Is Keto a Powerful Lifestyle? Free Life Advice

My 6-Month Experiment

My Reasons, Motivations and Expectations

After quitting veganism in April 2019, I started experimenting with a ketogenic diet, to see if I could: 1) fix my digestion, 2) improve my performance at the gym, 3) burn some body fat more easily. I was also curious to understand what kind of impact it might have on my energy levels and overall focus. I officially began my experiment the last week on May, and concluded it at the end of November.

My Protocol

As I was expecting (based on the literature I had read and the video I had watched), the first couple of weeks were the toughest ones. The principle of ketosis is that, instead of using glucose from carbs as your primary source of energy, your liver produces ketone bodies from short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) which travel across your body and supply energy to organs and tissues (thus sparing glucose supplies for your brain — as it can’t work without). Shifting from carbs to fats can take some time and can cause brain fog, lack of energy, headache (the so-called ‘keto flu’). So, as you can imagine, the first couple of weeks can be very painful. To reach ketosis and stay in it, all you need to do is:

Fast until you’ve depleted all of your glycogen stores
Consume a diet high in fats (60-75% of your calories), moderate in proteins (20-30% of your calories), and very low in carbs (5-10% of your calories, usually coming from low GI vegetables and fruit, such as cruciferous veggies, green beans, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, berries etc.)
Avoid high GI foods (starch, grains, most fruit, sugar, syrup, honey, etc.)
Limit your daily meals to 2-3, as you don’t want your insuline to spike, or it’ll prevent lipolysis (the process of fatty acids being released from the adipose cells to be used for energy).

As I work out everyday, and as I like to keep my workouts’ volume quite high, I adjusted my macros so that my carbs would never go below 50g a day, to be split between pre- and post-workout meals (what is commonly called a ‘modified or targeted ketogenic diet’). So my typical day looked like this:

4-6:30 am. Breakfast: water and lemon, coffee, peppermint tea
10-11am. Lunch: 3 duck eggs, butter, rocket leaves, sardines or mackerel, anchovies
2-3pm. Pre-workout shake: whey isolate 97% protein powder, 1 small green banana or 1 cup of grapes
6pm. Dinner: salmon/lamb mince/beef mince/steak/liver/kidneys/lamb heart cooked in butter or coconut oil, steamed or baked vegetables (courgettes, aubergines, tomatoes, bell peppers, spinach, green beans), coconut yoghurt with frozen berries, 100% dark chocolate.

My Results

As I’ve anticipated, the first 2 weeks were really tough and my performance at the gym suffered quite a bit. Due to the lack of glycogen in my muscles, I couldn’t cope with high volume training, so I decided to lower my rep range and increase the weight (this way I could solely rely on the phosphocreatine energy system, in which ATP is more efficiently replenished than in the lactic acid energy system). Once in ketosis and fully adapted to using fats, however, I was able go back to my usual workout routine for most exercises. As the body becomes more efficient at using fats, indeed, the process of gluconeogenesis (namely the production of glucose out of fats and amino acids) also becomes smoother and glycogen can be stored in muscles just as easily as when running on carbs. However, I never managed to go back to my usual range of reps in exercises such as hack squats and pull-ups, in which the demand for glycogen is too great for the tiny amount produced by my liver and kidneys from other macronutrients. According to some studies on rats (Fournier et al. 2002) and on humans (Fournier et al. 2004), glycogen can be replenished even in the absence of food. However, it also depends on genetic predisposition, and, at this point, I think my body is not as genetically efficient at producing glycogen as someone else’s.

The other aspect I wanted to scrutinise was my digestion. Although I was on a low FODMAP version of a ketogenic diet, the high amount of fats would occasionally get me bloated and slightly constipated. However, my energy levels were always high (after the first couple of weeks), and my appetite significantly decreased (as I wasn’t relying on insulin anymore). This subsequently improved my focus and my sense of balance and stability.

Surprisingly, although most people go keto because it is one of the most effective ways to lose weight, I must admit that the aesthetic effects of the diet is the only aspect of my experiment that has disappointed me. Regardless of what the literature says, my muscles never seemed to be fully replenished with glycogen and would appear flat most of the time (as I said, it might be that my genetics is not really efficient at producing glycogen). Moreover, even though staying in ketosis can be an excellent way to lose fat, it makes it really hard to gain weight. When I started my usual bulking after summer, I found it really difficult to put on weight beyond my maintenance. For this reason, at the end of November, I decided to go back to my typical 5-6 meals a day, increasing my carbs and lowering my fats until next spring (at least).

My Advice for You

Overall, I’ve become more efficient at using fats and much less sensitive to blood sugar fluctuations. Moreover, increasing the amount of fats also increases the amount of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) that can be absorbed and can be beneficial for your health. For both these reasons, I would encourage everyone to try. Here’re my tips and strategies if you’re interested in trying:

Set a realistic timeframe for results to occur (at least 8-12 weeks) and be mentally prepared for the first 2-3 weeks being extremely tough
Plan your meals and shopping list in advance: although most keto recipes are very easy to make, you might not be used to cooking with butter and eating fatty cuts of meat or fish, or, in the initial phase, you might have some sugar cravings that you might want to satisfy the ‘sugar-free way’ (there’re plenty of keto-friendly dessert recipes online and many require just a few ingredients). The further you go with your diet, however, the less cravings you’ll have
Make sure you eat enough calories (i.e. make sure you replace the calories you’re taking away from carbs with the same amount coming from fats). The rule of thumb is this: 1g of fat has slightly more than twice the amount of calories of 1g of carb. Therefore 50g of pasta or rice can be easily replaced with 20-25g of butter or hard cheese, to give an example
Make sure you keep your diet varied and never boring. Try to learn 1 new recipe every week using 1 different low GI vegetable and 1 different fatty cut of meat or fish. You’ll be surprised by how delicious such recipes can be!
Enjoy the process and don’t be too hard on yourself if you cheat from time to time. Remember to embrace the growth and the wisdom that experimenting with a new lifestyle will bring you but keep it fun, easy and realistic!

If you’ve liked this post, stay tune because I’m planning to share some ‘guilt-free’ keto recipes for delicious cakes or desserts. 🙂

References

Fournier PA, Bräu L, Ferreira LD, Fairchild T, Raja G, James A, Palmer TN. 2002. ‘Glycogen resynthesis in the absence of food ingestion during recovery from moderate or high intensity physical activity: novel insights from rat and human studies’. Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part A, Molecular & integrative physiology (Nov)133(3):755-63 (DOI: 10.1016/s1095-6433(02)00254-4).

Fournier PA, Fairchild TJ, Ferreira LD, Bräu L. 2004. ‘Post-exercise muscle glycogen repletion in the extreme: effect of food absence and active recovery’. Journal of sports science & medicine (Sep)1;3(3):139-46.

May 3, 2019May 3, 2019

Courgette and Goat Butter Soup

After quitting veganism and enjoying the benefits of animal products for a couple of weeks, I decided to switch up my diet and experiment with a Keto-Carb Cycling one. The concept is very easy: I rotate my fat-carb ratio, alternating high-fat-low-carb and high-carb-low-fat days. From Saturday to Tuesday, I keep my fat intake very high (50-70%) and my carb intake very low (5-10%); my protein intake is pretty much consistent (25-40%). On Wednesday, I have a carb refeed, so my carb intake spikes up to 50%, while my fat intake goes down to 20%; Thursday and Friday are moderate-carb days, with Thursday being a little higher in carbs and Friday a little higher in fats. I like this way of eating, because it allows me to enjoy all of my favourite foods, without stressing myself out on macros too much.

This is a super easy recipe for my high-fat dinners, and is really enjoyable alongside some baked haddock or salmon.

Ingredients

350 g Courgettes (1 medium-large Courgette)

30 g Goat Butter

1 Stalk Spring Onion

1 piece Ginger Root

Himalayan Salt

Fresh Parsley to Garnish

350 ml Lukewarm Water

Cooking Method

Chop your courgette(s), spring onion and ginger.

Melt goat butter in a saucepan or skillet.

Add in the spring onion stalk, the piece of ginger, the chopped courgettes and some salt, cover and cook for 5-10 mins, stirring from time to time to make sure they cook evenly.

If you have a Vitamix, pour your water in and place the rest of the ingredients. Set it on “soup” programme, and allow it to blend your creamy soup for you. If you have an ordinary blender or food processor, just blend your ingredients in the traditional way — you might need hot water, rather than lukewarm, though.

Sprikle with fresh parsley before serving.

Enjoy!

May 3, 2019

How To Consume a Whole Salmon (3Kg) Without Wasting Any of It

If you want to be as ethical as possible, not only do you want to buy local and sustainable, you also want to maximise your food while minimising your waste. An excellent way to do so is making broth out of your leftovers. Whilst chicken bone broth has become increasingly popular over the past few years, not many people know you can make a delicious — and very healthy — broth out of fatty fish too. All animal products are indeed high in collagen, which is the most abundant protein in our body, and the most important one, as it’s responsible for connecting our organ tissues (including tendons, ligaments and skin). Vegetable collagen is unfortunately very hard to be absorbed and used by our bodies, but animal collagen is easily absorbed. Collagen is also held responsible for healing our guts, hair and damaged skin (it can also help with stretch marks and cellulite). When cooking broth, collagen is released from the animal’s bones and flesh, and loosed into the water in the form of gelatine. This is what makes broth so precious for your health.

It was around Easter time, and we found an incredible offer at Asda’s: a whole salmon (3Kg) worth £30 was reduced and on sale for only £13.99. Yes, 3Kg is too much for too people alone, unless you want to freeze the salmon, but the offer was too appealing not to take advantage of it — mostly because those poor salmons would otherwise have been fished in vain. So we bought one, cut it in 3 pieces, stuffed it with fresh ginger, rosemary, bay leaves, thymes, fresh parsley, Himalayan salt and lemon wedges, and baked it at 180°C for 30 minutes.

Whole salmon stuffed with fresh ginger, rosemary, bay leaves, thymes, fresh parsley, Himalayan salt and lemon wedges, and baked at 180°C for 30 minutes.

We ate nothing but salmon for 3 days straight, keeping all fishbones, head, tail, uneaten skin and flesh aside. At the end of the 3rd day, we decided to make some broth out of such leftovers.

We placed head, tail, fishbones, skin and flesh in a saucepan with: water, 1 carrot, 1 piece of ginger, some spring onions and regular onions (they’ll change their composition while cooking, losing some of their FODMAP contents in the process). We added some salt and simmered for 3-4 hours.

The broth was unbelievably good and satiating. We had it plain, after our dinner, but it would have been just as delicious with some prawns or shrimps, courgettes and maybe rice noodles.

What’s more important for us, however, is that that poor salmon hasn’t died in vain: we benefitted from its death for 3 days, not harming any other animals meanwhile, and used it in all the possible ways. This is what mindful eating really means!

May 3, 2019May 5, 2019

Some Tips to Enjoy Liver

Why You Should Be Eating Liver

As I said in my post on why I’m no longer vegan , one of my favourite meals is organ meats for 2 reasons: they’re extremely cheap, as they’re not typically popular among average meat eaters; they’re incredibly packed with nutrients and extremely absorbable by our bodies, because they’re what we, as a species, have evolved on.

Livers (from cows, lambs, pigs, geese, chickens and fish) are incredibly rich in B12, B2 (Riboflavin), B9 (Folate), Vitamin A, Iron, Copper, Choline, according to healthline.com. This is due to the liver’s functions of: processing the digested food from the animal’s gut and absorbing nutrients from it, while filtering and clearing the blood from toxins. Livers are also light in calories and high in proteins, making them fit for most diets. This is why everyone should be consuming livers on a regular basis.

If organs are cheap and highly nutritious, unfortunately, they’re not necessarily as tasty, especially when not cooked properly, or when overcooked. With a few adjustments, however, organs can become part of a very enjoyable meal. In this specific post, I’ll focus on livers exclusively. Just stay tuned for further posts on hearts and kidneys. 😉

My Tips to Enjoy Liver

Don’t overcook it. Liver is soft, tender and creamy, but tends to get a bit stiff when overcooked. The best thing you can do is chop or mince liver prior to cooking it, and not cook it for more than 1 minute on each side.
Use plenty of herbs (such as rosemary, thyme, chives and bay leaves), onions or spring onions, salt and pepper to stir fry your liver. These will enhance the liver’s flavour, while hiding its animal-like taste, which not everybody enjoys.
Squeeze some fresh lemon or lime juice on your liver, to enhance its flavour even more.
Don’t quit liver just because you didn’t like it the first time. Keep trying out different recipes until you find a way to enjoy it: you’ll sure get used to its taste and texture.

If you have any tips that would like to share with me, feel free to comment down below. 😉

Thanks for following me along my journey!

Lamb liver stir fry with: red pepper, mushrooms, ginger, spring onion and fresh parsley.

May 3, 2019May 5, 2019

My Mindful, Ethical, Easter

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. 🙂

March 13, 2019March 15, 2019

Travelling Safe With IBS. My 7 Staples

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! 😉

October 17, 2018October 17, 2018

Veganism and the Paradox of Living an Ethical Life

Me today, following a plant-based, low FODMAP, high-protein diet

As a vegan athlete, I get asked where I get my protein from all the time. I have to say, finding sustainable, plant-based protein sources has caused me to reflect a lot lately.

As a Nietzschean kind of person, I regard myself as a self-experimenter in the first place. Over the past 14 years, I’ve tried at least 5 different approaches to food.

My Dietary Evolution from 17 to 31

From omnivorous eater, I turned pescatarian at 17, meaning that I was on a 80%-lacto-ovo-vegeterian diet, allowing myself to consume around 20% of my food from fish and seafood more broadly. At that time, my workout routine consisted of: swimming 3 times a week, occasional running, occasional basketball with my friends, drama class and musical choreography once or twice a week, occasional crunches, push-ups and lateral leg raises in my bedroom. As my workouts became more resistance-oriented – which happened about 3 years later – I felt the need to increase my protein consumption. Between the age of 20 and 27, I turned into one of the major causes of the threatening fish extinction which the world is going through these days. My diet mostly consisted of canned tuna, fresh or canned mackerel and sardines, smoked salmon, eggs, yoghurt, cottage cheese and quark, oats, vegetables, fruits and rice cakes. I didn’t like that kind of approach, which made feel so guilty everyday. However, people kept telling me that “animal protein was the best source ever”, and I would “deplete my body”, if I stopped eating fish, dairy and eggs.

But that is not all. During those years, I decided to try various popular diets, to lose fat without giving up my performance. So I tried the 40-30-30 diet for a few years, then the Atkins diet, then I nearly starved myself and brought a lot of undesired medical conditions into my body, which I’m not very proud of and I’m not going to tell you about here.

In 2014, I randomly came across the bodies of amazing bikini competitors and bodybuilders online, who also happened to be vegan. How was that even possible? That seemed to be the answer to all of my ethical dilemmas at the time. I immediately did a lot of research and went vegan cold turkey. But because I can’t help being extreme, not only did I turn vegan out of the blue, I even signed up for a 3-day-raw-vegan detox plan online, which got me totally spellbound. I saw amazing effects on my body as soon as I started that program, and I was so happy, that I decided to stay on a mostly raw vegan diet for good. As I had moved to the UK only one year before, I didn’t have any good training equipment to work out, nor could I afford joining a gym. My workouts were still consistent, but they consisted of: bellydance, yoga, running and bodyweight HIIT-exercises. I shortly realised that a raw vegan diet couldn’t really sustain the intensity of my workout routine, but my obstinacy, as always, took over, until I finally could afford a gym membership and started lifting heavy. At the point, my diet had to undergo some significant changes, the pivotal one being getting back to a high-protein diet.

Me on a mostly raw vegan diet (Bangkok, 2015)

As I ignored the existence of high and low FODMAP foods, at that time, I was confusing some IBS symptoms with soy-intolerance, trying to not eat too much tofu or tempeh (was the latter even a food?). Also, there was this popular controversy about the possibility of soy being harmful to female hormones, which was scaring me a lot. I suddenly had no choice but to increase my consumption of legumes, mushrooms, and protein-packed vegetables such as broccoli, which in turn aggravated my IBS. Only in Summer 2018 did I finally come across the benefits of a low FODMAP diet, and found a good balance in my diet. I also did some extra research about soy phytoestrogens, and found out that their being harmful is not proven enough (this is an interesting up-to-date article on the issue). However, I still feel ethically guilty…

How Many Lives Does It Take To Meet Your Daily Protein Intake on a Plant-Based Diet?

If you’re omnivorous and base your daily meals on grass-fed beef, lamb and chicken, then you’re probably killing less animals than me, the plant-based insect murderer in disguise. Let’s leave the CO2 issue off this topic, as I’d like to solely focus on the actual amount of lives involved in soy production vs animal production.

Technically, when you eat a steak, you don’t eat the whole cow, calf or ox. In theory, one single life could feed you for one week, if not for longer (assuming you’re eating livers, kidneys, heart, brain, etc., and making bone broth on top of it). In a very hypothetical, ideal reality, when your meat is grass-fed, the animal – coming from a small, family-run farm – has been circulating freely and enjoyed its life till its very last seconds. No extra water has been needed to feed it, and no weird antibiotics. In this hypothetical world, when you eat a steak or a burger, only one life has been sacrificed for your meal, and that life will suffice for one week, or more. You might counter-argue by saying that that cow might have killed some insects or stepped on other smaller creatures along the way, but that would have occurred anyway, whether you would have eaten that animal or not – therefore, you’re not really responsible for their lives. You’re still responsible for you’re animal’s life only.

Let’s break down the process of soy production instead. Besides the deforestation and other environmental issues, which soy is seriously responsible for (to have an idea, see what WWF thinks about it), soy cultivation kills a lot of small animals (from insects to tiny rodents) because of the tractors used to plough and harvest. I’m aware that the main cause of deforestation is soy’s being used to feed animals – which wouldn’t happen, if nobody ate those animals in the first place. However, if everyone was vegan and on a high-protein diet, soy cultivation would increase even more, causing the second issue (i.e. the death of small animals) to grow accordingly (here’s an old, yet still insightful article by The Guardian on the issue; another, more recent post from Munchies on the debate is this one).

So, to put it in numbers, for every single soy bean you harvest, hundreds of insects have to die. Yo don’t need me to tell you you can’t make a block of tofu out of one soy bean…

Moreover, the same discourse applies to quinoa, buckwheat, lentils and avocados, popular “cruelty-free” superfoods, staples in many vegan kitchens. It seems like the most ethical choice to be vegan would be to thrive on a self-grown or locally-sourced fruit-based diet (I’m including nuts and seeds, as long as you’re able to grow them by yourself or find sustainable ones). Many people succeed on such a diet, even athletes and bodybuilders. Unfortunately, I’m not one of them. I tried many times, and I need my tofu and tempeh to fully recover in between workouts. Not to mention that, as an IBS-sufferer, my fruit choice would be quite restrictive…

Why Am I still Vegan, Then?

This is the question I’ve been asking myself a lot in recent times, especially since I’m married to a mindful omnivorous eater, who buys only locally-sourced-grass-fed beef, a lot of entrails (to not let any animal die in vain) and uses chicken carcasses to make his own bone broth every week. Is his approach more ethical than mine? Most definitely.

However, there is no scientific way to really address my dilemma, it’s just a matter of rather personal choices. In other words, it’s all about “compassion”. A few philosophers reflected upon animals’ suffering on the one hand, and the impossibility to stop that suffering in order to survive on the other hand (the most popular one being Arthur Schopenhauer, who drew many of his ideas on his knowledge of Hinduism and Buddhism, and who influenced later vegetarian thinkers). There is no escape: if you want to survive, one or more lives will have to be sacrificed. However, facing the suffering in your plate on a daily basis is not for everyone.

I just couldn’t take the idea of having a cow killed just to satisfy my selfish desire of eating – I know it’s my need to survive, but that’s how I can help regarding it, as “a selfish desire of eating”. Such a “selfish desire of eating” drives my choices everyday, leading me to consume lives, whether I want it or not. But there are different grades of murder, I believe, and eating a dead animal, absorbing the energy of a suffering-dead animal, has a more immediate impact on my ethical response, than eating some tofu or tempeh which accidentally caused the death of insects and small rodents. To u

se another popular word, it’s all about karma: meat is pure suffering, it brings the animal’s suffering into my plate and transmits it to me; tofu brings a lot of suffering too, but doesn’t expose me to the extreme, sudden death of what’s in my plate, and doesn’t really transmit such suffering to me directly.

Life is made of choices, and if I were to choose between having

an animal killed and eating it, or having a few lives died in the process of

creating something which doesn’t force me to eat a dead animal, well, call me a hypocrite, but I’ll go for the latter option.

But this is my very own personal perspective, which I’ll never impose on anyone else than myself.

October 8, 2018October 5, 2019

Carrot, Kale and Swiss Chard Soup

Last soup of my October Soup Challenge: 1 Soup a Day for 1 Week (check out my previous soups here).

Tonight’s soup is going to be a light and simple one. It’s Sunday, we didn’t go to the gym, and we just want to chill out and get ready for the beginning of a new week. Moreover, as we just found some amazing baby carrots, kale and Swiss chard at our local Farmers Market, I couldn’t imagine my soup to be made with any other ingredients than these.

Nice veggies right from our local farmers market! 🙂 🙂 🙂

Ingredients

5-6 Carrots (or more, if you’re using Baby Carrots)

2 Green Spring Onions

2 large Swiss Chard Leaves (chopped)

2 cups Kale (chopped)

Himalayan Salt

2 cups Fresh, Filtered Water

Optional: Fresh Ginger

Cooking Method

Peel and chop carrots and spring onions and place in a large pot. Cover with water, add salt and ginger (if you’re using it), place a lid and bring to a boil.

Rinse and chop kale and chard and throw them in your pot, as soon as the water starts to boil. Reduce heat to minimum and simmer until veggies are tender. Blend into a cream and adjust salt (and pepper, if you want).

Serve warm and garnish with fresh rocket and some nutritional yeast to hit your daily B12 vitamin intake (I always use this one)!

I’m going to have mine with some baked tempeh.

October 7, 2018October 5, 2019

Spicy Courgette Dahl Soup

Alright, I’ve only got 2 soup recipes to create, before my self-imposed challenge is finally over. I somehow feel like I have to pay homage to my favourite cooking ever, which is Indian. As my IBS got worse, I had to seriously cut down on lentils and chickpeas, which I decided to avoid for 3 months. When I slowly started reintroducing them, I found that my tolerance level for red lentils hadn’t changed much, which I was glad for (I was honestly expecting it to drop, after such a long time without eating them). I can proudly get away with a mild bloating if I consume up to 50g dried red lentils! As to the chickpeas, well, my tolerance level dropped dramatically, and I can now consume only a couple of tbsps, without feeling bad. Sad story! 🙁 However, at the moment, I’m not as interested in increasing that level as I am in feeling well and with a flat stomach, so I’ll leave it for now. It could be my next challenge, who knows…

Dahl has always been one of my favourite foods, something I could have everyday without getting tired of it. As I cannot consume it as often as I used to, and as I have to reduce my lentil portions, I made some changes to the traditional recipe, to make it more digestible. Obviously, eating such a small amount of lentils doesn’t satisfy my protein need, so I had some baked tofu with my soup, to hit my macros.

My recipe serves 2 people with my tolerance level: if yours is lower, just have half of it, and add in some basmati rice, to give your dish the same volume.

Ingredients:

100g Red Lentils (dried)

1 medium to large Courgette

1 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Cumin Seeds or Powder

1/4 tsp Garam Masala

1/4 tsp Coriander Powder

1 inch Fresh Ginger

2 tsp Coconut Oil

Fresh, Filtered Water,

Sea or Himalayan Salt

Cooking Method

Soak your lentils for a few hours or overnight. Rinse them thoroughly, place in a pot with just enough water to cover them and some salt. Place a lid and bring to a boil.

In the meantime, chop your courgette into tiny, thin strips or triangles.

As the water starts to boil, skim off as much foam as you can, and add in turmeric, 1 tsp coconut oil and your chopped courgette. Reduce heat to minimum and simmer for about 20 minutes, until your soup reaches a porridge-like consistency.

While your Dahl soup is still finishing cooking, dry fry cumin seeds or powder in a small pan and set aside. In the same pan, heat up 1 tsp coconut oil and add in all of the spices (your roasted cumin included). Fry for a few seconds, turn off, and add your spices to the soup.

October 7, 2018October 5, 2019

Pumpkin and Green Bean Hot Pot

I created this recipe for my October challenge to celebrate Autumn and I was so happy with the result, that I decided to make it again soon. I love Asian soups, such as Phos and Hot Pots, because you can have veggies, carbs and protein all in one delicious bowl, which is warm and healthy too.

*Serves 2

For this Hot Pot you’ll need:

1 small Sugar Pumpkin

2 cups fresh or frozen Green Beans

1 inch fresh Ginger Root

1/2 Green Pepper

2 Baby Aubergines (sliced)

1 Spring Onion (the green part)

1/4 tsp Cumin

1/4 tsp Coriander

1/4 tsp Turmeric

1/8 tsp Black Pepper