QUICK OVERVIEW OF FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS

Here is a quick overview of some of the most important recommendations you can find in this blog(1), with links to the articles where you can find more information on the "how" and the "why":

1. Avoid refined foods, choose whole foods instead. Refined foods extract nutrients from your body!
   
2. Always soak your grains, seeds, nuts and legumes. Be sure to discard soaking water. Otherwise the phytic acid in them will remain intact, and mineral absorption in your body will be significantly lower.
   
3. The mineral uptake from yeasted bread is much lower than that of the same sourdough bread. Try to avoid yeasted bread and eat sourdough bread instead.
4. Vegetarians might be at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. Consider a weekly (vegan) B12 complement.
5. Avoid microwave cooking.
6. Use good quality kitchen ware: glass, wood, lead-free earthenware, ceramic, and high quality(2) stainless steel. Avoid plastic, aluminum and aluminum foil, poor-quality stainless steel, thin enamel on flimsy pots, Teflon, and other cookware coated with synthetic materials. Don't keep oils and fats (or foods containing them) in plastic.
   
7. Make peace with sugar. Avoid all refined sugars. Highly recommended alternatives are barley malt syrup, rice syrup, and amasake. Others, very acceptable but to use with caution, include unrefined cane juice powder, molasses, maple syrup, stevia, (dried) fruit and fruit juices.
8. Avoid common (refined) salt and use only unrefined sea salt instead (slightly grey). Use it moderately.
9. Nuts, seeds and grains deteriorate rapidly once they are hulled, shelled, grinded, roasted, rolled (into flakes) and/or otherwise processed (flour, noodles, ...) - even somewhat in vacuum packaging. Buy nuts in the shell, and store hulled seeds in dark bottles in cold places. Make your own tahini and other nut and seed preparations yourself. Also flour, cereals (oat flakes, corn flakes, muesli, couscous, bulghur, ...), and noodles (spaghetti, lasagna, ...) become easily rancid. Flour should ideally be used directly after grinding, or otherwise stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and used within two weeks. Take special care also with cereals and noodles: often they are already rancid when you buy them, and if not, they become so easily when not well kept.
   
10. Some essential information on how to cook beans and other legumes properly...: soak them overnight, scoop of the foam once they boil, cook them with kombu or kelp and fennel or cumin to increase digestibility, and some other basic but very helpful things you should know if you want to bring out the best in them and not suffer from bad digestion after eating them...
    
11. The proper usage and storage of oils. Avoid rancid and refined oils - such as about every oil you will find in your regular supermarket or shop... Avoid also hydrogenated fats (most margarines and snacks): they do not lower cholesterol but in fact raise it, and besides, are toxic... Also avoid oil (and products containing oil) in plastic containers - they react and produce plasticides, which are toxic also.
    Try to consume only high-quality, fresh, unrefined oils. For cooking below 160°C, olive and sesame oil are highly recommended. Above 160°C clarified butter (ghee), coconut, palm and palm kernel oil are recommended. Be very careful with any other oil, some become rancid very easily, others should be avoided - see the article for more information.
12. Proteins are not something to especially worry about as a vegetarian. For most of us, a reasonable daily amount of legumes and some nuts and seeds are more than sufficient. Occasionally a "meat substitute" can be tasty and nutritious, but take care, not all that is sold, is healthful - see the article for protein guidelines and some more information, especially on soy products.
    
13. Some general good advice:
    
    • don't eat or snack late at night (not after 7 pm);
      
    • chew well (30-60 times per mouthful);
      
    • don't overeat (no more than 2/3 full).
    • don't eat cold foods; everything should be at least at room temperature; (nor too hot either of course)
      

Footnotes:
(1) For the sources, see "Where the information in this blog comes from..."
(2) A quick indication is if the stainless steel utensils are attracted by magnets. If they are, they are rather low quality. You can do a simple, quick and non-destructive test with a small magnet: if it sticks to the pan or other utensil, it is of low quality. (If it does not stick, I don't know if it is guaranteed that it's good quality however ...)