One of the most controversial topics in the plant based community is surrounding protein.

Can vegans get enough of it?

Are they getting the right kind of it?

How much protein should you even be consuming each day?

When I realized that I had never addressed this topic on here I knew that I had to, and that it had to be complete.

So let’s talk HOW MUCH protein do you need.

This is a loaded question and there is so much that goes into it, but a general rule of thumb is 1g of protein per pound of ideal body weight.

That might seem like a lot and maybe that is for you. So this is where it is key to tap into your body and how you feel. For me I rarely track macros - maybe once every few years, but I know my body. When I am insatiable I know that I am lacking in protein, so I consume more!

The Right Kind of Protein

When I went vegetarian at 10 - in the 90’s - there was a lot of talk about complete proteins. Combining two types of protein sources to contain all 9 amino acids in one meal. The more research we have has shown that this is not necessarily the case. As long as you are consuming a variety of proteins throughout the day your body is intelligent enough to combine and use them to create complete proteins.

When looking for plant based proteins I advise my clients to opt for whole food sources and not to rely heavily on processed meat substitutes that are filled with other ingredients. Ultimately the right plant protein is the kind that makes you feel good and that you enjoy consuming!

Types of Plant Based Protein

All plant based foods have some protein, for example broccoli has 2.5g of protein per 1 cup, but some sources are BETTER.

Complete Protein Sources:

1. Quinoa

2. Hemp Seeds

3. Buckwheat

4. Soy/Tofu

5. Chia Seeds

6. Amaranth

7. Protein Powder

Almost Complete Sources:

1. Chickpeas - missing 1 essential Amino Acid

2. Beans

3. Lentils

4. Legumes

5. Spirulina

Low Levels of Protein:

1. Non- Starchy Vegetables like broccoli, mushrooms, kale, and spinach

2. Starchy Vegetables - Sweet Potato

3. Nuts and Seeds

If you are eating a variety of these foods throughout the week you do not need to worry about food combining to get complete proteins.

Tips & Tricks

If you are thinking that you are not hitting your RDA on protein here are a few ways you can add more protein into your diet.

1. Unflavored Protein Powder - you can mix unflavored protein powder into soups, stews, and beans.

2. Spirulina- add in spirulina to your smoothies, or guacamole to mask the taste and add in protein

3. Hemp Seeds - mix on top of salads, and add to soups and pesto to increase the protein

4. Swap regular pasta for buckwheat noodles or chickpea pasta

5. If you are avoiding soy look into options like PumFu (pumpkin Tofu) or Hempeh (like tempeh but with hemp and chickpeas)

About two months ago my functional medicine doctor tasked me with giving up coffee for at least 4 weeks.

I have been struggling with a very stubborn eczema patch on my right eyelid for the past 5 years and after trying ALL of the dietary changes, creams, herbs, tonics, acupuncture, sauna, salt caves, etc. I decided to call in reinforcement.

I had a sinking feeling in my stomach that I would have to give up coffee when she politely asked “so HOW much coffee are you drinking a day?” To which I replied, “oh like you know “… while I slid my 32 oz Yeti out of the zoom cameras view.

I knew I was drinking A LOT of coffee, but I LOVE the taste so much. I don’t need coffee to function. I start my day at least 3 hours before I even start to make it. It was a ritual I loved. Something that I looked forward too.

I knew that I was going to have to come up with something to fill the void of the ritual. I also knew that tea (which I love) wouldn’t cut it. So I turned to google and started researching herbal blends.

I bought a TON of herbs, tested a ton of batches, and finally settled on the winning blend.

Today I am going to give you the recipe, and explain the health benefits of this herbal blend.

roasted dandelion root

Dandelion Root is a powerful herb for healing digestive health. I chose this because it has a very rich flavor and is used in tons of coffee substitutes, but also because our gut is the home of majority of immune system. When you are experiencing an inflammatory issue (eczema, acne, chronic sickness) you want to nourish the immune system and the gut. Dandelion Root is also considered a bitter herb and great for cleansing the liver and the blood - two areas that are directly related to skin health.

the ingredients

Roasted Chicory Root

Another herb selected for a multitude of reasons. First helps aid in the rich coffee like flavor and balances the bitterness of dandelion. More so though, it is great for gut health. Chicory Root is mostly inulin, a prebiotic that helps feed the good bacteria in the gut. The more good bacteria we have the less likely it is that we will have a microbiome imbalance. A lot of people also rely on coffee to stimulate their bowels and keep them regular. Chicory and the inulin is a great digestion starter and is shown to help with constipation. Another amazing health benefit is that it can be effective in treating certain types of Candida (which may be the root cause to eczema)

Roasted Cacao Nibs

Then we have Cacao Nibs which we roast to increase the flavor profile ( I have used them unroasted when I was feeling lazy!). Cacao is high in antioxidants and helps to lower inflammation. Again the main goal of giving up coffee was to reduce the inflammation so having an herbal replacement that aids in this healing was a must!

Chaga

Finally we have Four Sigmatic Chaga Powder. To be honest I was really upset about giving up my coffee because of the amazing medicinal benefits of the mushrooms I was consuming. Adding the chaga packet was to make sure I was getting the immune and skin benefits that Chaga supplies ( we are always going back to immune and skin health it seems!). The chaga is not necessary however when I forget to add it in, I notice that it is missing.

recipe

So this will be really simple to create. You can keep your herbs separate and make every day or you can make a big batch and shake it all up.

You basically want a ratio of 2:1:1/2:

2 TBSP Roasted Dandelion Root

1 TBSP Roasted Chicory Root

1/2 TBSP of Cacao Nibs.

If you are making a big batch you can do it by the cup instead of the tablespoon and get the same results.

I add 4 tbsp to my French Press along with a packet of Four Sigmatic Chaga and top with boiling water. I let it sit for 10 minutes, stir, and filter.

I prefer to drink this black, but you can definitely add a coffee creamer or nut milk to your cup!

The past few weeks I have been seeing a lot about Oatly...and none of it has been good. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
There have been articles with titles like " Oatly: the New Coke" and "Some Plant based eaters are boycotting Oatly" ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Today I wanted to break talk about some of these headlines and offer up my two cents. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
So here's a little backstory - Oatly is a Swedish brand that was founded in the 1990's due to a large part of Swedish population unable to drink milk, or not wanting to support the dairy industry. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
In 2012 Oatly hired a new CEO who re-branded the milk alternative and brought it over to the US. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The re-branding placed a HEAVY focus on both health and the environment - two of the main issues they are under fire for right now! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

So Here are some things that stuck out to me

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1. Oatly adds Rapeseed Oil to their product ( AKA Canola) - we know this is highly inflammatory and linked to Alzheimer's, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and more. ⠀ After a little digging and flipping over multiple brands of Oat Milk in the grocery store - added oil was in every single store bought Oat Milk I saw. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2. There is evidence that how they create the oatmilk and the enzyme they are adding to break down the fiber turns to maltose - which effects the blood sugar levels in the same or worse ways as HFCS. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3. Oatly is not organic, and oats are DIRTY! A study done on oats found 7 different pesticides on them ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
4. About 10% of Oatly was recently purchased by a company that has a major impact on the Amazon Deforestation- Oatly's response was "we're convinced that if we’re to progress in the shift towards plant-based we have to involve governments and private equity firms, and steer more global capital into green investments." ⠀

So now we have almond milk that is unsafe for the bees, and Oat milk that is unsafe for us - what do we do?

We make our own.

Oatmilk in my opinion is the easiest nut milk to make. There is no soaking required and the straining process is light on the muscles!

Some things to note before buying oats:

I always look for certified GF, Organic oats (see point 3!). Oats are naturally gluten free but can become contaminated during the processing part. Bob’s Red Mill has certified GF and Organic oats.

How to make Oat Milk

1 Cup GF Organic Oats

4 Cups Filtered Water

High Speed Blender

Cheese Cloth or Nut Milk Bag

Put oats and water in blender and blend on medium - high speed for 30- 40 seconds. This is important because over blending will result in a gummy milk

Pour the milk into a nut milk bag, and squeeze gently to release all the water.

Store in a glass jar in the fridge for about 1 week.

Easy!

I've been getting a lot of inquiries about calories on our meal plan. When I ask what specifically is the goal many people are interested in weight loss.

As of right now we don't include calories in our meal plan, but as the demand for that seems to grow it is something we may consider.

Before that time comes I wanted to use this as a chance to talk a bit about calories and why I personally do not believe they are important for weight loss.

Calories are not made equally

it is more important to look at the quality of food you are putting into your body not just the amount of calories. 100 calories of broccoli reacts very differently in your body than 100 calories of chips or cookies. Broccoli nourishes you, and supplies your body with key nutrients and minerals, and it is stored differently once it breaks down (more on the this later).

If you are reading nutrition labels - it is more important to look at SUGARS than calories.

When we eat sugar our body uses what it needs for energy - If you’ve ever heard eat a banana before a workout - this is why. What our body doesn’t use for energy gets stored as fat. Looking out for sugar on a nutrition label is extremely important if you are trying to manage your weight - and for your overall health and wellness.

Pesticides/Herbicides/Heavy Metals are all stored in the fat cells.

Our bodies do not know what to do with all the chemicals that we are coming into contact with these days. There are chemicals in the air we breath, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the clothes we were. We are surrounded by chemicals. Our bodies are designed to eliminate them to keep us safe, but the rate we are exposed vs. the rate we can eliminate is just too high. To keep us safe from toxins that could make us sick or kill us, our bodies store environmental toxins in our fat cells. in addition to this, toxins also mess with our metabolism, and how our body balances our blood sugar. All leading to weight gain.

Sugar and processed foods are addicting

This is scientific FACTS! Somewhere in time during the US obesity epidemic scientists stated to look into food addiction, and what they found was that processed foods contain certain chemicals that release “feel good” responses in the body. These foods (like cheese and sugar) were found to light up the same area of the brain that heroine does making them highly addictive. This makes it 100% more likely that you will overindulge in a bag of chips is more likely than overeating vegetables and whole grains.

At the Hungry Hippie we place our focus on using NATURAL, organic, and real ingredients. This reduces the chances of being exposed to harmful toxins ( herbicides and pesticides) , and over eating in response to chemicals that trigger addictive eating patterns in your brain.