Veganism 2.0

Sooo, with the end of this month the end of my little vegan experiment has come and here are some of the experiences I made during this time.
It wasn't always easy to shop for groceries since you always have to keep a very close eye on the actual ingredients of that product, I noticed that 'traces of egg or milk' are literally contained in the most absurd groceries that you would never have guessed. However, I was also equally surprised at how some foods that I would have sworn contained milk or egg, don't. Did you for instance know that dark chocolate is often vegan? Most noodles you can buy in the supermarket also are vegan!
But don't be fooled here! When I did some research on vegan snacks that I could still eat in the beginning of my experiment I often ended up on websites praising 'Oreos' but when I actually went to the official Oreo website and checked the suitability in the FAQ it was strongly pointed out that it wasn't suitable for vegans... shame!
Anyways I didn't give up, especially since I'm not really a fan of salty snacks, which are vegan most of the time btw., and after a while I found that there are actually vegan substitutes to almost any snack you could think of. 
There is even a 100% vegan chocolate made with soy milk and since I'm an absolute chocolate lover I decided to try two of those soy milk chocolate brands out..

The vego bar was one of the bars I tried together with a bar by Cuor Di Soja chocolate.

These chocolates, however, didn't really have me convinced - they were more brittle and really tasted different from the usual chocolate. They did the job to stop my cravings for chocolate though so I think, if you just need a piece of chocolate once in a while and as long as you don't love it absolutely passionately, these chocolate substitutes will do.

The raspberry snack was my favorite here.

Another tasty snack to replace jelly babies, were those dried pieces of fruit for me - they're healthier than their non-vegan alternative and, quite frankly, they taste way better and more intensive!

I have also tried vegan cheese! One pizza topping cheese and one with peppers that you could eat right away.

The vegan cheese I loved so much was the pepper one by violife.

The pizza topping, didn't really melt in the oven and tasted a little too sweet to really confuse it with the actual cheese. The normal vegan pepper cheese was great, though & I ended up absolutely loving it (which is weird because I'm usually not really a big fan of cheese)!

The most important main-meal vegan substitute turned out to be tofu and of course I was already familiar with this since, as a vegetarian, this is something I like to have on my plate here and then, too. I actually came across a lot of tasty and quick tofu recipes in my time as a vegetarian that I really loved so I might be publishing a post about my favorite tofu-recipes on here very soon. ;)

Although these are all great snack- & food substitutes my ultimate lifesaver during this month was Soya for sure! The milk and dairy products that you can get from this bean are all 100% vegan and, since I couldn't properly start into the day without my müsli or a tasty yoghurt, Soya products were definitely a must for me here! 

My favorite brand for Soya products is definitely Alpro.

For those who, like me, didn't quite make friends with the natural taste of the soy milk, there are different taste variations such as coconut and almond - I LOVE the coconut flavored one & the vanilla flavored soy yoghurt to which I like to add some fresh berries, too!
So healthy and so delicious!

So if you are really trying, it's nowadays not hard at all anymore to find vegan replacements to your ordinary foods with many of them tasting really good and authentic, too! Eating out in restaurants hasn't been a big problem either since I was usually simply able to order vegetarian dishes without the cheese or other dairy or egg ingredients and whenever this wasn't possible you could always still order a tasty salad!

Apart from the obvious changes in my diet, however, I honestly didn't notice much of a difference – Quite frankly, I was expecting I would feel a lot healthier but maybe I didn't notice a difference here because I've already been a vegetarian, so already been living pretty healthy before.. 
Oh, I didn't lose any weight either btw. not like that has been my intention but it would have been a nice extra, too! I did notice my skin becoming better, though! It seems to be more bright and there are less impurities! 
Maybe I should have done the vegan experiment for a longer period of time to notice more of an effect or maybe the improvement of my skin was the only thing I would have noticed even then... 

Anyways it was definitely worth the experience! But I am also happy it has ended now and I can go back to my delicious dairy yoghurts & actual chocolate of all kinds but one thing I will definitely keep in my food repertoire is the delicious coconut flavored soya milk for sure!  

Are you vegan or have you tried it before? 

What were the changes you noticed? 

xx ♡ Micky

Veganism

Ok, so I'm planning on starting a little experiment very soon..
After having integrated the vegetarian lifestyle for about 6 years now I actually think it is time to conquer new frontiers. I feel like after all these years of eating veggie, I've just become too convenient in my eating habits - and admittedly they are still not always healthy - that it's time for a change. 
I decided to go vegan because, well, vegan food is very healthy and sooo delicious! 
– also a little out of curiosity..  
I don't know how hard it will be for me to eat vegan only and for how long I will be able to keep up with a vegan diet - I also wanna watch the effects it will have on my health so I'm intending on starting a little experiment of only eating vegan for the whole month of August. 
By the end of August I will then post another follow-up post on my experiences with veganism. 
My expectations however so far are pretty positive. I know it won't be easy for me though, especially since I tend to be quite a yoghurt- and chocolate-addict so I think dairy products will definitely be the hardest to cut out of my daily diet but I will have to find the soya replacements and honestly some of them aren't even that bad.
For information, tips and food for thought I visited vegansociety.com , a website all about veganism. I especially liked their page to why go vegan? where they are stating some interesting information about the benefits of going vegan, so check it out if you're also interested in trying out the vegan lifestyle!
I think this is going to be very interesting and I'm actually intending on including some of my favorite vegan recipes by the end of August, too.
I'm glad I now have something to look forward to for the beginning of next month. :)

Are you vegan or have you ever tried being vegan for a while? 

What were your experiences? 

P.S. I'm going to be in Switzerland from tomorrow until the 2nd or 3rd of August so I'm uploading this a little early but I'm still trying to stay as active as I can on here during this time. 

xx ♡ Micky

My personal Top 10 foods for healthy eating!

Recently, I have become more health conscious and decided to introduce new and healthier foods into my diet. Not because I'm trying to lose weight or anything, but because I want to take better care of my body, as a whole. There are some foods I have found to be very healthy, make me feel good, and taste good too. So, here are my top 10 foods for healthy eating.

1. Dark Leafy Greens

Leafy green vegetables tend to be low in fat, high in dietary fiber, and rich in folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, potassium, magnesium, iron, and calcium. This can help promote heart and bone health. I'm not a huge fan of green vegetables but I love taking leafy greens and incorporating them into smoothies with ice, some water, and fruit. It's healthy and simply tastes like whichever fruit I chose to use (such as bananas or strawberries).

2. Nuts

Natural, unsalted almonds and walnuts for instance make a great snack. Nuts are rich in vitamin E, calcium, magnesium and potassium. They can be great for weight maintenance. The fiber, protein and fat content of nuts means it only takes a handful to keep you feeling full so you won't have the urge to overeat. 

3. Watermelon

Watermelon is a perfect snack for those of you that are maintaining a 'calorie'-oriented diet since they are very low in calories and are even said to be "negative in calories" which basically means the body burns off more calories digesting them then they actually provide. And of course they are also perfect to keep you hydrated throughout the day.
I love to add some salt when I have them since this usually, believe it or not, adds to their sweet taste.  


4. Berries

Blueberries, strawberries, rasberries, and blackberries are delicious and they're also good for you. Berries are packed with antioxidants which can help protect your hair, skin, and prevent certain diseases.

5. Yogurt

Plain yogurt can be a very healthy snack. It contains probiotics which can aid in gastrointestinal health. It may even boost your immune system. I particularly like mine with some oats, fruit and syrup as a natural sweetener. 

6. Fish

Fish are high in protein and low in fats. However, some types of fish are high in Omega-3's which is known as the "good" fats. Omega-3 fatty acids can help maintain cardiovascular and neurological health. These types of fish would include salmon, sardines, tila pila, rainbow trout, or albacore tuna.

7. Pomegranate Seeds

These sweet seeds are loaded with Fiber, key vitamins and and minerals such as Potassium and Vitamin K and can even help your skin to look better and aid in overall making you look prettier and more refreshed! They are also high in phytochemicals that can help to prevent cancer and promote heart health.

8. Avocados

Avocados are rich in satisfied fats and are proven in one study to lower cholesterol levels by about 22%! Like pomegranate they can also help to dramatically reduce the risk for heart diseases.
Avocados are a food that I just love to eat pure - just cut them in half, remove the core, add some salt, pepper and lemon juice and eat the soft inside of the avocado with a spoon. Yum!
But for those of you who don't like them pure I have also found them to be very tasty with bread (I use wholegrain), for breakfast or brunch, for instance, or in a salad.

9. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is full of fiber which can be very beneficial to our health. Oatmeal can help in lowering "bad" cholesterol levels as well. This is one of my favourite food when I need an energy boost right after I get up. I love having them for breakfast, simply add milk and syrup, pop them in the microwave and put bananas (or berries) and or some nuts on top when it's ready. 

10. Dark Chocolate

I know, chocolate is typically not seen as a healthy food. However, this is one of those things where moderation is important. Natural, unrefined, and high quality dark chocolate in small amounts can actually be quite healthy. It's loaded with minerals and packed with antioxidants which can be very beneficial to the body.


Are you hungry, yet?  
These were my personal favourites for healthy eating and some yummy snack ideas. 
What are some foods you like to eat to stay healthy or give yourself an energy boost? 

xx ♡ Micky