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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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health

Healthy Fasting, But How? A Plant-Based Diet is Good For The Body!

Goodbye annoying kilos? Ideally, fasting should be healthy and varied: A vegan diet is very suitable for this.

What exactly does it mean to “eat vegan” anyway?

In a vegan diet, no animal products such as meat, cow’s milk and eggs are consumed. Contrary to popular belief, not eating animal products does not lead to malnutrition as long as you eat a wholesome diet. A wholesome diet means getting all the nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats), vitamins, and minerals you need.

The main components of a vegan diet include grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and of course fruits and vegetables. Sound boring? But it doesn’t have to be. A vegan diet offers diverse and creative dishes – which are also easy and quick to prepare!

Benefits of a vegan diet

In brief: A healthy and balanced vegan diet can support weight loss in the case of overweight, reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases and promote digestion.

1. High in fiber

Many plant-based foods are very low in fat (legumes and grains) and low in calories and can support weight loss. They also contain a high proportion of fiber, which is why plant foods have a very filling effect and at the same time promote digestion. These include, for example, whole grain oatmeal, dried apricots and salsify. Foods such as cheese and meat contain little fiber and can lead to constipation if consumed in excess.

2. Low cholesterol

Plant-based foods have a low cholesterol content. Knew? In fact, oatmeal and walnuts, for example, even lower cholesterol. According to scientific studies, a low-cholesterol diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as a heart attack or stroke. On the other hand, everyday mixed foods such as eggs, butter and cheese contain a lot of cholesterol.

3. Lower risk of cancer

The risk of cancer can also be reduced with a vegan diet. The plant-based diet reduces the risk of colon and lung cancer, as well as stomach and prostate cancer. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), red meat (like beef and pork) and processed meat (like cured meats and ham) are classified as carcinogenic to humans. Processed meat and tobacco smoking are even on the same cancer risk level.

Disadvantages of a vegan diet

Since the consumption of meat and dairy products is instilled in many people and is therefore firmly anchored in our cultural values, the switch to a plant-based diet is difficult at first. This takes some getting used to and some research.

In a purely vegan diet, vitamin B12 must be added to the diet, since plant foods primarily contain no B12.

If you only eat vegan for a limited period of time (approx. 1 month), there is no risk of a B12 deficiency.

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Food

Gelatin Substitute: Vegan, Plant-Based Alternatives

As a vegan or vegetarian, you can use gelatin substitutes for desserts, sauces and cakes. You can find the best alternatives here.

Gelatine is used in the food industry to bind liquids and create a creamy to firm consistency. For this reason, the gelling agent is used particularly in sweets, desserts, dairy products or sauces and soups. But juices, wines or medicines can also be made with gelatine.

Conventional gelatin is a by-product of slaughter. It consists mainly of collagen, which is found in skin, bones and nails. The remains of cattle or pigs are often used for this. But poultry or fish are also used for gelatine production.

Gelatine is therefore taboo for vegans and vegetarians. You don’t have to do without delicious desserts & co. Because there are herbal alternatives as a gelatine substitute that work very well.

Gelatin substitute: These are the vegan alternatives

Agar Agar is a vegetable gelling agent and consists of dried seaweed. The vegan gelatine substitute is available as a powder or flakes. Agar Agar is tasteless and rich in minerals and fiber. Before use, it must be heated or soaked in water. The end result is slightly firmer than regular gelatine.
Carrageenan is a gelatin substitute made from red algae. It binds liquid and is particularly used as a thickening agent. Since it stays a little more liquid, it is more likely to be used for jellies or in cosmetics. Carrageenan is suspected of causing allergic reactions, so it should be used with caution.
Guar gum is obtained from the seeds of the guar plant and is also considered a vegan gelatine substitute. It binds the liquid during preparation and is particularly suitable for preparing ice cream, creamy dishes or jams.
Potato or corn starch can also be used as a gelatin substitute. The starch has to be heated beforehand and can then be used as a binding agent. Vegetable starch is used in cakes, soups and sauces, among other things. You can find the vegan gelling agent in organic quality in health food stores.
Pectin is mainly obtained from the cell walls of leftover apples or lemons and is therefore rich in dietary fibre. It has no taste of its own and is particularly suitable for making jam, as the pectin gels particularly well with sugar and lemon juice.

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Food

Spelled Milk, The Best Plant-Based Milk For Frothing

If you want to eat vegan or avoid animal milk for other reasons, you can use milk alternatives such as spelled milk. It is considered compatible, vegan, healthy, lactose-free and extremely ecological. But is that really the case? The spelled drink under the magnifying glass.

First of all: Suppliers of products are not allowed to call plant-based milk substitutes such as those made from spelt as “milk” or “milk substitute”, this is prohibited under EU legislation. The commercially available products are therefore usually labeled “spelled drink”. But nobody says that colloquially, which is why we call it “spelled milk”.

What exactly is spelled milk?

Basically, spelled milk consists of water and very finely ground spelled grains that have been soaked beforehand.

For industrial production, the two components are mixed well and pressed through a very fine sieve.

Depending on the manufacturer, the “raw” spelled milk is then enriched with vitamins, calcium or sweeteners before it is filled into the package as a spelled drink.

Cereal flavor and nice foam

Sweeteners, such as those made from dates or agave syrup, are mainly added because spelled milk in its pure form tastes very floury and like grain. The slightly nutty note of the spelled flour is no longer discernible in the filtered drink. The distinct floury taste of the spelled drink is perhaps also the reason why it lags behind oat milk or rice drinks in terms of popularity.

But the milk substitute has another advantage: due to the high proportion of gluten, the spelled milk can be frothed particularly well. This makes them perfect for all café latte and cappuccino fans looking for plant-based alternatives to their favorite coffee.

What are the nutritional values ​​of the spelled drink?

As already mentioned, spelled milk consists mainly of spelled (flour) and water.
The spelled drink therefore contains, unlike normal cow’s milk, only about 1g of fat per 100ml and no lactose.
However, the grain content has an impact of around 8 g carbohydrates and an average of around 45 kcal/100ml.
The protein content is relatively low at around 0.3g per 100ml. For comparison: cow’s milk with 1.5% fat contains about 4.9g carbohydrates and 3.4g proteins with a calorific value of about 47 kcal.
The spelled drink contains no lactose, casein or other substances that may cause allergies. For those who cannot tolerate cow’s milk, using spelled milk substitutes is an interesting solution.
However, like wheat, spelled has a very high proportion of the gluten protein, which makes spelled milk absolutely unsuitable if you suffer from gluten intolerance or even celiac disease.
The problem with sold spelled milk is that it is seasoned with a lot of sugar and salt. But that’s only a problem if you consume too much of it.
There is no general answer as to whether spelled milk is healthy.

The question remains whether the spelled milk might provide you with important building blocks for a healthy diet.
For the proteins contained in the milk substitute, it is true that spelled contains all the essential amino acids. However, the overall protein content is so low that grain milk is not suitable as a source of protein; as such, milk or soy drink is better.
Spelled milk is also only suitable as a source of calcium if it has been artificially added.
There is a lot of silicic acid in the spelled grain, which is good for skin and hair, as well as a lot of other minerals, including potassium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese and magnesium. However, all in small parts.
During the production of the spelled drink, most of the solid components are also filtered out – and with them many of the valuable nutrients in the spelled.
Let’s put it this way: simply eating spelled as bread is healthier. However, the plant-based milk substitute itself is important for the health of the world. The extent of the greenhouse gas emissions for spelled milk is not yet known, but they are likely to be in the order of magnitude of oat milk, i.e. significantly below those of cow’s milk.

Recipe: Make your own spelled milk

Of course, you can also easily make spelled milk yourself. For this you need:
80 grams of organic spelled
1l water
blender or blender
Bowl for soaking or germinating
Possibly pitted dates or agave syrup as a sweetener
For the simpler, quicker version, let the spelled grains soak in a bowl with a little water overnight. The spelled, water and sweetener then go into a high-performance blender or are chopped up as finely as possible with a blender.

The mixture is then filtered through a cotton cloth, leaving only a cloudy liquid. If you like, you can also omit the last step. The spelled drink then tastes more like grain, but the valuable ingredients of the spelled are retained.

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Food

Plant-Based Protein: These Foods are High in Protein

You can also get enough protein from plant-based products. We show you healthy plant-based foods that you can use to add high-quality protein to your diet to meet even the needs of an athlete.

Plant-based foods high in protein: legumes, seeds and nuts

Although whole grain products and some types of vegetables and fruit are good sources of plant-based protein, legumes, seeds and nuts are particularly rich in protein. Nuts also contain healthy fats, which are often neglected in today’s diet:
Nuts: Walnuts and hazelnuts are about 16 percent protein, and peanuts even contain almost 30 percent. Since nuts are very high in fat, you should still not eat more than a handful a day.
Legumes: Legumes contain slightly less protein. On average, these contain about 7 percent protein. Kidney beans contain almost 8 grams of protein per 100 grams, raw peas and lentils about 5 grams and soybeans as much as 12 grams of protein. Since legumes fill you up well and are low in calories, you can eat them often.
Seeds: Seeds also contain a lot of protein. Both flaxseed and sesame are more than 20 percent protein. Sunflower seeds provide 26 grams of protein per 100 grams, pumpkin seeds even 36 grams. Mixed into the salad or baked in bread, you can easily increase your protein intake with seeds.

Protein powder: dietary supplement made from plant-based foods

If you cannot cover your protein requirements with nuts, seeds and legumes alone, you can also use plant-based protein powders. This makes sense if you are allergic to nuts, soy or legumes or have a particularly high protein requirement, for example because you do competitive sports.

Hemp Protein: A concentrated source of protein in powder form is hemp protein. This dietary supplement is gluten-free, contains neither soy nor nuts or legumes and is therefore compatible with almost everyone. With just under 50 grams of protein per 100 grams, the protein content is comparatively low for a protein concentrate.
Rice protein: Rice protein is also free from common allergens. It contains about 80 percent protein.
Other varieties: If you look around for vegan protein powders, you will also find soy protein or pea protein as well as protein blends from various plant-based protein sources.
You have to find out for yourself which protein powder you tolerate best. In any case, we recommend that you first increase your protein intake with the foods mentioned at the beginning. Protein powders can supplement a balanced diet if necessary, but cannot replace it.

In addition to legumes, seeds and nuts, soy-based products are also rich in proteins. This includes tofu as well as soy yoghurt or soy milk. In another article we will explain how soy affects the environment and whether you can use soy products with a clear conscience.

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Food

Honey Vegan: The 6 Best Plant-Based Alternatives

For ecological and animal welfare reasons, many vegans in particular choose not to consume honey. But it is also worthwhile for anyone who is curious to simply try honey vegan.
We will introduce you to various herbal products that you can use to replace the classic honey.

Is honey vegan?

Many vegan beginners ask themselves this question. The answer is simple: no. Because honey is a product made by animals. Just like with other farm animals, humans interfere with the natural development and way of life of the bees and, just like with other farm animals, problems can arise from this. Many strict vegans therefore do without honey and beeswax.

Alternatives: honey vegan

If you do without honey or just want to try something new, you can try the following plant-based alternatives in addition to conventional household sugar.

1. Sugar beet syrup: regional vegan honey
2. Maple syrup: the vegan honey alternative from Canada
3. Dandelion syrup: honey vegan to make yourself
4. Agave syrup and agave cream: the versatile vegan honey alternative
5. Dried fruits: the vegan honey alternative for muesli
6. Stevia: the vegan honey alternative for drinks

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Food

Plant-based Milk Alternatives for Your Coffee

For many, the milk in their coffee is just as essential as the sun on a beach holiday. But what to do if you cannot tolerate commercially available cow’s milk? Fortunately, lactose-intolerant or vegan people no longer have to do without lattes and cappuccinos these days. In addition to lactose-free cow’s milk, there are also numerous types of plant-based milk alternatives that taste at least as good. We would like to introduce you to a few.

Milk alternatives for full coffee enjoyment

Soy milk

Soy milk is probably the best-known plant-based milk alternative for coffee drinks. It is now available in most cafés and coffee shops as an additive in coffee drinks. The creamy consistency and the slightly sweet taste shows its effect particularly well in milk coffees or iced coffees. In addition, unlike other plant-based milk alternatives, soy milk can be frothed well, which is why it is ideal for latte macchiatos or cappuccinos.

Oat milk

For many, oat milk is the milk alternative that most closely resembles cow’s milk. Because of its neutral taste, oat milk can be used in any coffee drink. Last but not least, oat milk is popular with many coffee drinkers because of its milk-like consistency.

Almond milk

Popular with vegans because of its high nutritional content, almond milk is a tasty alternative to cow’s milk. The creamy milk is less frothable than ordinary cow’s milk, but it is still ideal for all kinds of milk coffee drinks. Thanks to its great popularity, more and more cafes are starting to offer almond milk as an alternative to cow’s milk.

Rice Coconut Milk

Rice coconut milk is the most dissimilar to cow’s milk, at least in terms of taste and consistency, which is why many people tend to use other plant-based milk alternatives. The light white milk is rather watery and cannot be compared with the creamy consistency of cow’s or other types of plant milk. Thanks to the strong taste of its own, every coffee with rice and coconut milk is still an exotic taste experience.

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