is back in 2012 and earlier!!). And travelling away on holiday was almost off the list for me because i would have no control over food or how the food was made and eating out more than once every 6 months wasnt possible for me.

Over the years i learned that food is just food and that even if you are on holiday and eat out all your meals for a whole week that is ok as well. It wont harm your body or your health, if anything it will help your mental health if you struggle with eating in restaurants so it will just be positive!

My best advice for when eating out is to choose exactly what you want. Even if you are eating out every meal for a whole week. Think... you dont always eat out so why not make the best of it when you are.... choose the food you might not eat so often or dont cook yourself. Maybe one day you want burger and fries, the next day you want pasta, the next day you want a salad etc
And even if you eat more than you need one day or three days, it is not the end of the world.... your body and your health will still be ok. One week of eating more than usual wont harm you and in the long term will balance itself out.

Food is just food. You dont need to know the calorie amount in the dish and you dont need to exercise or compensate just because you eat one meal out. Instead enjoy the company, enjoy the food and be thankful that you can eat out and eat food!

Its all about facing fears and overcoming the fears. The first time might be tough, the second time maybe a little easier, the third time maybe you eat a maindish and a dessert, the 7th time you feel completely at ease and no worries about eating out and eventually you know you can be away from home or go on holiday and eating at cafes or restaurants is nothing you worry or think about at all! So keep facing the fears and know that you will be ok!! :)

How to be ok with being single - feeling like you need to be in a relationship

Comment 1: Are you dating anyone? And if not do you have any advice on being ok with being single? It feels like everyone is in a relationship and I want to be in one as well.

Comment 2: Same! I feel anxious that no one will ever love me because I dislike a lot of things about myself and then on top of that I'm shy and anxious so I come across even worse than I am and I feel like no boy will ever get to know me well enough to like me- when I like a boy I find it harder than normal to think of anything to say that isn't super dull.... It can be hard not to feel unworthy because you're single.


First off, you have to remember that a reltionship does not define your worth. You do not need to be in a relationship to feel worthy of love or to feel like you are "ok" and another person should not complete you... being in a relationship you can go grow and learn together with another person. You are still an independant individual, just that you choose to share your life with another person, but that person is also another independant individual.

Am i dating anyone? At the moment no. During last autumn and the start of the year i was dating different people (not at the same time!), it was fun and all but at the same time i didnt know what i wanted. I didnt think it was fair to person i was dating to just go on lots of dates but not know what i wanted or wether i actually wanted to commit to something. At the moment i am just focused on school, my friends and life... and now work, i dont feel the need to be in a relationship. I dont feel the need to change my routines and adapt to another person, and i dont really know if i want to be in a relationship. Of course i do miss the good times of my past relationship, i miss being so comfortable with another person, i miss just feeling happy being around another person and wanting to see them and spend time with them. I miss the good memories and wish i could just skip the awkward dating of new people to get to that comfortable stage, but that of course takes time haha.

I dont know if i am the best person to ask about dating advice or how to be ok with being single because i have never been someone who has needed to be in a relationship. .Ive never been worried that i will be forever single or that no one will ever love me, and i have never put my worth in wether someone approves of me or not. I am not someone who needs to be in a relationship or spends all my time thinking about another person or being in a relationship.... this of course can also be a problem because i am a little too independant, even when i was in in a relationship it was almost like i forgot about it and was far too independant and thought "i am on my own."

Just because others are in a relationship doesnt mean you have to be as well. It doesnt mean that something is wrong with you or that you are unloved, it just means that you havent found the right person for you now and that is ok. Being in a relationship just because wont last, it wont bring you happiness either. And trust me, its better to be single living your life than going through a bunch of meaningless relationships and either you having to end it or your partner having to end things. 

Instead of focusing on being in a relationship or thinking you are "nothing or worthless" because you are single focus on finding yourself. On building up your self esteem and confidnce and being happy on your own. Be happy with being single and spending time with yourself. Focus on your life and your goals and your dreams. Eventually you will find the right person even if it takes 1 year or 10 years, its ok.... ITS OK TO BE SINGLE and that is the important thing to remember. You can live your life, focus on yourself and be happy. Be ok with being yourself and find your own worth! Be an independant person who can manage on their own.

Sure relationships are nice when you find the right one and that is what you want to find.... the right person, someone you can feel compatible with. Grow with. Not have to change everything about yourself or your life for someone, not feel like you need to be someone else, find someone that supports and motivates you and doesnt hold you back. Sometimes i think that when you arent searching so much, the right person will come along, and maybe in unexpected ways. Dont force a relationship!

And if you are wondering how to meet people, thinking that you never meet people so you will never meet a potential partner then maybe try starting a new group or find a hobby where you meet people with the same interests. Or go to worksshops or other social events where you can talk to people and connect with people. Because who knows... it might just be a random stranger's brothers friend that you end up in a relationship with just because you said "hi" to that stranger and eventually added him on FB. hahahha. Who knows!!

Build up your own self confidence and live your life!!! You are more than a relationship status!!

Worrying about a summer body

Its getting warmer and brighter and closer to summer (in europe!), and once again that means the "Lose x kg in 10 days" titles in magazines. The summer diets and weightloss tips begin to spread and people begin talking about getting into "Bikini body shape" and losing the winter fat. Working hard and eating little to try to look good in 4 weeks time when on the beach. Conversations about good food and bad food, food that can be eaten and cant be eaten, food that makes you fat and food that makes you skinny. Conversations about calories and weightloss and bikini body shape.

Its a yearly thing that happens and for some it can be very triggering - being dragged with everyone else and thinking that you need to lose weight to be accepted while out on the beach or wearing less clothing in summer time.

But i just wanted to remind you all that you DONT need to lose weight to look good in summer or to wear a bikini on the beach or to wear a crop top or shorts. Whatever body you have is ok.

It is ok to have stretch marks and cellulite, it is ok if you have scars or bumps on your skin, its ok to have stomach rolls or to be bloated on beach. Your summer body is the body you have in summer time, just like your bikini body is the body you have while wearing a bikini.


You DONT need to chage your body for summer and you definitely DONT need to do a quick diet to lose weight for summer. They dont work and they wont help you feel happy or accept or love your body. If you think that a quick weightloss diet is the key to being happy in summer and being ok with your body then you are wrong. The only way to feel confident and happy each summer is by learning to love and accept your body just the way it is and be ok with however it looks. Your body is constantly changing, how you looked last year might not be the same as how you look this year. Just like 5 years from now your body might not look the same as it does now and that is ok as well.

Learning to accept and love your body the way it looks is important and will make you feel more confident but also not let your body stop you from doing things you want to or hinder you from living life. I know in the past (i.e 2011/2012) i said no to doing different things just because i hated how my body looked, i wanted to go to the beach and lie in the sun like everyone else but i said i didnt want to go just because i disliked my body. I found clothes i liked and wanted but they would show too much of my body and skin and i didnt want the world to see how "fat" i was so i never bought the clothes. But thats not a way to live, dont let your body stop you!! And most importantly dont compare yourself to others....

If you go to the beach or go on holiday remind yourself to not look at others and compare yourself. People look different, some people are tall some people are short, some people are lean, skinny or fat (and fat is NOT a bad thing, its just a description, it should not have a negative meaning attached to it.) Tell yourself to not be judgemental or compare yourself and not to tear yourself apart, instead focus on loving yourself and being ok in your own body!

Love your body ,accept your body. You may want to change your body, or maybe you are in the progress of gaining weight or getting stronger or something else, but accept your body for how it looks now even if your body might change over time.

One thing i dislike is when people start commenting and being judgemental against people/strangers who are very skinny... i mean you never know if that person is trying to gain weight. Weight gain and weight loss dont happen over night... and you cant judge a person by their shape or size, you dont know if they are trying to change their body for the better i.e gain weight or lose weight to better their health. So dont be judgemental towards anyone even if people might have extreme body shapes or sizes!!

Love your body and embrace your body. Others may be doing a 6 week bikini body diet, but i want YOU to instead focus on loving your body, taking care of your body and being kind to yourself so that you can ennjoy your summer and feel confident in your body no matter how you look!! Focus on health first, no FAD diets or restrictions!!

 I miss summer so much when i look at these photos :( :(

Small changes you can make towards a better planet - advice

Download apps where you can buy leftover food from restaurants or cafes. You can read more about it HERE

Use THIS website when googling. Its called Ecosia and its a search engine, so when you google it creates ads and those ads generate money and income for trees to be planted!

Instead of using lots of aluminium paper or  baking paper by reusable/washable baking sheets. I think you can buy on amazon and they should last a long time if used correctly!

Dont use an excess of paper/toilet paper/ water in your daily life. And reusing scrap paper can be a good idea! Of course when it comes to cooking it is better to use paper to clean up so that you dont spread lots of bacteria with a dish cloth, but ive noticed that people are very good at using paper unnecessarily and huge amounts of it. I guess paper might be better than plastic... but i have no statistics or facts.

Sign petitions or donate money to charities you believe in. It can be good to do a little research on petitions beforehand, just so that your name doesnt appear or get used in other ways. Also i dont know how effective they are, but it doesnt hurt to sign the petition if you believe in the cause.
Also donations to charity can be helpful. Not everyone is in the position to donate, i know that i cant donate to every "gofundme" page or campaign i see, but when i can i do donate, for example i donated to the Love army for somalia  as well as every month i donate to Djurens Rätt . Its small things like that which i can do... it might not be alot, but its atleast something.
But i do also recommend doing reasearch before donating, just so that you know where your money is actually going so that a company doesnt just take your money and then 10% of it goes to the actual cause.

Taking shorter showers (not always so easy if you love showers/long hot showers!), turning off the tap when brusing your teeth (i need to remember to do this more often), and also doing one big dish washing session instead of lots of smaller ones can use less water. ( However, it can also be nice to just wash the dishes at once to not have a whole lot of dishes at the end of the day. But then maybe be more sensible about the amount of water used.)

Change to energi efficient lightbulbs. I must admit that this isnt something i am so careful or caring about, but just a small difference like this does help the planet, not to mention its cheaper in the long term as well! And of course, dont forget to turn off the lights when you arent in the room and turn off electronics when you arent using them as well as not charging them unnecessarily!!

Also small things like getting all your mail online and all your bank statements and such online saves paper. Here in sweden it costs more if you get an "invoice/payment" via paper, for example if i order something online and choose to get the payment directions via paper it will cost 29kr more than if i just do it online directly. And the same goes for other things as well, not sure if its like this in other countries but i think its great.... more things online to save paper. It can be easier to keep track of payments and such that was as well as not just have a bunch of paper lying about which you eventually lose track of!



These were just small things i thought about yesterday and wanted to share. Maybe they dont interest you or you really dont care, but i believe they make a difference and if everyone were to make these changes it would have an even bigger impact!! Even if you were to just decide that you eat 2 vegetarian/vegan meals a day, 1 whole vegetarian day a week, you use energy efficieny lightbulbs, bring your own bags to the store. You carpool, walk or use public transport, you recycle and compast and you decide that 2-3 times a week you take shorter showers and 1-2 times a week have longer showers/ a bath..... think about the change that would make? Its quite alot even if these are just tiny changes.

Its not about going from black to white, 0 to 100.... For most people they dont want to wash their clothes the same time as they shower, or they dont want to cycle or walk everywhere as it isnt practical in their lifestyle. Or they cant eat fully vegetarian/vegan and thats ok... there are other things you can do!! And we all have different priorties in life, that is also ok.... however i think that everyone should priortize the planet and making a difference in whatever way you can no matter how big or small those changes may be!!!


^^ I found THIS page with some good tips as well!

Why your lowest healthy weight might not be your actual healthy weight

Many people in recovery seem to think that if they just reach their lowest healthy weight, often BMI 18 or 18,5 , then thats enough. Then they are recovered and they will maintain their weight and they wont need to gain anymore weight... a type of compromise. Ill reach the absaloute lowest "ok" weight (which at times is even 16,5 or 17 when some doctors or dieticians get lazy and say "thats good enough") and then wont have to gain anymore weight.

But that is not how it works. You can not decide which weight your body will settle at. BMI 18,5 has just been set as an "Ok marker" based on different factors but it is also very individual. Just because one person maintains and is healthy at bmi 18,5 doesnt mean that everyone else does as well. Some people - infact most people - gain more weight and settle at a higher bmi often BMI 21,22,23 and there is nothing wrong with that, you are not doing recovery wrong. Instead that is rather healthy... it means that you are letting your body find its own healthy set point. It might feel scary thinking, will the weight gain never stop. But it does eventually... you just have to remember that most people wont maintain a very low BMI after an eating disorder if they arent naturally very skinny or unless they still use controlling methods to maintain their weight. But most people after an eating disorder gain more than the absaloute minimum and there are plenty of positive reasons why.

The body is under a lot of stress when you have an eating disorder. Organs and bones and muscles are all affected and often for the body to feel safe again and for hormonal balance it means that your body is at a safe weight, and not just balancing between healthy weight and underweight. Also it takes time for your intestines to start working properly and for all other organs in your body to get the right energy and nutrition and balance in the body to function as they should. Not to mention that having a higher weight (i.e a completly normal healthy weight that isnt just on the edge of underweight) is recommended because if you get a cold, stomach bug, life happens and you lose your appetite or dont have alot of food or need to fight a bad infection, then you wont automatically end up underweight just because you lose some weight. But also not being underweight HELPS your body to recover better from most things, as well as generally having more energy.

You can not choose your healthy set point, it varies. But also it varies over life and how your lifestyle is. Trying to manically maintain a certain weight just because you dont want to be higher than X kg isnt healthy. Controlling your weight isnt healthy, instead trying to let it settle and maintain itself. You should not need to calorie count or track obsessively to maintain your weight, instead your body should find its balance so that it keeps you there. And whether your healthy weight settles at BMI 19 or 24 shouldnt matter... where your body settles is where it is healthiest.

Dont try to compromise with your eating disorder because it will always try to keep you at a low weight and eating little. Your eating disorder will never be happy and compromising by saying "ill reach the lowest healthy BMI and then stop there" isnt always how it works in reality, your body will more than likely settle at a higher weight if you just try to find balance and not control.

Of course my recommendations are often to not weigh yourself or calorie count but often that has to be done in recovery to make sure that you are eating enough as well as gaining weight. But the goal should be to move away from those things so that you can live a life where your body works as it should and maintains your weight - with the normal fluctuations of up and down - and you dont need to track or calorie count for that to happen.

Gve your body time to recover and heal. You might even notice that you at first gain up to BMI 22 or 23 and then just naturally lose weight as your body settles at a lower weight or MAYBE IT DOESNT. Everyone is different and everyone has different healthy set points, so never compare your weight or body to someone else, it wont help you!

I hope this comes as a reminder to you all. Less focus on weight, more focus on happy and healthy and let your weight take care of itself. The important thing is to be a healthy weight and whether that is X or Ykg doesnt matter.

What to do with left overs

After making my previous, how to waste less food post, i thought i would carry on and leave my tips with what to do with left overs! Of course leftovers can be anything and somethings all you can do is throw it all together on a plate and just have a mini buffet of food. Though people also like to eat differently - for example i can eat the same food over and over and not get tired, but also i can eat 6 or 7 types of food on my plate and just mix it all together or have a "little bit of everything". Whereas i know many who are the complete opposite, where they cant eat the same dish more than 2 times a week (which is what leads to so much food waste in their house) but also they only like few foods on their plate. For example just fish, rice and brocolli and they dont want to mix or they dont like soup or food where there are lots of different tastes of textures. 

So maybe these tips wont be helpful for you at all... all depending on how or what you like to eat, but maybe if you have any advice you can comment below!!

If you have left over potatoes or vegetables or even some fish or meat (that has of course been stored properly!) or tofu etc heat it up and make a wok. Or make a soup. Or heat it up in a pan and make a sort of "scramble" and throw it into some taco shells or a wrap or some bread = tasty left over sandwich!

Or you can make an omelette if you have eggs/eat eggs where you just throw in the left over vegetables/beans/meat etc

Left over potatoes? You can just throw them in a pan with some oil and heat up. Or throw them into a bowl and make mashed potatoes or make "potatoe waffles" out of them.

Left over salad? You can make soup out of them. Or once again... throw into a pan and make a stir fry. Might not work so well with cucumber (but throw that cucumber into a glass of water and have cucumber flavoured water. Or use the cucumber under your eyes as thats supposed to be cooling and helpful. OR... chop up the cucumber and throw into an ice tray, pour in some water and then into the freezer so you will have cucumber ice cubes ready! Or make tzatsiki with the cucumber.). 

Left over milk or dairy products? Make pancakes, milkshake, smoothie? Dairy products can be frozen to give longer storage time, however isnt recommended as the taste/texture can change. So its best to use them up before they go bad.  Make sauces from creme fraiche or quark and eat with other left overs or with vegetables.

Bread thats going bad? Bread can be frozen but if you want to use it up then you can make bread puddding or frech toast or even bread crumbs. (or feed ducks with the stale bread.) You can also make croutons from the bread. Or if you have bread rolls you can take out the bread filling and then fill that "hole" with left overr/other ingredients and then into the oven to heat.

Fruit and berries? You can make pies, muffins, bars. Or make compot or jam or sauce with the fruit or berries. Or freezing works well for some fruits. Otherwise making juice or smoothies from them. Or if you have lemon or berries then you can throw them into an ice tray and have ice cubes with berries in them. (But it might be easier to just freeze the berries as they are!).

Left over pasta? Make a pasta bake or a pasta salad. (Same goes for left over potatoes... make a cold potatoe salad. Or even with beetroots or other vegetables ... just chop them up, mix together with mayonnaise or cream sauce (i.e can be made vegan of course!) and throw in some seasoning and then you have a yummy mix to eat as it is or on sandwiches.)  Also making a fritata or pasta soup.

Left over beans? Make burgers, falafels, "taco" mix, roast in the oven, make a "hummus" (from any type of bean), or just add some type of sauce. Or you can even bake with left over beans i.e black bean brownies, chickpea cookies etc etc the ideas are endless!

Onions going bad? Make onion soup or just throw all the onions into a pan with lots of oil and fry until smooth and then im sure you can freeze it in and later use for soups or stir fries etc. Make onion broth - onion can also help for colds so maybe cook together onion and garlic and black pepper which can later be used/drank when you have a cold.

Left over avocado? Make guacamole or pesto or mix with pasta. Or use as a face mask.

For now this was all i could think about so i will leave THIS link with 65 other (maybe the same?) recipes with what to do with left overs! So hopefully less food waste with these ideas in the back of your mind!

Eating more carbohydrates or more healthy fats?

One of the most frequently asked questions i get on my social media is How to eat fear foods or how to eat more carbohydrates or increase fat intake.

I wish there was some awesome tips or magic advice i can give you but when it comes to fear foods or increasing calories the only thing you can do is to just do it. The fear wont go away by itself, it wont get easier if you dont face the fear. The worries, "what ifs", anxiety and guilt will still be there in your mind until you begin to face the fear that holds you back.

The cake or the chocolate or the pasta bowl will still always be scary until you try it... and try it again and keep trying to eat that food until it no longer gives you guilt or anxiety.  Its not enough to try a fear food once, you need to do it until it no longer gives you guilt or makes you worry about eating the food.

The first time you try a fear food maybe you just manage one bite, or maybe just one potatoe or half a banana, but the next time maybe you manage more and the time after that even more. Its a process and you have to start somewhere.

You also have to remember that the fear is irrational....  ask yourself why are those foods scary? Or why are carbohydrates scary or something you need to avoid? Why dont you eat enough healthy fats?

If you were to listen to all the headlines and articles about what to eat or not eat you would be left with just air.... and even in some countries the headlines are to not breathe too much air outside because its so polluted and the polluted air can apparently lead to weight gain..... so then you are left with sunlight and nonpolluted water if you were to listen to every headline about what to eat or not to eat.

Increasing calories and eating foods that scare you is just something you need to do. Sure you can live your whole life just eating safe foods, but i can tell you that it wont be a fun life and you will feel restricted and food will always be something that leads to guilt and anxiety and not something you can enjoy and relax.

Try to think rational about food. Food is energy, you need food and you need alll the macro and micronutrients. And chocolate, cake, cookies, buns... they can all be part of a healthy diet. Its all about the balance.

But also if you are binging on certain foods..... for example if you have been so strict with what you eat that it suddenly goes the other way where you cant stop eating then you need to find the balance as well.  If you are binging on food then the best thing is to find out WHY you are binging and what you can do to solve the actual problems (if you search my blog for binging/bulimia you will find many helpful posts about this topic), and then to realise that its ok to eat 2 cookies or a slice of cake or 2 sandwiches... you dont need to eat the whole package of cookies or the whole loaf of bread at once. Then its about finding balance and moderation and being ok with eating just a little... no black and white thinking.


It does get easier in time with food. The more you try to face the fear foods and not let food control you or have power over you, the easier it gets.

Imagine... if you were to face 1 fear food each week, in a year that would be 52 new foods? Hopefully you dont even have 52 fear foods, but maybe that includes eating out, going to the cinema, going to cafes, travelling and eating away from home, letting others prepare your food for you, eating without measuring, eating more than on a meal plan, eating the food you bake and cook etc etc


Keep trying and dont give up. Dare to try new foods and know that the anxiety wont harm you and neither will the food.

Also if you search my blog for "facing fear foods" or "fear foods" i have many posts about this topic such as how to cope and what to think about etc which might be helpful!!

Dont waste food - what you can do with left overs - What can you do with aquafaba?

In school at the moment we are learning about how much food goes to waste each year and it is absaloutly crazy. It almost makes me a little mad to think about how much food is thrown away. According to FAO: "

• Roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tonnes — gets lost or wasted.
• Per capita waste by consumers is between 95-115 kg a year in Europe and North America, while consumers in sub-Saharan Africa, south and south-eastern Asia, each throw away only 6-11 kg a year.
• Food loss and waste also amount to a major squandering of resources, including water, land, energy, labour and capital and needlessly produce greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global warming and climate change.
• The food currently wasted in Europe could feed 200 million people
• Even if just one-fourth of the food currently lost or wasted globally could be saved, it would be enough to feed 870 million hungry people in the world.

Source

It makes me sad to think about how much food i have wasted over the years. The food i have thrown up. The food i have purposely thrown away. The food i have hidden and the food i did everything i could to get rid of. It makes me sad for many reasons, one that it was waste, two, that my mum spent money on food which i then just threw away or would throw up, and three because i couldnt just see food as something amazing and something i needed and something i should be thankful for.

Ive grown up in a family where ive always been told to eat up what is on my plate and to not throw away so that is something i am glad i have with me. I never throw away left overs, instead if i cant eat it all at once i save it for the next day or freeze it. At first when i heard about how much food goes to waste just in the household it shocked me as i wondered... what is it that they throw away? Almost nothing i buy goes uneaten or into the trash unless it is maybe some salad that was moldy when i bought it.

Vegetables and fruit are what contribute to the most waste as they rot so quickly and rot even faster if they are not stored correctly. 

To minimize waste of fruit read HERE about how to store fruit and vegetables properly :) Also to know which fruits to not store together as the enzymes of the fruit can cause rotting quicker in the other fruits!

Restaurants and food stores of course have the highest food wastage as they cant sell anything that isnt "perfect!" i.e cans or packages that are a little bit "off" cant be sold and also arent allowed to be given away.... they are just thrown away. And with restaurants they cant/dont give away food to homeless so the food is just thrown away. 

One of my friends worked at a bakery and when she told me how she would throw away cakes and buns and bread each evening it made me feel so sad... all that waste? Of course its hard to know how much to produce each morning but to have to throw away so much just seems so wrong. 

I thought i would write some tips about how to minimize waste for anyone who is interested :) I think its important with these types of posts and advice and about climate and environment and veganism and other posts - knowing i can make a difference and increase awareness :) But also maybe to make you NOT waste food.. its better to eat the food and nourish your body or save it for the next day. Food is nourishment - dont purge it, dont throw it away, dont hide it, dont try to compensate and exercise the food away. Instead be thankful that you can eat!!!

So my tips: (in the order that i think of them - so no structure haha!)

1) Dont buy more than you will eat. At times its tempting to buy big packs because they are cheaper, but if you wont eat it... then dont buy it.

2) Freeze left overs or freeze ripe bananas if you wont have the time to eat them.

3) If you see salad or vegetables that are 50% off at the store and you know you will eat them right away then buy them! Less waste for the store and cheaper for you :)

4) If you wont be able to eat/finish fresh fruit or vegetables buy frozen ones instead.

5) If your apples are rotting make apple sauce or muffins or pancakes etc out of them. Same goes for other fruit... just bake something with them :)

6) You can eat the peel of the potatoes and carrots and even sweet potatoe. Just make sure to rinse them properly. But if you do cut them away, then make vegetable broth out of them. (Recipe HERE)

7) You can always fry or bake potatoe peels to make a tasty (and fiber rich!) snack! Recipe HERE

8) You can use the water from chickpeas (or other beans) i.e aquafaba to make a whole range of foods and is perfect for vegan baking. You can make meringues, mayonnaise, brownies, pancakes, ice cream, marshmallow fluff etc etc recipes HERE

9) Throw left overs into a wrap and eat them like that!

10) Cook food before it rots if possible and then freeze it if you cant eat it all at once/within the closest days.

11) Vegetables and grains and beans have less bacteria risk than meat and dairy so will hold longer if stored and cooked properly.

12) Dont buy more meat than you will eat.

13) Smell and taste is important when it comes to milk and milk products. It may have passed the "best before" date but it might still be ok to eat. It is mostly just about the quality of the food and not as much about the bacteria or health risks. Read more HERE. So if the milk smells ok and looks ok then its fine to eat. However remember its all about storing food properly, and in summer food rots quicker due to the temperature rise.

14) If spinach or kale or ruccola is going bad you can just heat it up and make a sauce out of it or add it to pies or make muffins or omelettes etc

15) Eat up the food you have in the house before buying more food!

16) Be creative... create new recipes.. throw food into a pan and fry it and make a wok. Sometimes your plate might be filled with a little bit of everything but thats ok!

17) If you go to a restaurant and you dont finish your meal, take home the left overs... even if it just means giving it to your dog!

18) If you are someone who freezes alot of food, make sure to do a weekly or ever 2 weeks where you declutter your freezer and eat what you have in there before buying new food.

19) You can pickle vegetables before they rot to preserve them!

20) Make sure to use compost if you do throw away scraps!

21) Give food away to homeless, for example if you buy a food and realise you dont like it or you wont finish it... give it away.

These were all the tips i could think of on this Friday morning, but please comment below if you have any more tips or advice. Im pretty sure i can make a post about what to do with different left overs or how to make a new meal out of left overs :)

Whats your opion on waste? Do you waste alot of food?

And do you like these types of posts... i know they arent about recovery or eating disorders or mental health, but i feel like i can make a difference nonetheless and it is something i am passionate about?

Feeling left out and trying to make friends

Hey Izzy, I was wondering what your thoughts on friends and feeling left out were. Sometimes I feel like there are people that I enjoy and would like to hang out with, but they don't really reciprocate the feeling. Like they will tolerate me and ask me questions about schoolwork, but nothing more. It makes me feel sad, especially when I try to spend time with them or start conversations. Other times, I feel left out, even though I have tried to be friendly and stick with them. It feels as if the only way to hang out with them is to insert myself into their midst, which gets tiring after awhile and I feel like something is wrong with me. Like maybe I am too quiet/nerdy for them? Could you just give me some advice for this, because it can get really tough.


Making friends and being in school can definitely be hard at times. Sometimes you are lucky and making friends goes easy, quick and painfree, other times there are tears and lonliness and wondering if there is something wrong with you because you dont have friends or cant make friends. But making friends isnt as easy as it looks in movies.

For a friendship to build it requires that both people/all people want to make contact and want to open up to a new friendship, and not everyone does. Some people form groups and dont want to let anyone else in. Its natural to form "groups" of friends and ive seen this in all the schools ive gone to (and thats many!), but some groups are more willing to let people into the group than others. 

If you are trying to make conversation, trying to join that group of people for lunch or activities but never feel any sort of interest back to you, or you arent asked to join events or activities then those people arent worth your time. Its hard when you want to join a group or want to be friends with certain people but they dont feel the same way... eventually you just got to let it go. A bit like when you have a crush on someone and you keep trying to get their attention or give hints but you never get anything back, then eventually you just need to move on.

First off remember that there isnt anything wrong with you. You DONT need to change. You will make friends even if it takes longer time. I can say from experience that i have struggled with making friends alot in my life because i am an introvert and am not the first person to speak up or take contact, so when i first started gymnasium (upper high school) in Sweden i felt so lonely in school that i considered dropping out and doing online school instead. But i kept going and eventually made friends. And it was only last autumn when i moved to Gothenburg and began university again that i started day 1 with socializing and talking to people and being open... and there was still a bit of "group changing" the next few weeks/months until i found my group of friends who i fit best with and the ones who also want to be my friend. Because there are acquantencies, friends and then even closer friends/best friends. 

My best advice is to maybe try to start some type of group activity or hobby either a part of school or outside of school? You may not have friends inside of school if that is the case, but you can still have friends outside and do things with them. Its important to still be open and friendly to those in your class but if they arent willing to let you in or be friends then all you can do is to be friendly and not try to force a friendship on them. 

Friendships take time to build and sometimes they happen without you even realising, for example it might be that friend of a friend you randomly begin spending time with or you just begin eating lunch with random people or from people in another class etc etc Friendships can just happen without you having to make a huge effort and THATS how it should be in all honesty. Friendships shouldnt be a one way thing, then its draining of energy and you begin to question yourself and if there is something wrong with you or if they dont like you etc

I could write a huge long post about this as i have had alot of experience with trying to make friends, different groups, different schools etc

But important - be yourself, be you, be happy, be friendly, join groups and hobbies, suggest doing activities and meeting people but if they never give anything back then its time to move on. You will make friends even if it takes time!!

Remember that friendships SHOULDNT be tiring. Even if you are introvert and need alot of alone time or dont always join social events, you shouldnt feel drained of energy after being with friends. Then its the wrong type of people.
I personally need alot of alone time and like being alone, but i also feel that my friends give me energy. I smile and laugh and enjoy being with them and dont sit and long to go home, and i love spending time with them or doing different things together, and thats how it should be. If you need to change who you are or what you like or you just feel exhausted after meeting those people then question whether they are "toxic" people in your life... and the same goes for a relationship - it should not drain you of energy mentally.

Vegan on a college budget & how to save money

I have a question, how do you manage being vegan on a college budget and what tactics do you use to get money in college? Thanks Izzy! :) I really enjoy 😊 your vegan and fitness 💪🏻 posts 💕💕💕


First off thank you :)

Moving away from home has never been a problem for me economically which is something i am very thankful for. However i do take a student loan which will of course have to be repaid once i am finished studying at university. University in Sweden is free, aside from having to buy course literature which at times can be up to 100-€150 for just one course. But the main cost and reason for the loan is to be able to pay for rent and food and life while studying 100%.

60-70% of my budget goes towards rent, phone bills, medical bills (i.e all my medicines), gym card, bus card. And 25-30% goes towards food and then whatever is left over is spent on other things such as if i need something new or need to buy something for the house etc

I personally spend quite alot on food each month - alot more than people i know. And sometimes i feel a little ashamed, also when people think i spend so little because vegan food is so cheap. And yes, lentils, potatoes, oats, in season vegetables/frozen vegetables are cheap and if i were to eat those foods 85% i would most likely spend less on food. However when you have a higher calorie need you automatically eat more and spend more money on food (most often), as well as i like variation and i dont mind spending a little extra to treat myself some evenings or to buy random blueberries or if i really crave a certain food/meal i'll get those ingredients. So i definitely dont have a student food budget, but i prioritize food before other things each month. And with the money left over each month i usually save or i will buy the things i need. However i am not so much for materialistic items so dont buy new clothes or items so often, only when absolutely necessary. However i wouldnt get a prize for being super economy smart as i spend a little too much on coffees or energy drinks while at school. Most people in my class bring a thermos with tea or coffee but i have yet to find a thermos that keeps the coffee warm for several hours before i actually drink it, and also doesnt spill when in a bag (as its happened a few too many times when ive walked to school or the gym and had a thermos in my bag and its spilled, haha.)

I dont have a job and so dont earn money instead i just rely on my student loan. I have at times been offered money to do collaborations with companies online, however i dont personally feel like earning money and then promoting skinny teas or detoxes or other brands when i wouldnt use those items myself and definitely dont want to promte them. I dont do many collaborations anymore, only if its an item i already use or love and then the company contacts me - then i dont see a problem with collaborating if i can recommend the product and write an honest review! However collaborations dont exactly give that much money and often its just free items.

When i buy things i do try to think smart and can go to 3 different stores to do my weekly shopping as i buy what is on sale/cheap at the different places. Also buying in season vegetables is both good for the wallet as well as the planet.

Also buying clothes on sale or using discount codes when buying things i need is a way to save money - but also not just buying things because they are on sale.

Another tip is to always bring a bag(or bags!) with you when food shopping. This is both good for the planet and your economy...  I once counted out that in a month i used to buy 16-20 plastic bags which is sort of ridiculous. Now i only buy a plastic bag if i have gone to the store after school and dont have place in my bag to put my food or if i bought more than planned and everything didnt fit in the bags i brought.

Other ways to save money are to plan out your food - do weekly food shopping (or i buy food 2 times a week as i cant walk home with a whole weeks worth of food) and eat the same food but in different ways. And if you meal prep then that saves you time and you wont need to buy food out!

If there is certain food you eat alot of, buy it in bulk. For example oatmeal i usually buy in bulk as well as soy protein and nuts as i know i eat alot of those and its alot cheaper and lasts longer!

Couponing or signing up to a stores bonus point system (or whatever system they have) is a good way to save money if you get discounts!


And other ways to save money.... look at your phone bill and choose the phone subscription (?) which suits you best. For example in the past i used to pay for every message and minute of phone call as that worked best for me, but now i call my family all the time so it works better to just have a standard monthly payment and unlimited phone calls and texts.

Also whether you need a bus card or not, or whether you can invest in a bicycle. Though taking public transport is always better than taking a car - unless you are carpooling! But in summer i most likely wont have a bus card and will just walk everywhere as its so close, and at the moment i just pay each time i use the bus as i either walk or take a free transport into town so i dont need a monthly bus card - so that saves me money as well.

Anyway... i could write alot more about how to save money or even tips when moving away from home. What to think about and such so if anyone is interested in that just comment below :)

Not so sure if i answered your question or not as its taken me 3 days to answer this post due to lack of time, haha!!

^^Im the type of person who saves money and then spends it on something i really want such as a new camera or a tattoo or a trip somewhere. Much prefer that than spending all my money each month on small items like clothes or bags or make up. But EACH TO THEIR OWN! :)

Alternative medications for anti depressants - my experience.

Hey Izzy. What did you take to make your depression better? I don't want to take an anti-depressant.

First off i think its important to remember that recovery from depression isnt just about medication, whether its antidepressants or alternative medication. Lifestyle changes need to be made as well, trying to change thoughts and habits. .However what the medication help with is to increase serotonin and happiness and to balance chemical substances and neurotransmittors in the brain. Medication is a way to help you and as depression is a mental illness and a chemical imbalance in the brain, medication can help balance those out and make you feel better. But once again, therapy and lifestyle changes will also be necessary in recovery.

As you might have noticed, i am rather anti depressants - not because i think they're bad or because they dont work, infact they do work and help so many people out there. But everyone has a choice, and i am rather anti birth control and antibiotics as well.... though i will still take them when necessary, once again thats a choice i make, but i believe that if there is another alternative i will look for that. And this is because i have grown up with my mum who has always taken alternative medication and given us herbal treatments and so thats just how ive been brought up.

I was debating whether to say what i actually used or not, because i am pretty sure its wrong to give out medical information or to advise others about medication, especially with such a severe illness like depression. However, remember that i am just stating what I have taken and i can personally say that i think the herbal medications have helped me. Whether its placebo or not, i cant tell you... but i also made a whole lot of lifestyle changes at the same time that i began with those herbs, however i do still take them today and notice that if i dont take them for longer periods of time i will start to think more negatively, get more stressed and anxious and sleep less. So i do think they help me.

Also remember, DO YOUR RESEARCH as well. Read about anti depressants and the alternative options, as well as about dosage... More is not always better. And just like with all medication, there can be side effects and too high dose isnt always safe. So with this said, do please seek help or go to someone who works with alternative medicine if you are interested in that and dont just buy something and start taking too much of it - as there can always be a risk.

What did i take/still take?

GABA (read here & here) it is a neurotransmittor which is naturally produced in the body, however people with depression can lack gaba receptors and can lead to increase anxiety and tension. So GABA can help with anxiety and nervous tension.

5-Htp  (read HERE ) which is also naturally a biproduct in the body and works on the brain and central nervous system and helps increase the production of serotonin.

St johns wort  (Read about HERE and HERE) this alternative has been proven to be effective for depression. however there are risks with this altneraitve as well, though pretty much the same risk as taking anti depressants. However if you do take st johns wort, dont overdose/exceed the limit, also make sure to tell your doctors as the medicine affects the absorption/uptake of other medication such as birth control, actual anti depressants , blood thinning medication etc. So when i began taking st johns wort i also stopped taking birth control, which basically was 2 positives because i am pretty sure my birth control was affecting my hormones and mood swings, more than it should have.

And then i also took another tincture/mix with stuff which would help me sleep, help with anxiety etc 

I also take a medication/pill called "stress care" which helps with cortison levels and supporting the adrenal glands function (which can get "overused" when you stress so much as it keeps pumping out cortison and stress hormones).


Remember that all medication takes time to show its effects so you dont notice a different right away.

And of course, nutrition and getting all my vitamins and minerals and essential amino acids and essential fatty acids are also important. As well as exercise, trying to get enough sleep, eating right, socializing, getting fresh air and finding a meaning with life.

This is just my experience and what i have done, but as always.... consult a proffessional whether it be a doctor or someone who works with herbal medication!! We all have different choices and i am not bashing medication, it has its place and benefits!

Also, on the subject of depression - how long do you keep taking medication for, whether its herbal or prescribed? how do you know when you are well enough to stop? Do you just come off of it for a while and see how you feel?
I ask because I have been on medication for years and my doctor shows no sign of suggesting to stop it. Thing is I feel fine now and don`t want to stay on medication for ever. What do I do? I am tempted to stop it but at the same time I`m scared of a relapse.
Do you still take medication izzy or have you come off it?

When it comes to anti depressants i am pretty sure you have to lower your dose progressively over time and see how you feel/the effects. I think just stopping with them can lead to some very negative effects. However i am not so knowledgable about anti depressants and have never taken them myself so my best advice is talk to a doctor. Tell your doctor how you feel and that you would like to stop using medication and they will advice you how to lower the dosage, and then over time you see how you feel and if you are feeling better :)

And with herbal medication, i still take mine. Of course i dont take as much as i did before and i can go 1-2 days without taking them and feel fine, but i do notice that if i go for londer periods of time without my medicine then i can begin to feel more low and less energy, more anxiety and feel more stressed. So i still take them, apart from st johns wort, that medicine shouldnt be taken too long and is like an anti biotic treatment, you take it for a short time and then stop. 

So talk to a doctor, thats my only recommendation - dont do any changes on your own! 


I hope this helps and do comment below your opions or if you have any advice or facts about anti depressants :) But of course, ALWAYS DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. Most important, never just rely on what someone online says, do your background information and look at different sources. Even with doctors... doctors might prescribe one medication but there is another one you believe could be better for you!