I’m a vegan naturopath. Here’s 5 things I tell every client.

Here are my 5 most common (and easiest) things you can do on a plant-based diet to elevate your nutrition & overall health. Let’s go!

You need more Protein!

Most clients who come through my ‘virtual’ door are not eating enough protein. Getting enough protein on a vegan diet is definitely doable however it needs to be something we consciously think about at every meal. Each meal should contain about 20-30g of protein. This can include foods such as beans, chickpeas, lentils, tofu, tempeh, nuts and seeds. Adding in a vegan protein powder can be a great addition to smoothies to boost the protein content. I recommend the NutraOrganics Clean Protein

Did you know: Nutritional yeast is high in protein and is a great addition to scrambled tofu, soups and curries.

Don’t forget your Omega 3’s

Omega 3s are essential fatty acids. We cannot produce our own omega 3’s so it is essential we get them through our diet. The best plant-based sources of omega 3’s can be found in seeds such as hemp seeds, chia seeds and flax seeds. Aiming for 2-3 tablespoons of seeds daily is enough to reach your daily target. They are great in smoothies, on top of porridge or salads or mixed into soups and curries.

Stop skipping breakfast 

Naturally, in the morning, our cortisol levels are highest so we can wake feeling refreshed and ready to start the day. If we don’t fuel our bodies within an hour of waking, our body starts to pump out our stress hormones (such as cortisol and adrenaline) to give us some energy. This can cause our stress hormones to rise too much and if we are already stressed and our stress hormones are a little out of whack, skipping breakfast adds a whole new layer to our stress picture. Making sure our breakfast is balanced, with lots of protein, healthy fats and fibre also means that your blood sugar levels are going to be more stable throughout the day and you are less likely to have that afternoon crash. 

Delay coffee

Whilst on the topic of keeping our hormones happy, having coffee first thing in the morning on an empty stomach can also wreak havoc on our stress hormones. Cortisol naturally peaks at about 8-9am giving you natural energy and alertness. When we delay coffee until ‘magic hour’ around 9-10am, we will have minimal disturbance to our stress hormones and are less likely to suffer any negative side effects such as jitteriness and the afternoon crash.

Skip the fake meats

I am definitely not opposed to a good ol’ vegan burger or sausage here and there but when processed ‘fake meats’ start to make a regular appearance in our diet, that’s when a plant-based diet starts to lose its benefits. They are often very high in sodium and trans fats. Try swapping them for tofu or making your own lentil burgers instead. 

If these tips were helpful pop a comment below and let me know what has worked for you! For more vegan nutrition tips, I highly recommend you check out The Balanced Vegan Diet Ebook.