New vegans more than anyone should track the nutrition of their diet to avoid any possible vegan health problems. When you switch over to a diet that’s radically different from your standard diet (keto, vegan, etc.), it’s always a good idea to track your diet and see if you’re missing anything. It’s also a good idea if you’re trying to lose or gain weight. When looking for a vegan food tracking...
When I was looking for a food tracking app, a few names kept coming up… Cronometer and MyFitnessPal were the 2 big ones, but other newer ones like Lifesum were also often mentioned. So I gave Lifesum a try, and this is my review of it. You can see my Cronometer vs. MyFitnessPal comparison if you’d rather stick to the “big” ones. Back to Lifesum, what does it try to be...
It’s pretty common for vegans and vegetarians to crave meat. Especially if they’re new to either type of diet. You eat something regularly all your life, and then all of a sudden it’s gone. That disrupts a lot of old habits and expectations that your brain has. Meat cravings are more common in those who really liked it. I was never a huge fan (I mean, it was okay), so that partially explains why...
Sweet potatoes are considered a low FODMAP food. Although they do contain fructose, they contain more glucose, and that excess of glucose means that sweet potatoes are generally well tolerated even in those with IBS. If that’s a little confusing to you, don’t worry. I’ll break down things as simply as possible in the rest of this post. FODMAP Breakdown of Sweet Potatoes One research...
Fat has been made out to seem evil over the last few decades, but more and more people are realizing that it’s not evil. You need at least some fat to be healthy. It’s an important nutrient in a vegan diet. When you first switch to a vegan diet, a lot of your food sources of fat disappear. This can lead to cravings and actual health side effects. I’ve created a large nutritional...
Oatmeal doesn’t usually cause constipation. In fact, oatmeal usually relieves constipation due to its high soluble fiber content. However, it is possible for oatmeal to cause constipation if someone is not used to eating it, or if it’s eaten alongside another food like dairy, which can be the root cause of digestion issues. I’ll summarize everything you need to know about this topic in this...
The short answer is that yes, flaxseed can cause gas! Typically, it’s not excessive, but in some people it’s worse than others. There are a couple of ways this can happen, I’ll go through each one quickly. If none of these seem like the cause of your gas, it could be something else in your diet. How Is Gas Produced? Gas is produced when fiber or certain carbohydrates ferment in...
Almond milk does not cause gas for most people. However, some people experience intolerance symptoms including gas from drinking almond milk. The most common causes are previously unknown nut allergies, or a reaction to other ingredients in the milk. Let’s go through what your line of thinking should resemble if you’re having stomach issues from drinking almond milk. Start By Determining If It’s...
Dairy withdrawal (or “detox”) is what happens when you stop consuming dairy. Withdrawal may or may not cause symptoms depending on the individual. Typical symptoms are relatively minor, and usually subside in about a week. Just like meat withdrawal, dairy withdrawal is common in many new vegans. So even though it’s not a medically documented condition, there’s probably some truth...
Couscous, rice, and quinoa are all popular grains that are used in similar recipes for the most part. You can swap them out for each other without having too much of an impact on most recipes, which you might want to do based on your health goals. Let’s take a look at how these 3 grains stack up (note that I’ve included both white and brown rice). Calories and Macronutrients The data on this page...