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.
Tell us about yourself!
I was born and raised in Sweden, and am currently living in Canggu in Bali with my partner. We love to spend time together and to eat at home with candles instead of dining out – cheesy, right? I also love moving my body so I often hit the gym in the morning, because I’m also a morning person!
I quit my full-time job as a customer success manager about two years ago to work full-time on Fivesec Health. To quit my job and do something that I have a passion for is the best decision I have ever made. 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 never really felt healthy and I felt that it was hard to keep up with a diet long term.
Three years ago my mom inspired me to start making raw vegan treats, this was mostly because I was such a sweet tooth and saw an opportunity to eat sweets that were healthy. So I started an Instagram account with this raw vegan treats idea just to show people that treats could be healthier.
I was spending a lot of time researching raw vegan treats 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. About four 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 ended up studying plant-based nutrition at eCornell.
What are the biggest challenges and greatest rewards of being a food/lifestyle blogger?
The biggest challenge I would say is to be able to keep up with my amazing community. I would love to spend more time connecting with my community. The greatest reward is also all about the community; how I’m able to help and inspire people every single day and contribute to progressing the vegan movement forward. The best feeling is when a person says that I’ve helped them in some way.
What are your top tips for someone looking to transition to a vegan diet?
Learn, watch documentaries, and become aware of how this society really works. You don’t have to go vegan overnight, it’s a journey and no one is perfect. I would suggest to start your journey by replacing meals with vegan meals. So for example, make a vegan breakfast for a week and then add a vegan lunch the next week and so on. Then you can move forward to (or directly) vegan meal plans to follow because otherwise it can be overwhelming and you also get new inspiration!
Where do you source your recipe inspiration from?
Besides from my head, I 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, flax meal and a chopped banana into a bowl, pour some hot water over it, stir, 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, sweet potatoes and oatmeal.
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. I really love the “Birthday Cake Nice Cream” that I made!
What is your favourite thing about your Coconut Bowls?
Besides sustainability, the bowls make every meal feel tropical!
We are so excited to have one of your recipes included in our cookbook ‘Vegan Bowls’. Tell us about the recipe you chose and what it means for you to be apart of the book?
The “Mexican Fiesta Bowl” is both mine and my boyfriend’s favorite go-to dinner! I always make this recipe to people who aren’t vegan because I know they will love it.
To be a part of the book and Coconut Bowls community means a lot. We share the same values and both inspire people towards a more sustainable lifestyle.
To learn more about Alex: @fivesechealth