Alexandra is the talented foodie behind the blog, app and popular Instagram page Fivesec Health. Her passion is to inspire people to live a healthy lifestyle that benefits not only ourselves but our planet and animals. Together with her brand Fivesec Health, Alexandra believes we can change the world.
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Tell us about yourself!
I’m born and raised in Sweden and also live here for the moment. I live in a tiny apartment in the startup city Malmö with my boyfriend. We love spending time together and to eat home with candles instead of dining out (cheesy right?). I also love moving my body so every day I hit the gym early in the morning, because I’m also a morning person!
I quit my full-time job as a customer success manager about a year ago to work full-time with Fivesec Health. To quit my job and do something I have passion for is the best decision I have ever made. We also recently got our first intern at Fivesec Health! Exciting times.
When did you start food blogging and what inspired you to start?
Since I was a teenager I always felt lost among all the diets that are out there. Health has always been important to me and I was always trying to find out the healthiest way to eat. I can say that I have tried very many different diets, but I never felt really healthy and I felt that nothing was sustainable for me. Three years ago my mom inspired me to start making raw vegan cookies and sweets, this was mostly because I was such a sweet tooth and saw an opportunity to eat sweets that now were healthy. So I started an Instagram account with this raw vegan sweets idea just to show people that sweets could be healthy.
I was spending a lot of time researching raw vegan sweets and finally came across the vegan movement on Instagram. I was so fascinated by the colorful food they ate and it looked so healthy. From here I started my own ”research” on vegan diets and came across a lot of documentaries and studies made. 2 years ago I was convinced that a plant-based diet was the optimal diet for health. Since then my vision has been to inspire people towards a plant-based lifestyle. I also studied plant-based nutrition at
eCornell.
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What are the biggest challenges and greatest rewards of being a food/lifestyle blogger?
In the beginning, the biggest challenge was when I didn’t know how to survive financially on this food blogging thing. The biggest challenge now is the time it takes to create content, I would love to create more and do more but the time isn’t quite there.
What are your top tips for someone looking to transition to a vegan diet?
Look up the facts, see documentaries, and see with your own eyes how our animals are treated. As soon as you realise that we don’t need animal products to survive, a whole new world will open up. Start with vegan meal plans because otherwise it can be overwhelming and you also get new inspiration!
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Where do you source your recipe inspiration from?
I almost always use Pinterest to search for inspiration! I also use Instagram but Pinterest gives me a better overlook.
If you had only 5 minutes to make breakfast, what would you make?
I would add oats and chopped bananas into a bowl, pour some plant milk over it, let it soak for 4 minutes and then eat!
If you had to choose three foods to live off for the rest of your life, what would they be?
Bananas, potatoes, whole wheat bread
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You serve up some pretty amazing dishes in our Coconut Bowls! What has been your favourite so far?
That one is hard! It has to be all the smoothie bowls that I’ve done. The last one I made was a banana/raspberry/pitaya nice cream, the vibrant pink color looks so beautiful with the coconut bowl’s earthy color.
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What is your favourite thing about your Coconut Bowls?
They make every meal feel tropical! Especially with wooden spoons or forks.
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We are so excited to have one of your recipes included in our new cookbook ‘Vegan Bowls for Vegan Souls’. Tell us about the recipe you chose and what it means for you to be apart of the book?
“Mexican Fiesta Bowl”, this dish is me and my boyfriend's favourite go-to dish. I always make this recipe to people who aren’t vegan because I know they will love it. Who doesn’t love some fiesta vibes?
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Thanks Alex! Big love from Coconut Bowls ❤
