Vegan nutrition – health, energy and harmony

Vegan nutrition – health, energy and harmony

Statistics show that more and more people are overweight. Worldwide, there are more than a billion. Since 1990, the number of overweight people has doubled.

According to a study conducted with the participation of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, severe obesity among children and adolescents has quadrupled. In 2022, the Federal Statistical Office found that in Switzerland, more than thirty per cent of people aged fifteen and over were overweight, and twelve per cent were obese. The trend is increasing.

• The Lancet

OECD data showed that in Europe, one in six people is obese, and over fifty per cent of adults are overweight. The data varies from country to country. 2021, for example, one in three children in Spain was overweight. At the time, the government decided to ban the advertising of sweets explicitly aimed at children.

The highest obesity rates were recorded in island states in the Pacific Ocean, such as Niue, Tonga and American Samoa. In some cases, over 60 per cent. At the top of the list in individual categories were Egypt, Chile, Qatar and, in particular, the USA. The lowest rates were recorded in Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Madagascar and Vietnam.

Being overweight can be a serious problem, increasing the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and even certain types of cancer.

Poor nutrition and a lack of exercise have the most significant impact on obesity. While genetic predisposition can influence obesity and make losing weight more complex, it is only one of many factors. Nevertheless, people often develop obesity differently under the same nutritional conditions.

• Rosenfluh Apotheke

In the mid-19th century, the philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach got it exactly right by saying, ‘Man is what he eats'. Well, who doesn't like to eat, and doesn't a little pleasure lift the spirits? What you eat is and remains essential. So is how you process the gifts of nature. The body reacts to nutrition all around. Fundamentally, awareness of healthy food and how it is processed should be strengthened. The use of insecticides and pesticides is being monitored more closely in many places than in the past. Many consumers are looking for organic products that are as uncontaminated as possible. At stirnrunzler.ch, ‘cooking as part of daily routine' is described in several articles, emphasising a vegan diet where possible. Large-scale studies such as the Adventist Health Study and the Epic Oxford Study show that a vegan diet can have positive long-term effects. For example, the risk of cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes is lower with a vegan diet.

Performance thanks to a vegan diet

However, knowledge is also needed when implementing a vegan diet. Who has not heard of symptoms of deficiency resulting from a vegan diet? Of course, paying attention to omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, calcium, and proteins is essential. For example, vegetable proteins, such as the protein content in legumes, are often underestimated. Oat bran, for example, is an excellent source of protein, with seventeen grams of protein per hundred grams. If you look at the nutrition information on plant-based products, you will quickly see that B vitamins and calcium, for example, are also found in plant-based milk. Excellent sources of plant-based protein include soya, beans, lentils and peas. Soya is also processed into a range of products, such as soya milk or tofu, which can easily replace animal-based foods in your daily diet.

Studies have shown that people who follow a vegan diet are at least as productive as those who eat animal products. An increasing number of high-performance athletes follow a vegan diet without any loss of performance. On the contrary, there are reports of positive effects on athletic performance and concentration. A plant-based diet helps to inhibit inflammation in the body, thus allowing injuries to heal faster. Scientific studies are being conducted and processed in many areas.

Of course, a vegan diet needs to be balanced. It is possible to eat unhealthily as a vegan. After all, crisps and ketchup are vegan and have little to do with a healthy diet. It's all about the combination of foods.

What should go on a vegan plate?

Legumes are suitable for a wide variety of menus. Salads, vegetables, and fruit are available all year round. Wholegrain products, seeds, and nuts should also be on the menu. Delicious sauces can be prepared with healthy oils, milk, and cream from soya, oats, herbs, herbs, and spices. A vegan dough is quickly made, and spelt or soy pasta tastes at least as good as that made from white flour. A pudding is prepared promptly with vegetable milk and chia seeds and tastes terrific with berries.

Such nutrition benefits the microorganisms in the intestines, for example. These help with healthy digestion and positively affect brain function, the immune system, body weight, and thus the soul.

When following a vegan diet, it is also essential to pay attention to quantity. Small portions are more digestible than large ones. Similarly, vegetable oils and fats should be used in moderation. Vegan convenience products are increasingly filling the shelves of retail outlets, but as with animal-based nutrition, they should be the exception rather than the rule.

Daily exercise is the be-all and end-all for body and soul – not only if you want to lose weight.

Spring asparagus with chickpeas

• Ingredients
• One bunch of green or white asparagus
• Chickpeas (soak a bag of chickpeas overnight in cold water and drain the next day. Cook in water seasoned with a level tablespoon of sea salt and one to two tablespoons of peperoncino flakes until al dente. Cooked chickpeas can be stored in sealed glassware in the refrigerator for up to a week without any problems and can be used in many ways).
• A few date tomatoes
• One fresh mango
• Fresh or dried flat-leaf parsley (optionally some fresh or dried chives)
• A piece of fresh organic ginger
• Sea salt
• A pinch of saffron salt from the mill (if available)
• One teaspoon of peperoncini flakes
• Three to five decilitres of soy cream
• One level tablespoon of vegetable stock (Morga) – add a little more if you like
• Balsamic vinegar
• A little olive oil
• Rosemary

Preparation

• Wash and dry the asparagus. Cut about four centimetres off the green asparagus. Peel the white asparagus and cut them to the same length. Boil them in lightly salted water until al dente, then drain the water. Place them on a cloth.
• Wash, dry and cut the date tomatoes.
• Add the ginger, wash it, finely chop it, and add it. Add four to six tablespoons of parsley, chives, peperoncini flakes, and vegetable bouillon, if available. Bring to the boil briefly. Season to taste and remove from the stove.
• Grease an oven dish with olive oil. Place the asparagus and chickpeas in the dish. Pour a little sauce over the asparagus. Garnish with date tomatoes and sprinkle with rosemary. Place in an oven preheated to 220 degrees Celsius (medium setting), turn down to 200 degrees and bake until the sauce on the asparagus turns golden.
• In the meantime, wash and peel a mango that is still a bit hard, then cut it into wonderful slices.
• Place the asparagus, date tomatoes and chickpeas on preheated plates. Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over the chickpeas and sprinkle with freshly ground mixed pepper to taste. Garnish with the mango slices.

Tip: In the meantime, the soy cream sauce can be stored in the fridge. It tastes cold with this or other meals, such as asparagus with potatoes in their skins.