01Jun 2021 by Leah Higl
Is Mock Meat Healthier Than Real Meat?

Is Mock Meat Healthier Than Real Meat?

Health
With the rise in veganism and people turning to plant-based eating, the market for mock meat has been booming. When I first went vegan, almost a decade ago now, you would be hard up finding a decent block of tofu in major supermarkets in Australia. Now in 2021, there is a whole section dedicated to plant based meat alternatives. Plant based beef-style burgers, “chicken” nuggets, sausages, pepperoni, bacon and ham are all readily accessible in Coles & Woolworths.  Going out to eat as a vegan is also a lot easier these days. With everyone from major food chains like Dominos, Nandos, and Hungry Jacks to fine dining restaurants offering mock meat options.  But are these faux meat products any better for your health than the real thing? Reducing Meat Consumption…
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09Apr 2021 by Leah Higl
6 Tests You Should Get if You Are Vegan

6 Tests You Should Get if You Are Vegan

Health
Blood and urine tests can tell you a lot about your general health, including if you are getting adequate micronutrients through your diet. This is particularly useful as a vegan since many vitamins and minerals are more difficult to consume in sufficient amounts. However, these types of test can be done for every single nutrient. For example, testing calcium concentration in your blood does not tell you anything about how much calcium is provided through your diet. This is because calcium in the blood is tightly controlled. If your dietary intake is inadequate, additional calcium is simply taken from your bones. Zinc is another good example. Dietary intake for zinc is an issue for some vegans, particularly men who have very high requirements. But zinc levels from blood tests do…
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26Mar 2021 by Leah Higl
The Vegan Athlete Diet Guide

The Vegan Athlete Diet Guide

Sports
Veganism can be a tough journey to navigate generally. You add in being an athlete of any kind and the complexity definitely goes up. Whether you are a weekend warrior or an elite athlete, most people want to get the most out of their diet for both body composition and performance.  The Netflix documentary, Game Changers did a pretty good job at convincing people that by simply being vegan, your athletic performance and body composition will magically improve beyond your wildest dreams.  But alas, veganism won't inherently make you a better athlete. To some extent, depending on your previous diet, the increase in plant-based foods that comes with transitioning to a vegan diet may improve your recovery. However, a vegan diet should be strategically designed for each individual person to ensure…
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12Mar 2021 by Leah Higl
Complete Vegan Nutrition Guide

Complete Vegan Nutrition Guide

Health
People adopt veganism for a variety of reasons – for animal welfare, to improve their health, or even due to the environmental concerns surrounding animal agriculture. In any case, a vegan diet can be a difficult thing to navigate without knowing some basics. So, if you are vegan, or have ever thought about going vegan, read on! From a dietary perspective, veganism is the complete avoidance of animal products such as meat, dairy, and eggs. However, veganism as a philosophy, which places animal rights at the forefront, extends to all aspects of living far beyond what is on the end of your fork.  Vegans will also avoid: Products tested on animals such as household cleaning productsAnything made of animal-sourced materials such as wool and leatherAttractions or events that utilize any…
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22Jun 2020 by Aidan Muir
The Game Changers: A Dietitian’s Review

The Game Changers: A Dietitian’s Review

Sports
When The Game Changers documentary came out on Netflix, I felt I had to watch it. It was almost a job requirement for me, since not only am I a dietitian, I’m also a sports dietitian specialising in strength athletes and I have a bit of a presence on Instagram. This meant that I had a crazy number of questions coming in about the documentary. Nutrition documentaries typically have quite a lot of bias and do not represent the totality of the evidence well. This is a common theme" because honestly, the fundamentals of nutrition typically are not that interesting for the average person. To really bring in an audience they need to make bold claims. Nobody is interested in hearing what they have heard before. People want new and…
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19Oct 2017 by Aidan Muir
Ellie Bullen Q & A

Ellie Bullen Q & A

Other
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? My name is Ellie, I am a 24-year-old nutritionist and dietitian from Australia. I run an Instagram and blog called Elsa’s Wholesome Life where I share my healthy lifestyle, recipes and travels. I saw that your philosophy is “Eat More Plants” – can you elaborate on that and why it is your philosophy? Well, during university one of the key nutrition problems that was highlighted was that only 5% of Australians eat the recommended number of vegetable servings. My philosophy to ‘Eat More Plants’ is basically just encouraging people at the simplest level to eat more plant-based foods. It is good for your health and the environment. What are some of your top nutrition tips for somebody looking to lose weight?…
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