BEING HEALTHY DOESN'T HAVE TO BE BORING!
Kick-start your Wellness Journey with these three delicious Plant-Powered Recipes delivered straight to your inbox and get exclusive access to our monthly Holistic Newsletter.
Mariana de Oliveira Dias was built around that philosophy, allowing you to discover and implement different ways to nourish your body through a holistic and wholesome approach. My goal was to create easy, accessible information about a plant-based lifestyle, including ideas to get you started, free holistic recipes, journal posts, wellness plans, health and nutrition coaching, complete grocery lists, and so much more to help you begin your journey.
My food philosophy is extremely simple – I like to eat the foods that are biologically suited to our species to help maintain optimum health and vitality in the body. I personally consume a daily abundance of plants, a variety of colour, sprouts, fermented foods, herbs and weeds, raw fruits, nuts and seeds, along with a little cooked food such as quinoa or brown rice. Fruit makes up the main percentage of my diet, and is where my favourite motto, “Eat More Fruit” comes from. I believe there are many misleading claims about the sugar content in fruit which has lead to a decrease in the consumption of this highly powerful and important food source. I try to eat an alkalizing diet and as close to nature as possible, always ensuring my fridge is stocked with fresh fruit and vegetables. I got rid of processed food and refined sugar, limit stimulants like caffeine and alcohol, and most fundamentally: I listen to my body.
I strongly believe that our bodies guide us, if we can only just take the time to reconnect with ourselves. It certainly is not all about food, however I believe that what you put into your body is a reflection of how you care for yourself.
Many people have asked me if I get bored with eating this way but the truth is, never! I love the food I eat, I crave it and I thrive on it.
My family also follow a vegan lifestyle and enjoy many of the meals I share on my Instagram account @wellnessbymod and journal. They may not eat the limited raw foods that I do, but over the years, I have slowly transitioned my children from the standard diet most of society consumes into a healthy vegan diet. By no means do they eat perfectly but after educating them, they now understand and enjoy this lifestyle. I believe it’s all about balance. I try to ensure that majority of their diet is made up of healthy plant-based foods, including lots of raw fruit and vegetables while still allowing them to have fun exploring other foods with friends and family and enjoying treats now and then.
“What we eat, drink, breathe, put on our skin, think and feel are the six ways we either make ourselves weak and sick or healthy and robust.”
I also believe that adequate sleep, rest, relaxation, exercise, breathing, fun and laughter are all as equally important in a healthy lifestyle, and I try to incorporate these things into my life as much as possible! Life can become busy and time can get away from us, so I often have to stop and remind myself of these extremely important factors. Furthermore, I also believe that prevention is everything. It’s not about what we do occasionally but about what we do everyday that will have the long-term effects on our heath and wellbeing. It’s about common sense, in all aspects of life and about not following all of what society teaches us to do and to believe. We are all individual human beings with different dreams, needs and desires and it is so important to listen to our true self.
Our mind and our body are a bit like a puzzle – when all of the pieces align together, I believe it creates the perfect platform for anything – including our wildest dreams!