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Protein Diet: This is How You Can Implement It More Sustainably

The protein diet is intended to help you lose weight and at the same time prevent muscle breakdown. In this article you will learn what is behind the diet and how you can implement it sustainably.

The protein diet is particularly popular with athletes. It should help you lose weight and at the same time prevent the body from breaking down muscle mass in addition to fat. The body needs protein to maintain and build muscle. By the way, protein and protein are the same thing.

With the protein diet, you reduce the nutrients that are crucial for the production of body mass. These are mainly carbohydrates. They provide energy and prevent the body from breaking down fat. You can think of fat as your body’s emergency reserve. It only burns it when it can no longer provide sufficient energy from carbohydrates. So if you severely reduce the intake of carbohydrates, your body will burn fat.

A low-carbohydrate diet is also known as a low-carb diet. The protein diet thinks one step further: by consuming a lot of protein, you prevent your body from losing muscle mass.

Ask yourself beforehand: Why do I want to go on a diet?

Question the motivation behind your diet. Do you really want to do something for your health or are you driven by ideals of beauty that put you under pressure? Don’t get stressed. Your value as a human being is measured by your character, not the size of your waist.

Maybe you don’t need a diet at all to feel more comfortable in and with your body – you can get inspiration and tips for a healthy lifestyle here: Lose weight effectively: How it works healthy and sustainably.

After you become clear about your motives, you can also approach the diet with a deeper awareness. In the next sections you will find out what such a protein diet can look like and how it can be made as ecologically sustainable as possible.

Dangers and benefits of the protein diet

According to the consumer center, a protein diet in which you almost completely avoid carbohydrates (ketogenic diet) can have health disadvantages:

Dizziness, weakness and headaches may occur.
It also increases the risk of gout attacks and urinary stones.
So be sure to stick to the maximum of two grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. If in doubt, seek medical advice and clarify beforehand whether the protein diet is right for you from a health perspective!

It’s best to try to eat high-quality and good carbohydrates instead of giving them up completely. The German Society for Nutrition e.V. recommends a daily amount of carbohydrates of about 50 percent of the energy intake. The energy helps you in sports as well as in school or at work. A balanced diet is key here. Also: No diet can have a lasting effect if you don’t change your diet permanently and do sports regularly or get enough exercise.

However, a protein diet also has benefits for your health:

The egg white will help de-fat your liver.
It is also said that a detoxification process generally takes place during a diet. Nowadays, many foods in the supermarket are laced with harmful preservatives. Your body may be able to recover a bit from this on a diet.

Protein diet: Knowing how to be vegan

Protein is found in high concentrations in animal products such as meat, milk, cheese and eggs. However, you can still do without animal foods even in a protein diet. This can not only be tasty and healthy, but is also good for the environment. Factory farming is a major driver and, among other things, the cause of climate change and, particularly due to its intensive form, is partly responsible for insect mortality. The intensive consumption of animal products is part of the chain that threatens our future.

In addition, for you as an individual, a less animal-heavy diet means an investment in your health. In addition to protein, animal products also contain a lot of fat. In contrast to the “good”, i.e. unsaturated fatty acids, which are found in walnuts, for example, meat has a high proportion of “bad”, i.e. saturated fatty acids.

So you can use nuts and legumes for a high-protein diet.
Lentils, peas and beans are also very good sources of protein.

In many supermarkets there are now products that have an extra high protein and low carbohydrate content. Pasta, for example, usually contains a lot of carbohydrates. If you want to reduce this, it is better to use protein pasta. You can also buy protein bread.
By the way: When it comes to the question of the right time of day to eat, opinions differ. According to Sabine Holzäpfel, a consultant in the food and nutrition department of the Baden-Württemberg consumer advice center, a hearty breakfast in combination with a less sumptuous evening meal is recommended. This is because the digestive system works harder in the morning than in the evening. There is also the option of intermittent fasting. For example, a meal can be completely omitted and the interval between meals promotes weight loss simply because of its length.

More important than time, however, is the calorie deficit itself. Your basal metabolic rate is what your body would use in calories every day without exercise. You can control your calorie deficit through exercise and nutrition.

Protein Diet: A Meal Plan

You can create varied menus with a focus on protein, fiber and good carbohydrates from the foods already mentioned and many others. A day of the protein diet could look like this:

Breakfast: (protein) rolled oats, chopped nuts and seeds with oat milk and a slice of protein bread/whole wheat bread with peanut butter and tomatoes and possibly a homemade protein shake
Lunch: Protein pasta/wholemeal pasta with lentil bolognese and lots of vegetables
Dinner: Lettuce with tomatoes, tofu and walnuts or a bean salad

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Mixed Diet: Can That Be Sustainable?

If you answer the question of what you eat roughly with “everything”, then you probably eat according to the mixed diet principle. We will explain to you exactly what a mixed diet means and how you can make this type of diet more sustainable.

There are many different types of diets. If you only consume plant-based foods, you are eating vegan. If you also eat eggs and dairy products, it is a vegetarian diet. Mixed diets also include meat and fish in the diet.

For environmental and animal protection, a vegan or at least vegetarian diet is particularly recommended. If you pay attention to a few points, you can at least make the mixed diet more sustainable. This article gives you specific tips on how to do this.

What does mixed food mean?

According to the Spectrum Nutrition Lexicon, mixed diet refers to “diets made up of plant and animal foods”. If you also pay attention to a good ratio of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, you are talking about a balanced mixed diet.

A pizza with salami, for example, would be mixed food thanks to grain, meat, cheese and tomato sauce, but not particularly balanced.

The 10 recommendations of the DGE

The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) recommends ten rules for a wholesome diet as part of a mixed diet. Some of these also have a direct impact on the sustainability of your diet.

It is particularly important that you make your diet varied and plant-based. That means: more plant-based than animal-based foods and as many different ones as possible. As a guideline, the DGE recommends at least 400 grams of vegetables and 250 grams of fruit per day for adults. With the plant-based diet, you also eat more environmentally friendly. According to the Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry, a plant-based mixed diet reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent compared to a meat-based one and saves land and water.
You can eat fish once or twice a week, but adults should limit themselves to 300 to 600 grams of meat and sausages per week. By consuming smaller amounts of meat and fish, you should be able to afford organic and more species-appropriate animal husbandry at the same time.
When preparing food, you can make sure that you only cook it for as long and as hot as it is really necessary. On the one hand, this means that more nutrients are retained, and on the other hand, you can easily save energy.

This is how sustainable mixed food works

The DGE also gives direct advice on sustainable nutrition. You can combine these with mixed foods.

The central aspect is the already mentioned plant-based diet.
It is also important that you buy ecologically and fairly produced food.
Whenever possible, you can also shop regionally.
It is best to only buy foods that are in season. Then you are more likely to find an offer from your region.
In addition to the diet itself, you can make your mixed diet sustainable by handling food consciously. For example, try to throw away as little as possible to avoid food waste:

When shopping, make sure you only buy as much as you can safely eat.
If an expiration date has passed, check food for its appearance, smell and taste. Most of the time, the food is still edible without any problems even after it has expired.
Buy unpackaged products whenever possible. You can find fruit and vegetables at a weekly market – but often also in supermarkets and always in organic markets – to buy loose. You can simply pack it in old paper or cloth bags you brought with you. Maybe you would like to pay a visit to a packaging-free shop? There you will find a lot of different things, such as pasta or muesli, to fill in containers you brought with you.

If possible, avoid ready meals and frozen foods or at least reduce your consumption. It is almost always heavily processed food that is provided with preservatives, colorings or other additives. And by the way, you save money if you cook yourself and plant-based.

Try new things

Even if you eat a mixed diet every day, it can be a valuable experience to try a different diet from time to time. A particularly popular example of this is the “Veganuary“. You eat vegan for a month. By name, most people try it in January, but there’s nothing wrong with going vegan in April – or any other time.

In the Veganuary or just like that you can test vegan meat alternatives and alternatives to dairy products as part of the mixed diet. For example, there are various vegan cheeses or plant milk as a milk substitute.

For maximum regionality, you can also grow your own fruit and vegetables. A garden is the best option for this, but even with a balcony, you can take care of a lot of things. For example, you can plant tomatoes on the balcony, and even potatoes on the balcony are an option.

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Elementary School Students: Unhealthy Diet Reduces Cognitive Ability

Even the youngest are taught how important a balanced diet is for a healthy life. A study from Finland now suggests that an unhealthy lifestyle can have a negative impact on the thinking ability of primary school children.

The study

Finnish scientists examined the diets of a total of 428 primary school children aged six to eight years. For this purpose, the researchers evaluated the 4-day eating logs of the students. The nutritional quality was assessed using two different point systems for diet types.

These included DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), an American diet that aims to stop high blood pressure, and BSDS (Baltic Sea Diet Score), which corresponds to the typical diet of the Baltic States. In addition to the nutrition log, the elementary school students were also tested on their cognitive abilities such as similarities, differences, and pattern findings. Pure knowledge and language skills were not taken into account.

The result

The analysis of the Finnish study showed that the nutritional quality of primary school children is directly related to the results of their cognitive tests. These results are independent of the age, gender, education, and income of the parents. According to the scientists, too little consumption of berries, fruit, vegetables, and whole-grain products as well as too much consumption of red meat and sausages have a particularly negative effect on mental performance.

An unhealthy diet actually reduces mental performance. The results of the study indicate that it is not individual foods or nutrients that are decisive, but the general dietary pattern. Further studies to substantiate these results are planned.

The recommendation

For children and adults, a balanced diet is essential for healthy development and healthy life. This is the only way to ensure that the body gets all the nutrients it needs to function properly.

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10 Rules for Pegan Diet

Pegan = Paleo and vegan? No, not quite: Although the pegan diet combines the cornerstones of both diets, eating meat is allowed. We have compiled the ten basic rules of the pegan diet for you.

The spiritual father of the pegan diet is Mark Hyman, an American physician. Paleo and vegan diets do not differ in their principles, according to the doctor: Both eat as natural, unprocessed foods as possible and thus combine in pegan!

The 10 rules of the pegan diet

1. Eat foods with a low glycemic index (GLYX)

Avoid foods with sugar and refined carbohydrates. Eat fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts instead.

2. Vegetables are the main part of the diet

Although meat is permitted in the pegan diet, 50 to 70 percent of your diet should consist of vegetables. The darker the vegetables, the better. Because a strong color is an indication of high content of secondary plant substances.

3. It’s all about the fats

Vegetable oils are taboo in the pegan diet. The only exception is olive oil. Fats are ingested from nuts, avocados, coconuts, and, in small amounts, saturated fat from meat.

4. Meat is the accompaniment to vegetables

The Paleo diet is very meat-heavy, vegans completely avoid it. With the pegan diet, the trade-off is this: only about 25 percent of the meal is meat, with the rest being vegetables.

5. Eat free-range meat

The advantage of healthy, natural husbandry is particularly noticeable with cows. Because in cows that are allowed to eat grass regularly, the meat has a higher proportion of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A and vitamin D. When it comes to fish, types that contain a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, such as sardines or salmon, are also preferable.

6. Avoid dairy products

Dairy products are frowned upon by both paleo and vegan advocates, citing studies such as the China Study which claim to show that dairy products contribute to obesity, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease. Dairy products are therefore also taboo in Peganism.

7. Avoid gluten, eat little grain

Avoiding gluten is currently en vogue. The pegan diet also dispenses with wheat gluten and thus most cereal products. Since the consumption of (whole grain) cereals increases blood sugar levels and the risk of autoimmune diseases, according to Mark Hyman, caution is generally required.

8. Legumes in moderation

According to Mark Hyman, beans also increase blood sugar levels. So: eat a few legumes.

9. Sugar only in exceptional cases

Refined sugar and sugar substitutes are taboo in the pegan diet. Maple syrup, honey, or coconut blossom sugar are allowed in moderation.

10. Eliminate additives from your diet

According to the maxim of eating as natural and unprocessed food as possible, flavorings, colorings, and preservatives are completely banned from the pegan diet – a clear advantage for health. However, these strict rules make it almost impossible for Pagans to eat out.

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One in Four 15-Year-Olds Has Already Tried a Diet

WHO HBSC study: girls often think they are overweight, and boys are more likely to be obese. Both, the eating and health behavior is strongly dependent on the parental home.

25 percent of all 15-year-old girls go on a diet or try to lose weight in some other way.

This is the conclusion of the World Health Organization’s Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, which is updated every four years.

According to the study, girls consider themselves too fat more often than boys: 43 percent of all 15-year-olds say they have too much on their ribs. Even 11-year-old girls think 26 percent are too fat. It is boys who tend to be overweight and obese: according to the survey, 7.8% of girls and 10.1% of boys are overweight or obese. On the other hand, 17.8% of girls and 12.6% of boys are classified as underweight.

The close connection between wealth and body weight

The study shows that the conditions in the parental home have a decisive effect on body weight: the higher the family wealth, the fewer young people are overweight or obese. The downside: Boys and girls with a high family wealth are also more likely to be underweight than children who grow up in households with lower wealth.

According to the study, where healthy eating culture is practiced, mature and healthy children grow up. However, the eating habits of many children and young people give cause for concern: only 29 percent of all 15-year-old boys eat fruit every day (37 percent for girls), and 22 percent of boys drink soft drinks every day. Vegetables are on the daily menu for 30.6% of girls and only 19.5% of boys.

It also looks modest when it comes to exercise: While eleven-year-olds still get 25 percent of the daily recommended exercise, it is only 16 percent for 15-year-olds. On average, girls move less than boys.

The international coordinator of the HBSC study and senior editor of the report, Dr. Jo Inchley, said: “Many aspects of health follow social patterns. Young people from more disadvantaged backgrounds not only have fewer health-promoting behaviors and poorer health outcomes, but they also have fewer social assets, such as support from family and friends.”

After all, the number of young people who smoke or consume alcohol has fallen significantly since 2010.

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Diet Affects Cataracts

Cataracts are one of the most common causes of visual impairment and blindness worldwide. However, the clouding process of the lens can be counteracted with a diet rich in vitamin C. This is what current study results from London suggest and give those affected by the eye disease hope.

Cataract eye disease

Cataracts are one of the most common causes of visual impairment and blindness worldwide. With this eye disease, the lens of the eye, which is actually clear, becomes cloudy, which means that vision deteriorates. Blurred contours and contrasts, increased glare from light, or double vision can be possible symptoms of cataracts.

There is no medication therapy. So far, only an operation in which an artificial lens is used can help cataract patients. But now the latest study results are giving hope to those affected: According to this, a diet rich in vitamin C can counteract the persistent clouding of the lens of the eye.

Diet affects cataracts

Researchers from King’s College in London investigated the connection between a vitamin C-rich diet and the risk of progressive clouding of the eye lens in cataracts. For this purpose, the scientists evaluated data from a period of around ten years, which was recorded on the basis of 324 pairs of female twins.

The subjects noted their personal eating habits, including the intake of dietary supplements, in a questionnaire and also regularly took part in eye tests. The results sound promising: The risk of progressive clouding of the lens is therefore around 33 percent lower if attention is paid to a lot of vitamin C in the choice of food.

In addition, only about a third of cataract severity and progression is due to genetic factors. At around 60 percent, environmental conditions, age, and lifestyle are significantly more important, according to the medical journal “Ophthalmology”.

Scientists assume that vitamin C, which is mainly found in berries, citrus fruits, broccoli, or peppers, accumulates in the eye fluid and can thus reduce oxidative stress. According to the researchers, aggressive oxygen radicals that could otherwise lead to clouding of the eye lens would be intercepted.

It is not yet clear whether the study can also be applied to men, people from other cultures, or younger people. All information about the study and the results in detail can be found here.

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Study: Low-Carb Diet is Said to Shorten Lifespan

In the fight against excess pounds, the low-carb diet is very popular. A new study published surprising results: low carb is not as healthy as previously thought and can even shorten life expectancy under certain circumstances.

The low-carb diet is well known to everyone and is considered by many to be a successful weight loss diet. But is low carb not so healthy for us and can it even harm us?

dr Sara Seidelmann, a researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital Boston, took a closer look at the low-carb diet and its effects and came up with startling results that were published in The Lancet Public Health. The study found that under certain circumstances, a low-carb diet can shorten life expectancy by up to four years.

Carrying out the study

Two studies were conducted to take a closer look at the effects of a low-carb diet.

1st study:

The study spanned 15,400 subjects over a 25-year period and took into account gender, age, educational level, ethnicity, physical activity, income, diabetes, smoking, and precise dietary habits. The participants had to fill out questionnaires about their eating habits, with information about the food and drink consumed and the portion sizes of the meals.

Results:

  • at the age of 50, the remaining life expectancy was estimated at another 33 years for the subjects who consumed moderate amounts of carbohydrates, i.e. 50 to 55 percent of the daily energy intake
  • at the age of 50, the remaining life expectancy was estimated at another 32 years for the subjects who consumed high amounts of carbohydrates, i.e. more than 65 percent of the daily energy intake
  • at the age of 50, the remaining lifespan was estimated at another 29 years for the subjects who consumed small amounts of carbohydrates, i.e. less than 30 percent of the daily energy intake
  • Conclusion: Consuming a moderate amount of carbohydrates in combination with vegetable sources of protein and fat is better than a low-carb diet containing meat.

2nd study:

In a second study, the scientists examined the exact implementation of the low-carb diet of 430,000 participants using two different types of nutrition:

  • the classic low-carb diet with few carbohydrates, lots of animal proteins and fats (meat, eggs, cheese, and milk)
  • the vegetarian low-carb diet with few carbohydrates, lots of vegetable proteins and fats (nuts, legumes, etc.)

Results:

This study found that a low-carb, high-meat diet shortened life expectancy compared to a moderate-carb diet. However, those who use vegetable protein sources even have a longer life expectancy than those who have a moderate carbohydrate intake.

Conclusion: A vegetarian low-carb diet can increase life expectancy.

dr Sara Seidelmann, who led the study, explained: “Low carb diets are becoming more popular because people believe it is a healthy way to lose weight quickly. However, our data suggest that a low-carb, animal-based diet is more likely to be associated with shorter lifespans. Therefore, people should not be encouraged to follow this diet. Instead, people who want to eat low carb should swap carbohydrates for plant-based fats and plant-based proteins, as such a low-carb diet actually enables healthy aging.”

Why low carb and high carb shorten the life

Scientists say Anyone who eats a low-carb diet and eats little fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, but more animal products automatically promotes inflammation in the body, increases oxidative stress, and accelerates the aging process, which increases risk of death.

A diet rich in carbohydrates is just as bad because those who mainly eat unhealthy foods made from white flour (toast, biscuits, etc.) promote metabolic diseases and digestive problems.

If low carb, then vegetarian?

A low-carb diet is only recommended if it consists mainly of vegetable protein and fat sources such as vegetables, legumes, and nuts. The researchers, therefore, recommend a plant-based wholesome diet. Meat is not taboo, but it should never replace carbohydrates.

The scientists in the study, therefore, classify both a low-carb diet and a high-carb diet as not beneficial for health.

Our conclusion to the study

Due to the duration of the study, it must also be assumed that study participants changed their diet over the course of this time, which could falsify the results. It is also questionable whether the so-called low-carb subjects in these observational studies actually followed a conscious low-carb diet the whole time. In addition, the surveys only show correlations and no causalities, so the connection between cause and effect is not taken into account.

So there is no reason to get excited. We recommend a balanced, conscious, and moderate low-carb diet if you want to eat a low-carbohydrate diet. Be mindful of the protein and fat sources you consume, just as you should ensure adequate vitamin and fiber intake. Diets cannot only be judged on the basis of carbohydrate and protein content. Many other factors, including nutrient sources, play an important role.

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Vegan Diet Endangers Children’s Health!

A vegan diet endangers children’s health! Veganism is widespread and a popular diet these days. For adults, this is largely harmless to health if the menu offers enough variety. However, more and more parents are now serving their children exclusively vegan foods. Pediatricians criticize this since a completely animal-free diet endangers the health of the children and can even lead to death.

Vegan Diet: Harmful to Children

More and more parents are feeding their children animal-free foods. However, a vegan diet is a deliberate threat to the well-being of the child, as the director of the Regensburg University Hospital for Pediatric Medicine, Prof. Michael Melter, explains to the “Bild am Sonntag”. By not eating animal-based foods, there would be a nutrient deficiency, which would lead to delayed growth, According to Prof. Michael Melter, the worst consequence for the children is death.

In addition to physical damage, the intense control that vegan diets require often leads to eating disorders. The pediatrician Dr. Barbara Mühlfeld speaks from experience and emphasizes: “There is a clear connection between veganism in children and anorexia”.

Some parents celebrate veganism like religion and do everything they can to keep their children healthy, but don’t realize the drastic consequences, explains Dr. Josef Kahl, Federal Press Spokesman of the Professional Association of Pediatricians. It is difficult to explain to “missionary” parents the negative consequences of vegan nutrition for their children.

That’s what nutritional science says

According to the European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN), children should not be fed a vegan diet as this increases the risk of severe neurological disorders and developmental delays for the child.

The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) also advises against vegan nutrition in sensitive phases of life, such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, and childhood: Due to growth, children have high demands on nutrient density with low nutrient stores at the same time. The result is an increased risk of undersupply or nutrient deficiency.

Particularly critical nutrients are protein, iron, calcium, iodine, zinc, vitamins B2, B12, and D, and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. The development and health of the children can be seriously damaged if the offspring are only fed vegan.

A nutrient deficiency can lead to blood formation disorders (iron and vitamin B12 deficiency), growth retardation (energy-protein malnutrition), and sometimes irreversible neurological disorders such as mental retardation (vitamin B12 and iodine deficiency). An insufficient supply of the mother with the long-chain omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) can also have a negative impact on the development of the infant’s brain and retina.

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I Became Healthy with a Plant-Based Diet!

The plant-based diet is becoming more and more popular, and more and more people are eating vegan. For many, this diet is not just a food trend, for Shabnam from “The Hungry Warrior” for example, it was a health decision. In an interview, she tells EAT SMARTER how she integrates plant-based nutrition into her everyday life and what effects it has on her health.

What can we expect from “The Hungry Warrior”?

Instagram isn’t just about recipes – it’s primarily about being visually appealing. It’s a kind of artistic expression for me. I eat plant-based and all my recipes are vegan and contain no animal products. On my blog I then talk about myself, my illness, my plant-based diet, and my life. I also give tips on how to deal with the disease or nutritional problems. I would like to achieve that people get more courage to listen to their own bodies and deal more consciously with the topic of nutrition. They should enjoy eating and cooking.

You were diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. How did the day change your life?

At that time I was still living in the USA. But when I got the diagnosis in 2007, I returned to Germany. At first, I was of course shocked and didn’t know how to deal with the disease. Conventional medicine relied only on medication and stress reduction, nutrition played no role. The doctors always said, “You can eat whatever you want”. However, I had to learn that for me this means listening to my body.

So I had to learn what I can tolerate and therefore really want to eat. Then I switched my diet to a plant-based diet. The diagnosis has fundamentally changed my life and I also see the positive side of what has resulted from it.

I’m doing pretty well with it now. But my body lets me feel it again and again when I’m under too much stress. Then I have to take a quick break. The plant-based diet means I have much less stomach pain. A cup of coffee with milk is used to give you a boost. But of course, there are still foods that I don’t tolerate very well, which I try to avoid.

How did the idea for “The Hungry Warrior” come about?

The idea came to me at the end of 2016 when I was quite ill and looking for a hobby that I could do from home. Due to my illness, I had to stay at home for about a year without working or exercising. So I needed something where I could express my creativity. I’ve always loved cooking and my boyfriend had a camera that he rarely used. That’s why I connected the two things together and it worked relatively quickly and well.

What memories do you have of your first attempts at cooking?

I believe that cooking is in my genes because everyone here cooks well: my mother and my three sisters. I wasn’t allowed to run around in the kitchen much because it made my mother nervous. But I watched it because it always interested me.

I cooked for my parents for the first time when I was eight or nine. I made meatballs. It was something very simple and I don’t even remember if I seasoned it that much. But I can still remember forming the meatballs with my hands and then frying them in oil.

I used to love to cook for my friends after school. My best friend used to come up to me and watch me cook. She can’t cook at all, but she can eat well.

How would you briefly describe your nutritional philosophy?

I want people to listen to their bodies more. There should be no taboo topics like the “gut”. I eat plant-based, for me, this is the right diet. But everyone should value their own body and be willing to try different recipes and diets.

What are the biggest difficulties of the plant-based diet?

It is definitely difficult to eat out. You have to find out well beforehand where you can go and it is best to be prepared when you go: take nuts, dried fruit or fruit with you. Especially at the beginning, it is difficult to persevere and not give up.

Do you have to be strict with yourself to eat like you?

No! Instead, you should take things easy. If you like eating meat, that’s totally fine. I don’t want to forbid anything, but rather inspire people to try new things. Over time, awareness changes automatically, so that you pay more attention to quality and automatically reduce the amount of meat.

What ingredients can’t you do without in a plant-based kitchen?

To nuts! You can do everything with it, savory dishes, salads, even a nut Bolognese, as well as cakes and nut milk. They are high in good fats, protein, and minerals. I always use herbs. For me, a hearty base consists of onions, olive oil, garlic, and herbs. Spices are also important so that there is always a real taste explosion. In addition, legumes are very versatile – I don’t tolerate them very well, so I don’t have them that often.

Do you use natural sugar alternatives? Which are your favorites?

I haven’t used white, refined sugar for years. I actually don’t like it at all anymore. I use coconut blossom sugar or maple syrup as a sugar alternative. But I also use agave syrup, date syrup, and dates to sweeten – whether for cakes, smoothies, shakes or porridge.

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Diet: Germans Fatter Than Ever

Eating habits: The Germans are getting fatter. The reason for this is revealed by the eating habits of Germans, which the German Society for Nutrition presented in the 13th Nutrition Report in February 2017. They also emphasize that the consumption of foods with a high energy density must be restricted in order to reduce the risk of obesity.

Eating habits: Germans are overweight

Being overweight is becoming an increasingly common problem in Germany: 59 percent of men and 37 percent of women are overweight. Men gain a lot of weight with age: At the end of their working life, 74.2 percent are overweight – for women of the same age it is 56.3 percent.

Prof. Helmut Heseker, former President of the DGE, who worked on the topic for the 13th DGE Nutrition Report, explains: “Many people in Germany eat too much energy-rich food and exercise too little.” The options for action to minimize the incidence of obesity become clear in the following eating habits.

Positive eating habits: More variety of vegetables on the plate

The consumption of vegetables (especially tomatoes, carrots, onions, leafy and stalked vegetables), berries, and nuts is increasing at the same time. This trend leads to a higher intake of some vitamins, phytochemicals, minerals, and fiber.

However, the consumption of fresh fruit and citrus fell. Prof. Dr. Peter Stehle, Editor-in-Chief of the 13th DGE Nutrition Report, says: “We must continue our efforts to promote the consumption of foods with a comparatively low energy density. This includes above all plant-based foods such as vegetables and fruit.”

Fish is eaten too seldom

While meat consumption has been too high for several years but has been constant in the development of eating habits, too little fish has been consumed since 2010. This has a negative impact on the health of the population, as important omega 3 fatty acids and iodine for the prevention of coronary heart disease are missing.

Consumption of grain products: good for health

In recent years, eating habits have evolved towards continuously consuming more durum wheat semolina, pasta, and rice. The DGE evaluates this positively: The cereal dietary fibers probably reduce the risk of diabetes mellitus and colon cancer.

More cheese is good, but caution should be exercised

The consumption of fresh milk products has remained relatively stable in recent years, but the consumption of cheese has increased. This development in eating habits has a positive effect on health through a higher intake of proteins, calcium, iodine, and vitamin B2. However, you should be careful with high-fat variants, as they may contribute to a higher energy intake.

The consumption of water as a thirst quencher should continue to rise

Germans drink more water and soft drinks, but when it comes to eating habits, the DGE recommends increasing water consumption even further and reducing the consumption of sugary drinks to avoid obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The DGE justifies the increase in coffee consumption with the “to-go trend” and warns against coffee specialties containing energy.

One bar of chocolate more per year

Since the year 2000, the consumption of chocolate by the population has risen by a total of 25 percent. Although there is a declining trend in the consumption of sweets, every German eats an average of one more bar of chocolate a year than before.

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