Thousands of lambs are slaughtered every year around Easter time, just because it’s a tradition to consume lamb on Easter Day. I’m not gonna lie, lamb is my favourite meat, taste-wise. However, I’ve always opposed this silly tradition, as this unfair massacre is just senseless. After all, I can still enjoy lamb any other day.
On the other hand, however, I’m well aware of the fact that nobody will stop slaughtering lambs for Easter just because I refuse to buy them, and the unsold meat (mostly organs) will be wasted, without reducing the numbers of lambs to be slaughtered the next year. How can this dilemma be solved in the most ethical way?
Our Ethical Choice
We decided not to order any meat from our local farmers market this Easter, but to go and see what was available, namely, to buy what no one else wanted to buy and would most likely end up in the trash. Most meat was obviously lamb, and that’s what we also bought. However, rather than buying legs, shoulders, chops or popular cuts in general, we went for hearts and necks, which are: cheap, delicious, nutritious and less popular (therefore more likely to be wasted).
Our Easter Table
As you might or might not know, I have Argentinian roots on my maternal side, and for my family, Easter is a serious tradition. In particular, something that can never miss from our Easter table are empanadas. Since I quit gluten, however, I also stopped making empanadas for many years. But this year I wanted to try something new, and decided to make tuna empanadas again, using only buckwheat, goat butter, salt, water and 1 duck egg for my dough. Although the overall consistency came out quite different from the empanadas my grandma used to make when I was a kid, the taste was awesome and both me and my husband really enjoyed them.
Alongside empanadas, we had a huge salad, halloumi, cheddar, mushrooms, lamb necks and hearts, all cooked on a raclette grill. It took me less than 5 minutes to prepare everything, and it turned out to be one of the tastiest and most enjoyable Easter lunches ever.
Lamb hearts, halloumi and mushrooms cooked on stone on top of our raclette grill (underneath, some cheddar is being melted meanwhile)
As a dessert, I just combined some eggs with raw cacao powder, protein powder, liquid stevia, bicarbonate of soda, Himalayan salt and vanilla extract, and made some muffins out of it. It could never be Easter without some chocolatey dessert. 😉
My gluten free, sugar free, high protein chocolate muffins. A perfect finisher for a mindful Easter lunch. 🙂
Yes, it seems like every ex vegan is coming out right now, and I happen to be one of them indeed. Although this phenomenon might appear as a propagandistic tendency, it has in fact much deeper roots, which very easily translate into: veganism is not a sustainable diet. The reason why everyone is quitting veganism at the same time is because we all nearly started at the same time, and are now experiencing its effects on our health. My main reason for quitting it, however, is an ethical one, to which a psychological component is to be added too. I’m briefly breaking down my argument in the following paragraphs, but you can also watch my latest video, in which I not only discuss it extensively, but also share some rare footage of me trying beef for the first time after 15 years.
My Main Reasons
Ethics
As you might remember, a few month ago, I wrote a post about Veganism and the Paradox of Living an Ethical Life, in which shared my many doubts on the ethics of a plant-based diet, versus eating grass-fed beef. My reflection on the subject had become so intense and overwhelming, that I could no longer look at my plate of quinoa without thinking of those poor ladies in South America consuming their hands and starving themselves just to produce my “cruelty free” meal. A similar discourse applies to cotton (check out what’s going on in Mexico because of cotton production), avocados and legumes. On top of it, I couldn’t stop thinking about all those poor rabbits, birds, insects and lizards that get unjustly killed every time a crop field is created. As I wrote in my previous post, if you compare the figures, you’ll find exponentially less cruelty in a grass-fed ox liver than in a plate of lentils. It’s impossible to grow grains and vegetable without killing thousands of lives in the process.
As I educated myself on meat and dairy industries when I went vegan, so I decided to educate myself on crop production. The first thing I found out about is the figures. The most shocking discovery is this: other than in the US, cereal and soy (!!!) crop production is for HUMAN consumption. There’s only a small percentage (around 20%, if I’m not mistaken), which isn’t fit for human consumption and is therefore used to feed livestock which are, however, mostly grass fed. This means that the horrific deforestations that are taking place worldwide have nothing to do with the meat industry and could potentially be aggravated if everyone went vegan (as the crop demand would significantly increase). Moreover, CO2 cow emissions are not as dangerous for the planet as some vegan propaganda is trying to advocate: bovines have always been around and in pretty much the same amount (we have definitely more cows now, but how about those poor bisons that are slowly extinguishing?). How can one even think that their natural CO2 emissions might cause harm to the planet, more than the aircrafts used to transport tempeh, avocados and quinoa across the globe? Lastly, did you know that farms actually protect lots of animals which would never survive otherwise, by providing them with food, shelter and good care? Most of the bovines and chickens out there would never make it to 2 years of life, as they would fall prey of bigger predators.
Factory farming is surely evil. But so is the crop field industry. If one really wants to be ethical, the best thing to do is to buy from local farms. Fair enough, but are animal products really necessary? Can’t one just thrive on self-grown or locally-sourced fruit and vegetables? The answers are: yes, animal products are necessary (if you want to perform at your best), and no, one can’t thrive on self-grown or locally-sourced fruit and vegetables solely. But this leads us to the next point.
Health
As you might know, when I first went raw vegan, back in 2014, my IBS improved a lot, but when I started incorporating cooked foods in my diet (because a raw-vegan diet could no longer sustain my workouts), my symptoms got worse and worse. In 2018, I went low FODMAP and my IBS symptoms improved dramatically. However, that restricted my diet even more, and because my protein demand was pretty high, I was forced to consume unbelievably great amount of soy products, such as tofu and tempeh. In the aforementioned old post of mine, I had already expressed my concern about soy consumption, and the truth is that, because there’s no substantial scientific evidence to support theories in favour or against soy phytoestrogens, it was hard to make up my mind once and for all. So I decided to stay in the safe zone of 100g tempeh and 150g tofu a day, and to supplement the rest of my protein intake with: pea and rice protein powders, quinoa, buckwheat, nutritional yeast, tahini, nuts, some lentils and beans here and there. Phytoestrogens aside, however, bioavailability is another unescapable truth to be considered.
In my first 4 years of veganism, I felt great most of the time (beside my IBS, of course): I felt energised, light, focused and kind of happy. That’s essentially due to 2 reasons: 1) I was bulking (meaning I was eating extra calories everyday, and, because of that, my body had plenty of energy sources available in my body); 2) when I started my vegan journey, I was in great need for detoxification, and a vegan diet is one of the most effective ways to detox your body. However, when I did my first vegan cut, in Spring 2018, my energy levels suddenly dropped, and I began to feel fatigued, dizzy, lethargic and sluggish out of the blue (I must say that my cut had just started, so my calories were still pretty close to maintenance level, so you can’t blame it on their being too low). I got my blood tested and everything was within the range. Around the same time, I also started craving high protein foods, such as tempeh, intensively. On top of that, I developed depression, anxiety, paranoia and a constant feeling of emptiness, not in its metaphysical, existential meaning, but in the sense of physical hollowness, like a lack of grounding. Exactly the same happened early this year, during my second cut. In both occasions, my daily protein intake would never go below 140-120g, so it wasn’t a matter of not meeting my requirement. All of my macros and micros have always been religiously accounted for, so l wasn’t theoretically lacking anything.
My constant tiredness was due to the bioavailability of the nutrients I was intaking everyday: plants have anti-nutrients to protect themselves, making it hard for humans to assimilate the nutrients. Hence, when you consume 140g plant-based protein, you actually assimilate something around 70-80g of those (the same applies to other macros, as well as to micros, such as vitamins and minerals). When you’re on a bulk, you exceed your daily macro and micro need, so you assimilate enough nutrients to feel good (reason n.1); when you’re cutting, though, you suddenly deprive your body of too many nutrients. Could eating more have helped me out when cutting? Probably yes, if I had increased my protein consumption, but, as I’ve already said, my proteins were mainly coming from soy products, and I’ve already expressed my concern about them.
Detoxing is an excellent practice and all cultures and religions incorporate fasting in their practices. However, it doesn’t have to be carried on for too long. Veganism is a fasting-mimicking diet, which works wonders for your body, when practiced for a few months, or even a few years. When your body gets rid of all the toxins in excess, however, and gets ready for its normal tasks, you no longer need to detox it (just as a side note, this discourse is entirely wrong, as your body naturally detoxes itself everyday, and what we mean by “detoxing” is just supporting it in the process by not overloading it too much). So, if you don’t provide it with the right amount of nutrients it needs, it’ll start to slowly decay, leaving you tired, sluggish, fatigued and empty (reason n.2). Finally, only animal fats are able to balance our hormones out effectively, making you feel grounded, focused and happy. And, again, this is because of their bioavailability: as a species, humans have evolved consuming fresh organs and other easily available meats, our bodies are perfectly designed to assimilate animal nutrients faster and more effectively than plant based nutrients (as I said, we can thrive on plants too, but only for short periods of time), or even lab-synthesised surrogates.
Psychology
As everyone knows, a 100% plant-based diet is not complete. You need to make sure you get enough B12, omega 3 (and in a good ratio with your omega 6), and the list goes on and on… Vegans typically turn into nutrition scientists, constantly calculating their macros and micros, knowing which foods should be combined with which for best results, always carrying supplements and protein powders in their bags. I had enough of it all.
Although I believe in meal plans and strict schedules, when it comes down to food, I also believe in simplicity. The simpler your meals, the more digestible and effective. On a vegan diet, I found that I had to constantly combine my foods to meet my requirements, not to mention the supplements I had to take. Moreover, most of my food was also highly processed. Finally, I was eating the same foods over and over again, same meals throughout the day and throughout the year, it had become so unnatural and counterintuitive that was really clashing with my ethics and belief system. I could only imagine spending the rest of my life that way. I felt totally disconnected.
What My Diet Looks Like Right Now
Since I went back to animal products, I’ve been trying to be more ethical than I was as a vegan. My rule of thumb is this simple: harming as few lives as possible; impacting the environment as little as possible; feeling one with nature as much as I can.
Most of my food comes from wild-caught fish (mostly salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna, haddock), duck eggs, grass-fed beef (whose taste I don’t even enjoy that much) and lamb. I also have some organic, locally sourced Skyr yoghurt, grass-fed butter, goat butter, and Feta or Halloumi cheese. As to my carbs, I still consume plenty of (low FODMAP) vegetables, potatoes, swedes, turnips and parsnips, which I buy from my local farmers market (alongside the meat). Sparingly, I still consume organic oats, bananas, berries, basmati rice and buckwheat (I’m not ready to cut them completely to reduce my environmental footprint, and I also believe in balance — I’ve experienced the effects of a restrictive diet on myself to the point where I really understand the importance of balance and happiness in one’s overall well-being). In terms of meat, I buy a lot of organs, such as livers, kidneys and hearts, for 2 reasons. First of all, people don’t generally want them, and I don’t want animals to die in vain; second, because those are probably the most nutritious foods in the world: they contain most of the essential vitamins and minerals which are also extremely bioavailable — our bodies are just designed to eat organs because this is how we’ve evolved. For both reasons, I believe that consuming organs is the most ethical way you can eat.
How Do I Feel?
I feel good. Not only do I feel more balanced, grounded, energised, focused and overall happier, my bloat has gone away, my digestion has improved a lot, I’m still dieting but don’t feel exhausted anymore (in fact I don’t even feel that hungry in between meals — although my macros and micros have stayed exactly the same as when I was vegan).
The most impressive improvements concern my performance in the gym: my recovery is much faster and my muscle appearance is much better (on my rest days, my muscles used to look a bit flat, when I was vegan; now they always look full).
The most important change, however, is that I finally feel connected and spiritually balanced. On top of it, I’m sharing meals with my husband for the first time in 14 years, and that’s an indescribable feeling, which most people probably take for granted, but which I was risking not to experience ever in my life. Just for that, I’m so glad I made that decision.
My Gratitude
I’m grateful to veganism for making me aware of what’s going on in the meat in dairy industries. I’m also grateful to it, for opening my eyes and helping me understand that compassion is real. However, as a scholar of Friedrich W. Nietzsche, I cannot but transvalue my own values, the first one being veganism indeed. In the path towards my self-becoming, in my seek for self-realisation, I need to go beyond veganism itself and ground my own ethics; I need to incorporate what complies with my own belief system, and to reject what doesn’t. Compassion does comply with it, exploitation doesn’t; for this reason, I decide to go back to eating locally-farmed meat and wild-caught fish, rather than pretending to be “cruelty free”, when in fact supporting the unjustified killing of thousands of insects, lizards, birds, rabbits, as well as the exploitation of poor countries and people.
My last thought of gratitude goes to Bobby Risto from Bobby’s Perspective (go and check him out, if you haven’t yet), for speaking out for those vegans and ex vegans in struggle with their diets and ethics. Bobby is currently working on a documentary to denounce the truth behind crop fields, and I honestly look so much forward to it!
Don’t forget to watch my video, if you haven’t yet! 😉
Let’s face the truth: who wouldn’t wish to be lying on the beach right now, soaking up the sun, listening to the rhythmic sound of the ocean waves, drinking some fresh coconut water to stay hydrated and planning what to order for dinner at the local restaurant? However, if you suffer from IBS, your holidays might turn into nightmares: you’ll most likely feel bloated or constipated; you won’t know whether or not you can enjoy most of the food; coconut water is a taboo; you’ll feel anxious and restless, and also uncomfortable in your expensive swimsuit, after all of those months of hard dieting and training at the gym. I can confidently say so, because that was exactly the description of my old self during my so-long-awaited honey moon in Thailand. I had no notion of low and high FODMAP foods back then, and was following a highly raw vegan diet. I spent 13 out of 17 days in constant pain: bloated, nauseated and frustrated. I remember I would mix up a variety of fresh local fruit for breakfast, in the hope that that would help me detox my body, and I would often have some fruit after my workouts and for lunch – not to mention all the coconut water I would drink throughout the day, to “balance my electrolytes”.
Ko Samui, 2015. I was in constant pain: bloated, nauseated and frustrated. I would mix up a variety of fresh local fruit for breakfast, in the hope that that would help me detox my body, and I would often have some fruit after my workouts and for lunch – not to mention all the coconut water I would drink throughout the day, to “balance my electrolytes”.Ko Samui, 2015. Practicing Yoga, desperately trying to detox my body
Fast forward 3 years (2018). I spent an amazing week in Tenerife, experiencing little or no symptoms of IBS, although I often enjoyed some high FODMAP foods, such as avocados, kombucha and onions. What did I do differently? Well, if the motto “fail to prepare, prepare to fail” applies to most situations in life, it certainly suits holidays best. Over the last 4 years, I’ve come up with a list of items that I carry with me whenever I travel, no matter how far my destination is, or how long I’m staying. Such items draw my attention away from “right and wrong” foods, and reassure me that symptoms can be defeated, should they appear. The first time I tested the efficacy of that list was last summer, when I went to visit my family in Italy. I put myself on a strict low FODMAP diet, and made sure I had with me all of the 7 items listed below (some of which were still missing in my previous holiday to Tenerife). I had the fewest IBS symptoms of my entire life, and could enjoy every single moment of that holiday (I even had a few vegan ice creams!).
Beside some more traditional advice, such as “make sure you drink plenty of water and protect your skin with a good sunscreen, if you’re travelling to a sunny place”, I would recommend that travellers with IBS try out my 7 staples below.
Enjoying Tenerife (2018), with just some bloating (as you can clearly see from the picture). I wasn’t fully aware of high and low FODMAP yet. Italy, 2018. My first fully low FODMAP holiday. Almost no bloating at all (the picture was taken on the very last day, after 2 weeks of low FODMAP chocolate and vegan ice creams – a little bit of bloating was perfectly normal).
1. Vegan Probiotics
Whether or not you have IBS, taking probiotics on a daily basis will do wonders for your gut. However, recent research has suggested that probiotics can be extremely beneficial for IBS sufferers, although symptoms might reappear, if their consumption is discontinued (you can find some interesting stuff here). Whenever I travel, I always make sure I have vegan probiotics with me, which I have first thing in the morning, at least 20 mins prior to my breakfast. If you’re not vegan, you still want to make sure your probiotics are at least dairy free: you don’t want to take the risk of ingesting lactose. Probiotics keep best in the fridge, so make sure your room has one, when you book your hotel!
2. Protein Powder
Breakfast and snacks can be a real pain in the neck when you’re on holiday, as sometimes it’s hard to find low FODMAP options. This is why I always pack some protein powder in my luggage. I usually buy my supplements on Bulk Powders, but protein powder normally comes in soft bags which are not always safe to carry in your luggage, as they might open up and mess up your clothes. Two great substitutions are the Vega Essentials Shake and the Garden Of Life Raw Organic Protein Powder. The former is more affordable and tastes real great; the latter is raw and the ingredients are highly certified, but, I have to admit, I don’t particularly enjoy the taste, and it’s also a bit pricey. I’m a fan of vanilla, when it comes to protein powders, but chocolate is also a great choice, if you don’t enjoy the vanilla flavour. Just read through the ingredients, to make sure there’re no high FODMAP sweeteners. 😉
3. Oats And Oatcakes
If you’re renting a holiday flat (highly recommended), you might want to bring along your favourite oats, in case you need a quick breakfast or meal. Oats saved my life so many times when I went away, and they’re also quite cheap!
If you’re staying in a hotel, however, you might want to consider having oatcakes always with you. A protein shake, 5-6 oatcakes, 1 kiwi (usually available in every hotel breakfast) and possibly some nuts will be an excellent, low FODMAP breakfast to start your day off the right way. You can also keep oatcakes in your bag or backpack, and have them as a snack throughout the day.
4. Mixed Nuts And Seeds
My go-to mix: almonds, walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
Nuts and seeds are always a holiday staple, whether or not you have IBS. Just mix up some almonds, walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds and bag them. You can snack on them at any time. Just watch your intake, as they might become high FODMAP, if you overdo them.
5. Protein Bars
Protein bars are an awesome snack when you’re away. Just bear in mind that most of them have a lot of high FODMAP ingredients. My favourite bar is the Pulsin’s Maple and Peanut. It’s vegan, with a pretty decent macro ratio and tastes great. I found that I can tolerate it quite well, although I can’t have more than 1 a day and possibly not everyday. I really love the brand and highly recommend you try all of their flavours, if you’re not on a strict low FODMAP diet. Otherwise, just stick to the Maple and Peanut flavour and won’t be disappointed, I promise! 😉
6. Resistance Bands and Hip Circles
Exercising is paramount for your gut health and is recommended in all IBS therapies. Resistance bands and hip circles are great tools, when your hotel or flat doesn’t have a gym, or when the weather outside is not so great. There’re a variety of exercises that can be performed with just resistance bands and your bodyweight: just get creative! If you really don’t know where to start, you can draw some inspiration on YouTube.
7. Running Shoes
Lastly, I always make sure I travel with a pair of running shoes, so I have no excuses not to go for a run or a hike. Hiking is one of the most enjoyable experiences to discover new places and breathtaking views, especially when you’re close to the woods. Trekking can also be an amazing option, if you’re in the mountains (just make sure you wear proper shoes and socks though!). Anyway, even when you’re just visiting a city, you can prefer walking over taking the bus, and exploring hidden neighbourhoods or mews. Just make sure you keep a map always with you, and you’re able ask the fundamental questions in the local language, in case you get lost! These are my current shoes. I love them because they’re very light in weight, quite affordable and extremely comfy – plus I just love wearing bright colours!
Go and Explore!
Don’t let IBS stop you from enjoying your holiday. Everyone deserves unforgettable holidays to recall, when outside it’s rainy and cold, as well as future holidays to plan and look forward to, when work stresses you out.
These were my basic holiday tips – I hope you’ve found them helpful. What are yours? Are there any more things to take care of, when you travel with IBS? Comment down below! 😉
