"I live alone, with cats, books, pictures, fresh vegetables to cook, the garden, the hens to feed."

- Jeanette Winterson

 Though I am healthy, with my diet consisting of fresh fruits, vegetables and grains, I continued to suffer from bloating. It's, I believe, one of the most uncomfortable feelings. You just feel heavy all the time and though you work out regularly and eat consciously, it still feels as if you need to lose some extra pounds. The culprit? The bounty of fruits  I have been consuming. The fibrous nature of fruits caused some havoc to my digestive tract. From some research and as adviced by my nutritionist, I am now balancing my daily intake with more vegetables and healthy fats. I have changed my diet for two weeks now and I feel better. I know this will be a journey for me as I cannot get enough fruit, but I know that it is for the best.

As a result, my daily intake has evolved. I no longer have oatmeal with a topful of fruits every single day anymore. Nor do I snack on fruits all day long and eat more after dinner. Mind you, fruits are nutritious, but as the saying goes, too much of anything is bad. When I do have oatmeal for breakfast, I add in grated courgette or carrots and top it with one kind of fruit, such as figs. I also have scrambled tofu or veggie stir-fry. My go-to on a busy morning is mashed avocado with cherry tomatoes and sriracha. I snack daily on mixed nuts and superfoods such as golden berries, goji berries and mulberries. I also make flourless desserts to satisfy a sweet craving. Not too shabby, right?

Without further ado, here's a sample of a savoury breakfast that I now enjoy.

Veggie Breakfast Mix
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 courgettes, sliced
• 1 orange/yellow/red capsicum, diced
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 1 can chick peas, rinsed thoroughly
• 1 cup edamame, soaked
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• Coconut oil
• 1 tsp each dried oregano, basil 
• Dash of chili/paprika, optional
• Splash of almond milk
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Salt & pepper, to taste

1. In a medium heavy-bottomed pan, heat coconut oil. When hot, add in diced onion. When slightly brown, add capsicum. 
2. As the pepper softens, add both the carrots and the splash of almond milk in order for the carrots to soften and to add some "creamy" flavour. 
3. Next, stir in courgette. When softened, mix in chick peas and edamame. 
4. Add in the dried herbs and apple cider vinegar. Continue to stir. 
5. When all the vegetables are cooked enough, add the spinach and stir until it's wilted. 
6. Enjoy 

Cheers
xx