Kristina told Bored Panda that she’s tried several different diets throughout her life. “In the past, I‘ve tried various things—from a standard diet to a vegetarian one, to vegan, even to raw vegan.”

“I must say, my experiments, unfortunately, were sometimes built on rules, even restrictions. Sometimes I would feel like I could fly or run to the top of the highest mountain and other times I would feel tension. For sure, I was not in true balance,” Kristina said.

“I learned so much from it. I learned that life is so multifaceted—sometimes by trying to avoid causing harm to others, one might harm him or her self. I learned that health is not just physical but also psychological. I learned what true beauty is. I learned how to hear what my body is trying to tell me through various signs. I learned that we are all different and have different physical needs, based on our genes, biology, occupation, and that we all experience different stages in life. A child‘s nutritional needs will be different than an adult‘s, a pregnant woman will need different things compared to an old person, someone who is recovering from a disease will eat differently than a healthy individual.”

She continued: “So, gradually I have let go of all tags for myself. I do feel best on a diet largely based on plants, full of colorful fruit and vegetables, prepared and eaten with love and gratitude. I do incorporate some animal products too as I feel it helps me to stay balanced and healthy.”

“Now, I feel better than ever, especially because of the psychological freedom and relaxation that comes from listening to my body and not being fanatical. I know that I am changing constantly and I accept that my nutrition might need to change as a result, so that I can adapt to all events that life brings.”