Vegan and Keto? Review of The Key Dough
Keto is referring to a diet that is low in carbohydrates but high in protein. While originating as a medical diet, it’s popularly associated with weight loss.
Tag: plant-based food
Don’t Buy Peanut Butter In A Plastic Container. Ever.
We do not buy much plastic, as we know about its health hazards. But this new discovery about peanut butter in plastic containers blew our minds!
Eating local food doesn’t matter – what you eat does!
If you want to be more environmentally friendly, then you should eat local food. We all know that, right? But how wrong we have been believing that!
I love the many ways of awakening. I read and learn and think that now I know something. Then some new information comes along and it opens my eyes. Again. Wider. I am so excited about the recent discovery of food. Sharing is caring, so let us tell you the latest news about local food.
Local food is good! Or is it?
I guess by now there is not a single person, who doesn’t know that eating local food is better for the environment. After all, we are more aware of what is happening in the world. Especially what is the situation in nature. The very precious thing we keep destroying because of our needs, wants, and habits. We all need to eat, we all want to enjoy the good food, right? Not thinking much of from where the food is traveling to our plates or how it is made.
Somebody once told that eating local food is better for the environment. We all have been believing it, preaching it and sharing our valuable knowledge. Guess what, we have all been wrong. New data is out and it is eye-opening:
Why we have been thinking that local food is better for the planet? Because when food is produced elsewhere and transported to where we are, it has been creating those nasty emissions. Logically thinking, the furthest the food is traveling from, the more destroying it is for our climate. Yes, transport does lead to emissions, but it is insignificant compared to the amounts that food production does. For most food products, transport accounts for less than 10%, and it’s much smaller for the largest GHG emitters.
It is important to state that not just transport, but all processes in the supply chain after the food left the farm – processing, transport, retail, and packaging – mostly account for a small share of emissions. (Look at the graph below)
Blame the food production instead
But many people may not be aware that food production is actually very exhausting for the planet. As a matter of fact, one-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) are created because of it. This is a frightening number, which definitely shines new light for our knowledge of planet conservation so far.
Different foods need different stages to be produced. Which means that each stage has its own emissions originate. Different stages are:
- Land use
- Farm
- Animal feed
- Processing
- Transport
- Retail
- Packaging
Depending on a food product the above-mentioned stages are bigger or smaller on creating GHG emissions.
The following graph shows you the data from the largest meta-analysis of global food systems to date, published in Science by Joseph Poore and Thomas Nemecek (2018). In this study, the authors looked at data across more than 38,000 commercial farms in 119 countries.
What you are looking at is the total of GHG emissions per kilogram of food products. CO2 is the most important GHG, but not the only one. Food production in agriculture is a large source of greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide. Think of cows eating constantly, their burps and also the constant pooing.
Transport does matter – when foods travel by air
How often you think of how far the food traveled to the store? I have been thinking of that when looking at goji berries or seeing those beautiful Instagram avocado photos. I tend not to consume food, which has traveled for long, if except cocoa powder. This is the main ingredient for our staple food – dark chocolate. If you looked at the graph above, then, unfortunately, we have contributed a lot to the GHG because of our eating habits.
Before reading the article, which inspired me to write this post, I also thought that a lot of food is transported by air. Luckily only very little food is air-freighted. It accounts for only 0.16% of food traveled in miles. This is great, but unfortunately, those few products which still need to be air-freighted, create high emissions.
To limit your carbon footprint, it should be advised to avoid the small share of foods that are air-freighted. It is very difficult to know, which have taken a plane to wherever you’re living. Especially if the labels are not giving enough information.
The key element to know is those foods tend to be highly perishable. This means they need to be eaten soon after they’ve been harvested. Transporting them by boat would take too long. That is why the perishables are most of the time air-freighted. For example asparagus, green beans and berries are common air-freighted goods.
Next time when buying foods, which seem had arrived from far-away. Look for a country of origin and then think of the freshness of the product. These help you to figure out a bit where the food is coming from.
Save the planet, become vegan!
Yes, we are back at it again – it is better for the planet to be vegan. Animal-based foods tend to have a higher footprint than plant-based. Quit that lamb and cheese-eating. Both emit more than 20 kg CO2-equivalents per kilogram. Poultry and pork have lower footprints but are still higher than most plant-based foods, at 6 and 7 kg CO2-equivalents, respectively.
The largest GHG emissions, for most foods, resulting from land use and the farm stage. The latter is responsible for applying fertilizers, organic and synthetic, and also enteric fermentation (the production of methane in the stomachs of cattle). If to combine these two, then land use and farm-stage emissions account for more than 80% of the footprint for most foods.
So what can you do to be more aware of your eating habits and food choices? As what you eat has a significant impact on our carbon “footprint”. If you want to reduce it, avoid air-freighted foods where you can. But more than this, you should focus on what you eat, rather than eating local. Eating no animal products while switching to plant-based alternatives will reduce your footprint by much more.
I survived! I wrote this article during the last hour of my 20 hours fast after almost two weeks. Wow! Thank you for making it to the end. Hug yourself and be smart while consuming food. Think about fasting, as well, as this will make you appreciate your food even more!
Normalizing fasting for better health
Fasting is as natural as breathing. Imagine how healthy our relationship with food would be if we didn’t give ourselves access 24/7?
Canada’s food guide is a victory for vegans
In 2019, Canada finally released a new food guide, and it is a much more well-rounded and a great teaching tool for the population to take our health in our own hands by consuming more of the foods that we intuitively know is better for our bodies.
Sugar and gluten fast: 10 days is not enough
If you do not eat sugar and gluten for 10 days, does it make you feel any different? Is it difficult or easy-peasy? Read more to decide yourself.
We are vegans and have been not eating gluten on a regular basis for years. This year we kind of lost the track. Due to excessive amounts of free bread and pastry, we have been blessed to receive. We tried once sugar-free fast for two weeks. I remember it was a struggle. So we decided to see how easy it is fast again, giving sugar and gluten a break for ten days.
Who wouldn’t love sugar and gluten?
We skipped eating gluten because of health conditions a few years ago. It was not so difficult, though the bread was following us everywhere. Not only that but other food items, which had wheat in as a supporting ingredient. I remember we got our rice cake game on. Sweet and savory. In the morning and in the evening. We were okay reading the labels and avoiding anything with gluten. We felt good. But then we started getting lots of free bread, which would have gone to waste otherwise. So we found ourselves back at the gluten train.
We tried sugar fast a few years ago, also in the fall time. I remember that the first few days were quite tough for me. Eve took it better and she was looking for options, how to clench our sugar thirst. She got us stevia, as a natural sweetener for gluten-free baking and for sweet tea. I remember lots of struggling and thirst for sugar. We usually have something sweet after having a good savory meal. In a way, it is so dumb, as the meal was enough, why need more. But habits are meant to break, right?
Knowing all that, I was eager to see if we can pull this ten (just 10 days!) day fast through. We declared October a health and well-being month, so we were taking it seriously. This is a known fact that sugar and gluten make you addicted. Anyway on these days, if you really need to eat something regular, like a loaf of bread or pasta, then it is easy to get gluten-free options. Sugar-free items are a bit difficult to find, but fruits are easy to get!
We were on!
Breakfast headaches and evening pains
I love breakfast. Love making them, love eating them. While we were using bread, it was so easy to make something easy, really fast. Cut that bun open, spread coconut oil and add some cheeze (vegan) on it. Fry and enjoy it! Or make the bread any other way. Now we had to plan a bit ahead, what to eat. But then again it was more like fun and a challenge, than a struggle.
I love warm porridge, especially oatmeal, but amaranth, millet, and buckwheat get good scores as well. So I knew that we are covered. Sure, it takes more time, but definitely we would be eating healthier. If something sweet was needed, I had always some fruits or berries at hand to sweeten up our meals free of sugar and gluten.
Some examples of our sugar and gluten-free breakfasts:
- Overnight oats with dried fruits, seeds, nuts. Fresh cuts of plum and pear on top
- Smoothie
- Oatmeal with coconut oil, nuts, and seeds
- Pan toasted oats with sugarfree jam, plant milk, nuts, and seeds mix
- Potato pancakes with salad on aside
- Oat flour pancakes
The other thing was the evening snacks. This was more like a challenge, especially in the first days. We were so used to have something sweet, like squares of dark chocolate with a cup of tea. I guess we had every evening something like that. I was really looking forward to times of just enjoying the fresh cup of tea. Now the time had arrived.
Some examples of snacks we had:
- Natural kettle-cooked chips (first night!)
- Plums
- Dried fruits, nuts, and fresh apple slices
- Pear slices with peanut butter
- Sugar and gluten-free brownie
- Rice cake with peanut butter, topped with fresh plums
I mean it is not perfect but as a first test fast of sugar and gluten, it did a good job.
Some tips on how to avoid sugar and gluten
Knowing that sugar and gluten are not good for you is a good start. Usually, if you skip those, you will skip many processed and unhealthy components from your meals. This is a win-win situation. It makes you focus more on quality food items. Also making the right choices will make you more creative while preparing your meals.
What we kept in mind while on sugar and gluten fast:
- We avoided artificial sugars (including sodas and juices).
- We avoided anything with wheat in it.
- Naturally, our meals became less fatty.
- We cooked more creatively with plants, beans, and gluten-free grains.
- We started to appreciate fruits and vegetables more.
If you are considering having any kind of fast, set yourself goals. It makes the whole process easier to follow. Start with something in which you feel comfortable and keep your promise. We chose 10 days, as after that my mom came to visit us, and we wanted to enjoy the best vegan meals with her. Often times they may have some gluten or sugar in them, unfortunately (for example udon noodles, cinnamon buns and vegan ice-cream).
We started another 10 days fast yesterday. It will be broken, because of our trip to Italy. If you do not eat gluten there, then I mean, what you are going to eat anyway :)) After that we will continue. I feel like this is the way to go now.
Is fasting good?
Intermittent fasting is actually good for you. It means that fasts which are occurring at irregular intervals are not continuous or steady is what your health needs. While not eating sugar and gluten you are not damaging your health in any way. Think of it as a little rest. Some people have to avoid sugar and gluten for serious health issues every day in their lives. If you are healthy and like to eat healthily, then having these fasts can only be greeted.
It has scientifically proved that fasting when combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle, can be effective. Especially if there is a wish to lose weight. We didn’t fast because of that reason. Mostly we wanted to get back to our usual way of eating, meaning no gluten. Sugar…well, there is so much of it everywhere, so it doesn’t hurt to cut back every once in a while.
Harvard Health Publishing recommends for successful fasting:
- Avoid sugars and refined grains. Instead, eat fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats (a sensible, plant-based, Mediterranean-style diet).
- Let your body burn fat between meals. Don’t snack. Be active throughout your day. Build muscle tone.
- Consider a simple form of intermittent fasting. Limit the hours of the day when you eat, and for best effect, make it earlier in the day (between 7 am to 3 pm, or even 10 am to 6 pm, but definitely not in the evening before bed).
- Avoid snacking or eating at nighttime, all the time.
Conclusion
We can’t really say that consuming no sugar and gluten for ten days made us feel any different. Probably we need at least 2-3 weeks to really feel the difference. One thing we noticed though. The more time we were in with our fast, the less we dreamed of having something we were not supposed to have. So in a way, our minds learned to cope without gluten and sugar. We were getting used to not having that. It was difficult in the first few days, but in the end, it got easy-peasy.
Used source: Harvard Health Publishing
How to appreciate the environment?
As I wrote in my earlier post, I became vegan mostly for animals. I didn’t want to participate in their killing, but while as a vegetarian I was seemingly okay with the trauma, misfortunes, and death happening to fish, cows, chickens. I still consumed seafood …