• Stop Wondering

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I Wonder why…

Ever wondered why fast food is bad, or if all organic products are healthy? We've got answers for you. So start reading below and learn something new about a plant- based life!

Fast foods are highly processed, high-sugar, high-fat, low-fiber foods. That really explains it all. Stripped of most nutrients, hard to digest, filled with really bad stuff like fructose etc. It's one of the major reasons we see so many overweight sick kids and grown-ups nowadays.

The majority of our plant-based recipes can be prepared fast. And they are super healthy. Our foods are packed with nutrients and fiber. So yes, healthy foods CAN be fast food! 

If cows would have a rocket engine they would probably fly to the moon and back because they produce a lot of a highly combustible gas called methane. Unfortunately, this gas is 22x more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. So the more cows we raise, the more we damage our environment and earth. 

WONDER SOME MORE

I wonder if all the products in the supermarket labelled "organic" are actually healthy?

Not necessarily! Sometimes, organic foods contain lots of sugar and are processed.

I wonder what "activated food" means.

Grains, nuts, seeds and legumes contain a substance called phytic acid which disturbs the uptake of important nutrients and can cause irritation of your digestive system. Activation will make these foods highly tolerable and help unlock their nutrients.

With all the breads available at the supermarket I wonder which one to pick?

The healthiest and also most delicious bread is long fermented organic sourdough bread. Again, breads from the supermarket are highly processed and contain non activated ingredients. Look for a baker in your area that produces long fermented sourdough bread. Fermentation helps to activate the grains, turning this kind of bread into a more nutritious and tolerable food.

I wonder whether beans make you fart.

Beans contain natural sugars which look like large, awkward molecules that are not easily digested. Bacteria in our digestive system are capable of breaking down these sugar molecules. This in turn produces gases like hydrogen and methane. You can avoid embarrassing moments by removing the fart-inducing elements. Soak fresh or dried beans overnight, rinse them well, drain them and cook them with a piece of seaweed.

I wonder whether there are special energy snacks for ballet dancers?

Hey, I dance as well! For a light snack which keeps me going for a long time, my mom prepares chia puddings, granola bars, leftover quinoa breakfast with blueberries, apple slices with almond butter, activated nuts/ seeds and dried fruits or tapioca pudding with banana (you can find all these recipes and more on my mom's blog www.plantbasedhappy.com). One of my favorite snacks is apricot balls or raw cacao balls and anything that involves raspberries. --Vivian--

I wonder where you get your protein from.

You can get more than enough proteins from a whole-food plant-based diet. Some of the largest animals on earth like elephants or rhinos are plant-eaters. Plant protein is healthier than animal protein. Good sources are: lentils (activated), hemps seeds, chia seeds, quinoa, nuts & seeds and beans (all activated!) and nutritional yeast (the "cheesy stuff").

I wonder why I get sick so often and miss out on playtime with my friends?

Our gut is filled with bacteria that greatly influence our health and wellbeing. More than you ever imagined! Getting the right gut bacteria is one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy. Stick to a balanced, whole-food plant-based diet with activated nuts/ seeds/grain/ legumes and fermented foods.

Any ideas for breakfast that will keep me going until snack time? I am always starved by mid-morning!

The type and the amount of food you eat play an important role in your daily energy levels. Foods that are high in fiber, like apples and activated cereals and nuts, take longer to digest and will give you plenty of energy for a long period of time. Find delicious and nutritious breakfast ideas on our mom's website www.plantbasedhappy.com.

I wonder why the veggies I eat are way too soft. Who likes that?

That sounds a lot like overcooked non tasty veggies. Try crunchy fresh and colorful veggies like bell peppers, sweet cherry tomatoes and juicy cucumbers.

What are vegans?

Vegans are people who don't eat animal products, so no meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey etc. However, vegans often include processed non healthy foods (white flour, white sugar, fake sausages etc).

Any ideas why I am having so many pimples?

Pimples (acne) are strongly associated with a poor diet. If you get of rid of the processed food stuff and eat a whole-food plant-based diet with activated nuts/ seeds/ grains and legumes and fermented foods, you're face is going to clear up automatically.

I wonder why I don't loose weight although I exercise like crazy.

You only loose weight by changing to a healthy diet. Undoubtedly, exercise is important for your body and makes you feel great but it will not help you loose weight significantly.

I wonder whether eating lettuce is as important as everybody says.

Leafy greens are seriously packed with important nutrients, including fiber which is really important for our digestive system. Some leafy greens are even more powerful when they are cooked, like kale or spinach.

Why should I change the way I eat?

Because you want to become/ stay healthy and life long and get serious about protecting our environment.

I would love to watch a couple of food and environment related documentaries. Can you recommend any?

There are quite a few great documentaries out there, our favorites are "Cowspiracy and "Racing Extinction". A must watch!

What's wrong with raising animals for food as we do it today?

Animals take up a lot of land; to graze and to grow crops to feed them. They pollute the water and the land with their poop. They pollute the air by producing methane, which is 22 times more effective in trapping heat than carbon dioxide (CO2). Therefore, raising lifestock is not a sustainable way of feeding the world.

Isn't a plant-based diet a vegan diet?

Good point, a plant-based diet might be, but we are following a WHOLE-FOOD PLANT-BASED DIET. Instead of white sugar, white flour, fake meats and other refined products, we use natural sweeteners (like dates and bananas), whole-grain flours and other "whole", not refined or minimally refined products. A whole-food plant-based diet is therefore healthier than a vegan diet.

Is it a good idea to eat raw nuts and seeds?

Nuts and seeds are serious nutritional powerhouses because they contain tons of nutrients. Most of these nutrients are kind of locked in and you need to set them free before you eat the nuts/ seeds. Soak the nuts/ seeds overnight in water with a bit of salt. The next morning, rinse them and drain them. Then dry them which will make them crunchy again- either in a dehydrator or in the oven. We even made a video about activating foods. Check it out.

"My mom wants to know where she can find whole-food plant-based recipes for us. Do you have any for her?"

"Our mom runs her own food blog with plenty of our favorite whole-food plant-based recipes to choose from. Recently, she included some extremely cool fast forward videos. Have a look at www.plantbasedhappy.com."

20 minutes into swim squad training, I start loosing my energy although I train a lot. Does it mean that I don't train enough?

"I also swim in a squad and see quite a few other kids running out of energy after a while. It's probably connected with what you are having for breakfast- sugary cereals or white bread only gives you a quick energy boost. After a while, you're basically running out of fuel. Try some more whole grain breakfasts such as Quinoa flakes, oats, banana oat pancakes, chia pudding and so on. Some recipes you'll find in the video section, other's on our mom's blog." --Ben--

Recently, we talked about how to save water in school. It's important to turn off the faucet and to use water efficient toilets. Is that really all we can do?

Animal agriculture plays a critical role in depleting and polluting the world’s freshwater resources. The best thing you can do? Cut down on meat and animal products. You can easily save a lot of water by not eating meat. 1/2 kg (a little bit more than 1 lb) of meat uses up as much water as you would use for showering once a day for 6 months.