This week we have a good time International Vegetarian Week with a spread of blogs, interviews and recipes. Why not take the chance to be taught extra about the advantages of vegetarian and vegan diets, and learn how to create nutrient-dense meals? A fantastic place to begin is the interview under, the place our Naturya Ambassadors Louise and plant-based influencer Nikita, who’re each certified nutritionists, set the file straight on two widespread myths about not consuming meat.

Myth 1– Does a vegetarian weight loss plan present sufficient protein to take care of a wholesome life-style and attain your health targets?

Nikita: There are many misconceptions surrounding veganism, constructing muscle and the consequences on athletic efficiency. Firstly, it’s necessary to level out that the human physique’s major supply of gasoline is glucose. Complex carbohydrates, that are naturally present in all plant meals and damaged down into glucose, are my favorite gasoline. They are normally excessive in dietary fibre, which is important for sustaining good intestine well being.

 A vegan/vegetarian weight loss plan usually incorporates extra carbohydrates in comparison with an omnivorous weight loss plan, making vitality extra available to be used. Therefore, with richer vitality shops, it is possible for you to to utilise the vitality extra effectively to push your self additional and carry out higher.

It can also be believed that animal protein is superior to plant protein for constructing muscle. Animal protein is taken into account a whole protein because it gives the complete vary of important amino acids, whereas most plant proteins are incomplete as individually they don’t present all of the 9 important amino acids the physique can not produce itself. However, there are a number of scrumptious full plant protein sources you may nonetheless embody in your weight loss plan corresponding to buckwheat, hemp, quinoa and soy.

To make a whole protein from numerous plant sources, which can also be efficient in constructing muscle, a mix of various plant proteins corresponding to nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes is required.

Another false impression is {that a} vegan/vegetarian weight loss plan doesn’t present sufficient protein to construct muscle. Depending on the person’s health targets and/or genetics, one ought to devour between 0.8-1.2g of protein per kg of body weight. For the common grownup weighing 80kg, one would wish to devour 0.8 x 80kg = 64g of protein per day. Fortunately, plant meals are a wealthy supply of protein and could be present in grains, soy, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes and in addition present many different vitamins which are related to a number of improved well being outcomes in comparison with conventional meat diets.

Louise: There are certainly so many good sources of protein for vegetarians and vegans to select from:

• Lentils, chickpeas, and beans
• Cereals (wheat, oats and rice)
• Soya merchandise (tofu, soya drinks and textured soy protein, corresponding to soya mince)
• Nuts and seeds
• Natural, plant-based protein blends corresponding to Naturya’s Plant Superprotein which is available in 3 scrumptious flavours and is enriched with superfoods to assist increase your nutritional vitamins and minerals consumption

For these on a vegetarian weight loss plan, I additionally suggest consuming natural eggs and lower-fat dairy merchandise (milk, cheese and yoghurt).

Try Naturya NEW natural Coconana Chia or Cacao Maca Overnight Oats combining the very best high quality gluten free oats and hemp protein to create a scrumptious excessive protein porridge excellent for any time of the day.

Myth 2- Can you get all of the nutritional vitamins and minerals your physique wants from non-animal sources?

Louise: With good planning and an understanding of what makes up a wholesome, balanced vegetarian and vegan weight loss plan, you may get all of the vitamins your physique must be wholesome.

If your weight loss plan is not deliberate correctly, you possibly can miss out on important vitamins on any kind of weight loss plan. Vegetarians want to ensure they get sufficient iron and vitamin B12, and vegans sufficient calcium, iron and vitamin B12. Women are regarded as at explicit danger of iron deficiency, together with these on a vegetarian or vegan weight loss plan. So, right here’s learn how to increase your consumption of those vitamins:

Iron

Although meat is the most effective supply of iron, different good sources embody:

• Pulses – beans, lentils and peas 
• Nuts and seeds together with almonds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds.
• Dried apricots
• Dark-green greens like watercress, broccoli and spring greens
• Wholegrains like brown rice and quinoa
• Cereals fortified with iron
• Superfoods like Maca, Mulberries, Goji berries, Lucuma powder or attempt Naturya Spirulina & Chlorella tablets for an extremely handy supply of iron and vitamin B12.

As lengthy as you keep in mind to repeatedly embody these meals in your weight loss plan, you ought to be getting sufficient iron.

B-12

This vitamin is discovered nearly completely in animal merchandise, so it may be troublesome to get sufficient B-12 on a vegan weight loss plan. Vitamin B-12 deficiency could go undetected in individuals who eat a vegan weight loss plan. This is as a result of the vegan weight loss plan is wealthy in a vitamin referred to as folate, which can masks a deficiency in vitamin B-12 till extreme issues happen. For this motive, vegans want to contemplate vitamin dietary supplements, vitamin-enriched cereals and fortified soy merchandise. A incredible vegan supply of B-12 to attempt is natural Chlorella. 

Try Chlorella powder or our NEW Chlorella & Spirulina tablets.

Omega-3

Sources of omega-3 fatty acids appropriate for vegetarians and vegans embody:

Do you need to know extra?

Keep an eye fixed on this house and our recipe part to get extra vegetarian/vegan inspiration!