Do plant-based eaters get enough protein?
“Health is the soul that animates all the enjoyment in life.”-William Temple
I believe a plant-based diet is the gateway to a life full of health & energy, and It goes far beyond just the personal health benefits gained. By adopting a plant-based lifestyle I have the ability to promote good health for our entire planet and future generations. I don’t just eat a plant-based diet to to promote longevity, rather, I’ve adopted this way of eating because it makes me feel healthy & vibrant right now.
Paint a picture of your food:
Eating a plant-based diet has completely rewired my taste buds to only liking vibrant colorful foods, which has allowed me to never have typical animal cravings that meat eaters would. When I eat a large kale salad full of vibrant colors and textures it excites my taste buds and it allows me to eat more mindfully. I’m able to bring awareness to the care and preparation of the salad and I can picture the love that went into growing the kale and vegetables on the farm. I’m able to feel the salad nourish me with every bite and it makes me feel strong & empowered. This scene may sound cheesy, but by painting a picture of what I eat truly helps bring awareness to what I’m putting into my body. Now, I’m not saying you have to think of every meal in deep detail, however it is important to bring about awareness to where your food is sourced, how it’s prepared, and most importantly, why you’re eating it.
The vegan elevator pitch:
If you’re transitioning to a plant-based diet or already vegan, then you’ve likely been asked this question a number of times by family and friends;“How do you get enough protein?” If you’ve ever been in this situation (which most plant-based eaters have), it can be an awkward and you might not know what to say at first. So to help alleviate this issue, I’ve decided to provide an easy way of explaining to people how & where you get your protein as a vegan.
The best way of addressing how you get protein as a vegan is to come up with an elevator pitch, which is a quick summary of your reasoning’s, ideas, or background. The reason it’s called an elevator pitch is because you should be able to present whatever it is you’re trying to say during a brief elevator ride. This short speech will help you efficiently explain how & where your sources of protein are as a vegan. Here’s two sample elevator pitches for explaining your views and sources of protein:
”Plant-based food actually contains all the protein I need, plus a boatload of other good things including antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, vitamins, and minerals. As long as the vast majority of my calories are coming from nutrient dense plant-based foods, I’m getting plenty of protein.” “Some of my favorite high-protein plant-based foods include, (insert your favorites) Quinoa, black beans, hummus, broccoli, dark green leafy vegetables, steel-cut oats, and various nuts & seeds!”
“As long as I eat enough nutrient-rich plant sourced calories throughout the day, it’s almost impossible for me to become protein deficient.” “This is because anything that grows from the ground up contains protein.”
An explanation as simple as either of these will hopefully help clarify any confusion or curiosity that your friends & family members may have regarding how & where you get your protein. The structure can be changed up in any way you wish to fit you’re explanation needs, and hopefully this can guide you in creating an informative “elevator pitch” about your diet.
How much protein do we actually need?
There’s a pretty big difference between how much protein we need, versus how much we’re actually eating. It’s important to understand that protein is essential for our survival and we don’t want to deprive ourselves of this essential nutrient. However there’s a fine line between getting a healthy level of protein (essential for optimal health), and over doing it with mass quantities. Consuming too much protein is easier than you think, so I’m here to debunk common protein myths & any confusion surrounding a plant-based diet and getting enough protein.
First, lets address why protein is so important:
Protein is essential for human health because it builds & maintains muscle. However if you aren’t withering away to nothing, then you’re probably getting enough protein.
We don’t need animal protein specifically. What we need is amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. There’s really no shortage of amino acids in our bodies. So if you’re trying to build muscle then your best bet is to consume more calories in general, rather than relying on protein alone. This is because amino acids are absorbed into our colon and our bodies microbiome, which then get used slowly by our body as protein. Eating a sufficient number of calories from plant-based foods will provide you with all the protein you need. The reason for this is when you consume a plant-based diet you’re also ingesting far more probiotics and prebiotics than a meat-based diet, which allows your good gut bacteria to thrive and absorb the amino acids easier. Therefore As long as you eat a sufficient number of calories from a varied plant-based diet, there’s absolutely no way you could become protein deficient.
We also don’t store away protein in our bodies like we do with higher-fat foods. However, our bodies do have small reserves (located in the liver & other tissues) that can be used rapidly when we experience starvation. This is why we don’t need to consume all eight essential amino acids at every meal. When we aren’t eating enough protein, our bodies naturally recycle the stored amino acids efficiently. It’s also important to know that there’s a limit to how much protein our bodies can actually use. In this case more protein doesn’t always mean better. More protein also doesn’t mean more muscle gain and consuming too much can result in poor digestion, weakened immunity, and harmful inflammation within your body.
How much protein is too much?
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein provided by the U.S. department of agriculture (USDA), is fifty-six grams of protein for men and forty-six grams for woman. However, the RDA recommendations are optimal values, rather than minimal needs. This means that the RDA over-estimated the amount of protein by quite a bit according to what everyone actually needs. There’s no real danger in a slight over adjustment, however the problem arises when most Americans on a daily basis are consuming double the RDA of protein which could be double the protein we actually need.
So we eat more animal-based protein, spend more money on healthcare, and are some of the unhealthiest people in the developed world. Now I’m not trying to prove entirely that over-consuming animal protein is the culprit of all disease, but it does give us a good piece of evidence of one of the possible factors. Especially when we analyze less developed countries that are far more healthier than us, and ironically are thriving off eating much less animal protein.
My Protein rich plant-based meal plan
A protein-packed day the vegan way:
If you’re still worried about getting enough protein in your diet, don’t worry! I’ve provided a protein-rich plant-based meal plan full of super-foods & nourishing meals to help guide you in building a plant-based plate. Plant foods contain all the protein you need, plus antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, vitamins, minerals, and other micro-nutrients you can’t get in traditional animal-based foods.
I’m on a mission to discover all the foods that will keep others & myself as healthy, strong, and beaming with energy as possible. So here are a few of my go-to protein rich plant-based meals that I always rely on to give me lasting energy, healthy digestion, clear skin, and overall optimal health.
I’ve provided the ingredients & super-foods I use to create these meals, however these aren’t exact recipes. Each protein-packed meal is composed of my staple super-foods, and exact recipes will be posted on my blog. I’m positive each meal will keep you satisfied & beaming with energy all day!
Chia pudding with Coconut Kefir + Cacao
Pre-breakfast:
Hot lemon water
Eight-twelve ounces of fresh pressed green juice (raw, no sugar)
Vitamin B-12 spray (supplement)
Breakfast:
Oats & Coconut nourish bowl: Made with organic steel cut oats, unsweetened coconut milk, coconut oil, vegan vanilla protein powder, cacao powder, ground flax meal, and chia seeds. Then I top it off with banana slices, almond butter, dried coconut flakes, hemp hearts, and cacoa nibs.
Or chocolate chia pudding: Made with chia seeds, unsweetened almond milk, raw cacao powder, maple syrup & cinnamon, then topped with fresh berries, almond butter, cacao nibs, coconut flakes, and Ezekiel granola.
Avo toast with Spirulina
Lunch:
Super-food kale salad: Made with organic dinosaur kale, roasted butternut squash, chopped cashews, black beans, and topped with an avocado & apple cider dressing, hemp hearts, and nutritional yeast.
Avocado toast on Ezekiel bread topped with Spirulina powder, crushed almonds, and hemp hearts.
Green tea & water
Snack:
My beauty bliss protein recovery smoothie: Made with organic frozen berry mix, frozen banana, unsweetened almond milk, vegan vanilla protein powder, Maca powder, almond butter, Chia seeds, and Acai powder.
One of my favorite power bowls!
Dinner: I recreated one of my favorite power bowls from a cafe in Chicago
Quinoa power-up bowl: Made with quinoa, sauteed kale (in coconut oil), balsamic tomatoes, organic tofu, and baby mushrooms. Then topped with vegan pesto, hummus, and pumpkin seeds.
Raw veggies on the side (carrots, cucumbers, & peppers to go with the hummus).
Dessert:
Two medjool dates with almond butter and coconut flakes on top.
Reishi mushroom hot chocolate with coconut milk, or a turmeric latte.
Real food vs. Macro-nutrients
Good vs. bad carbs:
“Carbs” aren’t the problem, the problem is when we eat processed, refined carbs instead of carbs in the form of fresh whole fruit, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. After all, green leafy vegetables, cucumbers, and broccoli are all carbs but are some of the healthiest foods on earth! Because are focus these days is on macro-nutrients, we aren’t really thinking about the specific foods themselves. For example there’s a big difference between a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal and a sugary donut, however both are identified as “starchy carbs.” Many people even put fruit in this category, while forgetting the amount of vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants that are packed into this carb-rich food.
If there’s one food meant for humans to eat, it would be fruit! Vibrant & colorful, fruit is the plants way of attracting people and animals to spread it’s genes & seeds. Apples certainly aren’t the food to be blamed for our obesity epidemic, nor is any other whole-foods plant-based carb.
Sugar isn’t the issue
Meat is calorically dense and the meat many of us eat today is raised completely different from how it was raised over fifty years ago. Chickens in the 1950’s used to run around eating natural grain and lived longer lives, however today’s chickens live very short lives and are far heavier due to artificial growth hormones. We’re currently experiencing a large diabetes dilemma and many who are affected are eating primarily meat-based diets with little carbs or fiber.
Insulin resistance
Our bodies are designed to live on sugar and every cell in our body takes in and uses sugar for energy. Insulin is produced by the pancreas and is essential to convey sugar from the blood stream into our cells, which is our brains primary fuel. The cells in our body require both sugar and fat to function, but if we’re heavily working out or running then sugar becomes our bodies primary energy source and protein isn’t needed until later for recovery & muscle repair.
Sugar alone isn’t to blame for affecting insulin levels, rather it’s our cells decreased ability to respond to insulin that’s the problem. When this occurs it’s commonly referred to as insulin resistance. When we eat meat, fat & other animal protein-rich meals the protein & fat raises insulin, which actually blocks fat mobilization from our cells and causes the consumed fat to enter the cell. However when we eat a piece of fruit or veg there’s still insulin secretion, but fat won’t be placed into our muscles cells.
How does this occur?
Insulin resistance is due to fat toxicity build up in our muscle cells. One of the main factors causing the collection of fat in our muscle cells is triggered by inflammation, which causes damage to our muscle cells and results in fat accumulation. Once fat gets inside our muscle cells it interferes with that cells ability to develop new insulin receptors. With fewer insulin receptors it becomes more difficult to get sugar into the cell for processing, causing the sugar to build up in the blood stream. The pancreas then has to churn out even more insulin just to get the sugar into the cells and the very high insulin will cause even more fat to enter the cells through a continuing vicious cycle.
The issue here is that our modern diet has evolved to a higher protein & animal-based acidic diet. A diet high in protein corresponds to a greater intake of amino acids rich in sulfur. When our bodies become too acidic, our tissues become inflamed. Since our bodies require a specific blood chemistry to stay alive, our bodies can go into emergency mode if our blood Ph levels become out of balance. This occurs through an unwanted process by which our body fights to maintain an adequate Ph level by grabbing calcium from our muscles and transferring it into our bloodstream. The more plant-based carbs you eat, the less inflammation you’ll have in your body. Meat-based diets can increase inflammation and too much inflammation causes fat deposition in muscle cells which leads to insulin resistance and could eventually cause diabetes.
Let’s debunk the Dieting trends:
I thought it would be helpful for me to explain & clear up any confusion surrounding popular dieting trends and diets that have been around forever. Whether you’re familiar with these diets or a few are new to you, my intention is for you to gain a little knowledge and insight as to what each diet entails, what to eat (embrace on each diet), what to avoid, and a few healthful recommendations that promote optimal health & wellness.
*Quick disclaimer* I’m not trying to contradict my views of a vegan diet by talking about diets that consume animal products. I’m simply explaining and clarifying what each diet means, and providing healthful recommendations on what to include & what to avoid with each diet. I believe strongly in a whole-foods vegan diet, however I also strongly believe that everyone has the right to choose how they eat according to their own body, preferences, and circumstances.
My intention for this section is to offer healthful recommendations, including super-foods and product highlights to ensure that anyone who partakes in these diets will feel empowered at making the best, most healthful choices! Remember that at the end of the day, just take a deep breath and eat real food. Regardless of what diet you’re on, avoid overthinking it because the micro-nutrients of eating real whole-foods is ten times more beneficial than eating processed food.
I’ve explained the keto, paleo, whole-foods plant-based, vegan, pescatarian, flexitarian, and the vegetraian diet. I’ve provided a brief summary of each diet, what it consists of, what to consume (or embrace on each diet), what to avoid, super-food recommendations, and product highlights matching the overall themes of each diet.
Keto: High fat, low-carb
The goal of the Keto diet is to keep your body in ketosis, which is a metabloic state where your body burns fat for energy rather than carbs or sugar. When you’re on a keto diet you’re embracing all the healthy fats possible and eliminating all the processed carbs and sugar from your diet. Healthy fat makes up seventy to eighty percent of your caloric intake, while the other twenty to thirty percent of your calories come from protein and a small amount of carbs. A keto diet can be made plant-based or animal-based, however many people who choose the animal-based alternative often go overboard on their meat consumption and restrict too much healthy fiber from carb-rich fruits & veggies. Many people often believe they can get away with consuming greasey, oily conventional meat products on a keto diet, which could make this diet more unhealthy, restrictive, and dangerous long-term. So if you’re thinking of adopting a Keto diet, I highly recommend you create a balanced meal plan, plant-based or not, that doesn’t restrict your body entirely from the essential fiber it needs. Here’s what to include:
Embrace: Non-starchy veggies such as broccoli, dark leafy greens, asparagus, Zuccini, and cucumbers. Include plenty of healthy fats such as nut butters (almond butter), tahini, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil and various nuts & seeds (chia, flax, almonds, cashewes, walnuts) and Hemp hearts. On a keto diet you can still incorporate small amounts of fresh fruit such as Strawberries, black berries, avocado, and banana.
Avoid: Processed carbs, gluten, refined sugar, and high-starch foods. Watch out for extra sugary foods, they’re everywhere!
Product to consider: All things coconut! Coconut oil, coconut yogurt, coconut wraps, coconut flour, coconut milk, and dried coconut flakes are all great sources of healthy fat…and rich in…
Super-food to consider: Maca is one of the best adaptogenic powders to incoroporate when transitioning to a Keto diet. This is because your body isn’t used to eliminating carbs all of a sudden, so to ensure a smooth transition for your body I recommend incorporating Maca powder into your smoothies & keto recipes.
Whole-foods plant-based:
A whole-foods plant-based diet is a lot like how it sounds, consisting of whole fruits & vegetables, grains & legumes, healthy fats & oils, and nuts & seeds, all of which have little to zero processing and minimal ingredients. The main goal of the whole-foods plant-based diet is to keep your food as simple, pure, and whole as possible, and it promotes eliminating all processed food, unhealthy fats & oils, conventional meat, eggs, & dairy products, highly processed gluten products, refined sugar, and any other toxic ingredients you’ll likely find in processed, packaged, or fast-food. The whole-foods plant-based diet consists of getting the majority of your calories from nutrient-dense carbs, ten-percent healthy fats, and the remaining ten-percent from plant-based protein. This diet is one of the most effective at addressing & reversing some of our biggest health issues such as auto-immune conditions, diabetes, cancer, and other serious diseases.
Embrace: Alkaline-rich veggies, think kale, spinach, and chard. Starchy veggies (sweet potatoes, squash, peas), whole fruits, sprouted & normal whole grains, nuts & seeds (plenty of omega 3’s), nut butters, legumes (beans & lentils), healthy fats, various cold pressed extra virgin oils, and plenty of plant-based protein.
Avoid: Meat, dairy, eggs, processed food, vegan replacement food (packaged foods), refined flour, added sugar/synthetic sweeteners, and any heavily processed or pre-packaged “junk” food with many unfamiliar ingredients.
Product to consider: Fermented beets! Beets are super high in vitamin C, potassium, manganese, folate, fiber, and antioxidants. They’re known to purify the blood and liver due to their high levels of antioxidants, relieve inflammation, promote detoxification, and boost brain function. Beets are also known to enhance athletic performance due to their Nitrate oxide levels (which is great news for athletes). Nitric oxide (NO) works by stimulating and affecting the way our oxygen is used throughout our bodies, which then opens up our blood vessels, increases blood flow and feeds more oxygen to our muscles. I love adding pickled beets to my salads & wraps or incorporating a good quality beet powder to my protein smoothies for an extra endurance and energy kick.
Super-food to consider: Fermented foods! Eating fermented foods such as Saur kraut, pickled veggies, coconut kefir, Kimchi, Tempeh, and Kombucha, will help repopulate your microbiome with plenty of nutrinent-rich probiotics and good-gut healing bacteria. You can incorporate fermented foods, such as pickled beets into wraps & salads, or serve kimchi (fermented spicey gabage) on the side of your next meal. Fermented foods are extremely rich in vitamins, active enzymes, probiotics that help repopulate your gut flora, and plenty of antioxidants. Fermented foods are easy to find at any health-food store, or you can try making your own, either way you’ll still gain plenty of probiotic-rich benefits!
Paleo: Prehistoric
The goal of the Paleo diet is to eat as clean and primal as possible, by removing all processed food, refined/artificial sugar, grains, dairy products, legumes, and vegetable oils. When you’re on a paleo diet you’re embracing a clean, whole-foods diet consisting of simple ingredients. By removing heavily processed food, dairy, refined carbs, and sugar you’ll be able to consume a wholesome diet full of real whole-foods. The Paleo diet is really simple, and promotes eating grass-fed meat, fruits & vegetables, nuts & seeds, and essentially everything a typical animal-based eater would eat, minus the dairy, processed food, refined sugar, grains, and legumes.
Embrace: Primarily whole-foods such as grass-fed meat, wild caught fish & sea-food, cage-free eggs, healthy fats, nuts & seeds, and loads of fruits & veggies, including tubers.
Avoid: Processed/artificial sugar & high fructose corn syrup (pastries, candy, fruit juice), dairy, refined grains (gluten-rich wheat, bread, and pasta), most vegetable oils and trans fat, legumes (beans and lentils), and lastly any kind of highly processed food (especially if labeled “low-fat” or “diet”). Essentially if it looks like it was made in a factory, don’t eat it on a Paleo diet (or really any diet for that matter).
Product to consider: Alkalizing daily greens powder! Boosting your daily greens is not only alkalizing for your body, but it also helps with detoxifying and cleansing your body and is full of vitamins & minerals.
Super-foods to consider: Alkaline-rich greens such as Spirulina, kale, Chlorella, and wheat-grass. Every food you eat presents your kidneys with either acidic or alkaline compounds, and your kidney’s do their best to make adjustments so your body stays in an alkaline state. Your kidneys may need more help alkalizing your body depending on the foods you eat. Animal proteins are some of the most acidic foods you can eat, so if you consume meat often (which most paleo dieters do), then eating high alkaline foods like green veggies is truly a must.
High alkaline foods: Green leafy vegetables such as Kale, Spinach, and Swiss chard, Spirulina, Wheat-grass, Chlorella, Broccoli, leeks, asparagus, garlic, green tea, coconut water, and any type of fruit such as banana’s, goji berries, acai and kiwi’s. Consuming green super-foods & other alkaline-rich foods will help balance out the acidity in your diet, especially if you’re super active where lactic-acid build up is common.
Highly acidic foods: Meat, dairy, eggs, fish, artificial sweeteners, legumes, and most grains containing gluten. Consuming these highly acidic foods without supplementing or incorporating alkaline-rich foods into your diet could contribute to decreased thyroid function, elevated stress hormones, and possibly kidney stones or other kidney related issues.
Vegan: No animal products, only plant food
A vegan diet is nutrient-dense plant-based diet that’s rich in vitamins & minerals, enzymes, and super-foods. A vegan diet is known to Improve energy levels, slow the effects of aging, alkalize the body, reverse major diseases, and improve digestion. This diet is also super high in antioxidants, beneficial bacteria for gut health, and contains loads of immune boosting properties. People adopt a vegan diet for many reasons, whether it be improving their own health, promoting animal-welfare, or embracing a sustainable diet that’s good for the environment, everyone has their own unique story behind why they chose to become vegan.
Embrace: Fruits & veggies, grains & legumes, soy (moderation), healthy plant-based fats, herbs & spices, nuts & seeds, and dairy alternatives.
Avoid: All animal products! Meat, fish & seafood, dairy products, eggs, honey, and gelatin.
Product to consider: Plant-based protein powder! Hemp protein, pea protein, brown rice protein, golden flax protein, pumpkin seed protein, and chia seed protein are all great nutrient-dense plant-based protein blends packed with nourishing vitamins & minerals. All of these protein powders contain a good balance of essential omega-3 & omega 6’s, a rich source of healthy fats, and plenty of essential amino acids. Implementing a plant-based protein powder into your daily smoothie will provide you with plenty of protein, which reduces sugar cravings and boosts metabolism. These proteins are also fiber-rich which keeps you fuller for longer and aids in proper digestion.
Super-food to consider: Chia seeds! These little, yet powerful seeds are rich in so many bone strengthening vitamins & minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. Chia seeds are a really great source of high quality protein, omega 3 & 6, healthy fats, antioxidants, and fiber. Chia seeds are also super beneficial for your gut health and microbiome, because they feed the good bacteria in your gut and reduce inflammation. Plus chia seeds are extremely versatile & easy to incorporate into your diet, from chia pudding to a chia egg, there’s bound to be something you can incorporate these little seeds into!
Types of vegetarians:
Pescatarian: A pescetarian diet is very similar to a vegatarian diet, with the exception of consuming fish. People on a pescatarian diet will often eat fish one to three times a week, while primarily maintaing a vegatrian diet most other days.
Embrace: Wild caught fish & seafood, whole-grains & legumes, fruits & veggies, cage-free eggs, organic dairy, and nuts & seeds. Essentially everything a vegetarian would eat, but also including fish.
Avoid: Turkey, beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and any other wild game.
Super-food to consider: Spirulina, due to its ability to absorb & draw out heavy metals from the body. It’s important to know that when consuming fish & seafood frequently you should also detoxify and cleanse your body of heavy metals that are known to be present in fish. The environment that fish live in (our oceans) are polluted daily by industrial coal plants and other environmental toxins, which the fish absorb through their skin & the food they eat. This is one of the biggest reasons fish & other seafood contain such high levels of mercury and other heavy metals that are harmful to our health. It’s best to purchase wild-caught fish to ensure it wasn’t raised on a fish farm & fed GMO’s, but that doesn’t eliminate the heavy-metal problem. So to fix this issue, I recommend incorporating spirulina into your routine to pull out all the heavy metals and toxins from your body. Whether you choose to eat fish or not, anyone can benefit from incorporating spirulina!
Flexitarian (flexible vegetarian): Is a perfect diet for anyone looking to simply live a healthy lifestyle without restrictions or limitations, and it promotes eating what you wish in moderation. People often adopt a flexitarian diet when looking to enjoy the benefits of a plant-based diet, while still enjoying animal products in moderation. A flexitarian may eat plant-based for the majority of the week and every weekend eats meat, fish, or other animal products. Or someone who’s flexitarian may eat plant-based everyday of the week and only eats meat or animal products on holidays or special occasions. The main goal of a flexitarian diet is to eat more nutritious plant-foods and eat meat in moderation.
Embrace: Whole fruits & veggies, grains & legumes, plant-based protein & animal-based protein sources, organic dairy products, cage-free eggs, fish & seafood, nuts & seeds, and of course plenty of healthy fats.
Avoid: Processed food, added sugar/synthetic sweetener, vegetable oils & unhealthy fats.
Super-food to consider: Dried Mulberries! These sweet little antioxidant-rich berries are a great go-to snack if you have a sweet tooth. Mulberries grow all around the world, including parts of North America and can be eaten fresh or dried, either by the handful or topped on smoothie bowls! Mulberries are a fiber-rich berry high in Iron, vitamin K, vitamin C, and Calcium, and they have tons of anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties that help protect your heart & liver.
Basic vegetarian: Vegetarians eat primarily plant-based diets, with the exception of eggs & dairy.
Embrace: Plant-based protein, fruits & veggies, grains & legumes, nuts & seeds, healthy fats, cage-free eggs, and dairy products.
Avoid: Meat (Poultry, beef, red meat, fish, and other animal proteins).
Super-food to consider: Goji berries! Goji berries are the perfect snack, smoothie topper, and nutrient-dense addition to any recipe. These mighty berries contain eighteen amino acids, eight of which are essential. Goji berries also have one of the highest concentrations of protein among other fruits, along with a high concentration of vitamin C, vitamin E, fatty acids, and antioxidants. Goji berries are known to be an anti-aging berry in ancient Chinese medicine & are known to promote a youthful glow & younger looking skin. Goji berries come dried since they’re a highly perishable fruit, which make them ideal for baking with, snacking on, topping off food, and even adding to smoothies (using goji powder or dried goji berries).
References:
Jacobson, Howard. Proteinaholic: How our obsession with meat is killing us and what we can do. HarperCollins publishers inc, 2015. Print.
Campbell, T. Colin, and Howard Jacobson. Whole: Rethinking the science of nutrition. Dallas, Texas: BenBella Books, 2013. Print.
Campbell, T. Colin, and Dan Woren. The China Study: The most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted and startling implications for diet, weight loss, and long-term health. BenBella Books, 2004. Print.
Greger, Michael, and Gene Stone. How Not to Die: Discover the foods scientifically proven to prevent and reverse disease. London, England: Pan Books, 2018. Print.
Axe, Josh. Eat Dirt: Why leaky gut may be the root cause of your health problems and five surprising steps to cure it. New York, NY: Harper Wave, 2016. Print.
Blatner, Dawn J. The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease, and Add Years to Your Life. New York: McGraw-Hill Contemporary Learning, 2010. Print
Corrett, Natasha, Vicki Edgson, and Lisa Linder. Eating the Alkaline Way: Recipes for a Well Balanced Honestly Healthy Lifestyle. New York, NY : Sterling Publishing, 2013. Print.
Valpone, Amie, Mark Hyman, and Lauren Volo. Eating Clean: Detox, fight inflammation, reset your body, and get to the root cause of illness. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016. Print.