More people are taking up a vegan lifestyle for health or ethical reasons, including eliminating all animal products from their diet. This may bring several health benefits, including effective weight management, and increased protection from type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.
However, a plant-based diet means that you need to take extra care that all of your nutritional needs are met. Here’s a look at some of the superfood blends that will help you to stay energised and well nourished as a vegan.
What are potential nutrient gaps in a vegan diet?
The main nutrients that need to be compensated for in a vegan diet are those that come from meat, fish and dairy products, including:
- Protein
- Zinc
- Vitamin B12
- Omega-3s
- Iron
- Vitamin D
- Calcium
- Selenium
It is possible to find vegan foods that can provide you with all of these essential nutrients, such as tofu, lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains and pulses. However, in some cases these foods contain much lower amounts of the vitamins and minerals than animal or fish derived products.
How superfood blends can help
While it is possible to find synthetic supplements to support a vegan diet, many people find that these are difficult to absorb or they upset their digestive system. Even if you do not notice any particular side effects, it’s estimated that the body only absorbs about 30 to 50 per cent of the vitamins and minerals from supplements, so you may not get the full benefits.
Superfood blends are a much more powerful way to support a vegan diet, because the nutritional content is still in its natural form, albeit dried and powdered (which does not affect the nutritional value of the product). This makes them much gentler and easier to digest, and they are more readily absorbed and processed by the gut and distributed to the body’s cells.
Easy to use and timesaving
Eating vegan is a commitment that makes extra demands on your time, from grocery shopping to meal planning and preparation. Although many supermarkets now sell plant-based convenience foods, many of these are loaded with artificial preservatives and additives, and can have a high fat, sugar and salt content.
This obviously defeats many of the health benefits of a vegan diet. However, not everyone has time to prepare a healthy vegan meal from scratch every day. Superfood blends such as spirulina powder, cacao powder, or mushroom powder blends can easily be stirred into plant-based milks or smoothies, lattes, or porridge.
They can also simply be sprinkled onto whatever meal you are eating for an extra nutritional boost, avoiding the need for synthetic supplements.
Benefits of superfood blends
By taking control of your nutrition, you may find that your energy levels naturally increase, your digestion is improved, your skin looks clearer, and the quality of your sleep is better. If you’d like to find out more, visit our website, where you can browse an extensive range of organic superfood and fruit and vegetable powders.