Healing Candida & IBS with Fruit?!

For the majority of my lifetime I have struggled with my digestion. Constipation, bloating, irregular bowel movements, gas, discomfort, diarrhea & pain were just a daily occurrence for me and I honestly didn’t know any different.

During my younger years, I pretty much ate everything and anything packaged and processed and didn’t look for fruit to snack on or veggies. The only time I really ate vegetables or fruit would be when my Mum made me lunch or dinner.

I saw a gastroenterologist and he basically told me that I had IBS and needed to eat more fibre, which I mean… eating more fibre would definitely be a factor as I was eating horribly.

I started incorporating fibre supplements (because that’s so much easier that actually eating it, right? Haha) and having “Vita Brits” which is a shredded wheat cereal.

Many years later, I started to care more about my health. I joined the gym and started cleaning up my diet. I started eating more fruits and veggies, cutting out dairy and meat and eventually (fours years later) I turned vegan! I originally went plant based for health and then I watched Earthlings and jumped on the vegan wagon for ethics as well.

During the time my digestion got worse. The bloating was really bad and I literally wasn’t digesting anything well, fruit would go straight through me! I tried everything in the books (and by books, I mean what I researched online!) I tried out a FODMAP diet which involves cutting out an extremely large amount of foods (see the list here) and slowly reintroducing them to find the “trigger” foods causing the upsets. I basically lived off oatmeal with one banana and then just sweet potato and that was basically it! I ate this way for quite a few months and hated the whole thing because I just felt constantly stressed about food, tummy upsets and what I could eat.

Further to me not being able to digest fruit, I got tested to see if I was fructose intollerant, and that came back negative.

Lost for answers, I was beyond desperate and decided to finally see a naturopath. My friends who also struggled with digestive issues had been telling me to see one for ages but because I know they can be a bit costly, I was avoiding it. I was recommended by some other friends to see Stuart Main, a vegan naturopath. Having a good, vegan naturopath was really important to me because I wanted someone who’s values aligned with mine and didn’t want to wast time with anyone who didn’t see eye-to-eye with me or would think veganism was the fault for my issues. I speak more about my appointment here.

In brief, he told me that I had a bad bacteria imbalance and candida and instructed me to eat more fruit to flush out the bad stuff as well as take probiotics and some other things to help heal my issues.

I’ve been eating a rawtill4 styled diet where I eat fruit until the mid-late afternoon.Yes, that’s right… fruit for a meal! Generally large smoothies or fruit mono-meals (where you eat a large quantity of fruit in one sitting) are my go-to’s!

Fruit is often frowned upon when someone has candida, but it’s 8 months on since eating a mostly fruit diet and I’m definitely seeing some results! I’m not 100% healed but I am digesting food so much better then I was and am able to eat a (very) much larger variety of food in general! No more cutting out garlic and onion, no more stressing about food and so much less bloating and more regular bowel movements!

This may not sound like your cup of tea and that it’s a boring way to eat, but honestly, your taste buds change and you learn to love the simplicity of foods straight from nature and in their whole form! Just pick fruits that you enjoy and eat them until you are full! People who say “fruit doesn’t fill me up” simply  just need to eat more. It can not satisfy you for long though, because you can fill up quickly with the higher water content so you may need to eat more frequently and have some snacks. You don’t have to do mono-meals either, but they certainly digest better.

If your symptoms are bad or have been happening as long as mine have been, then you’ll literally try anything! If you won’t try what sounds hard or scary, then you’re not feeling crap enough 😛 and that’s speaking from experience, haha.

 

I show what I eat on my Instagram and YouTube channel as well.

 

 

 

 

Caramel Slice – Vegan, Healthy, Refined Sugar Free & Gluten Free

A different, healthy take on the classic caramel slice that doesn’t take away any of deliciousness  but only the animal products and adds a kick of health!

Base Layer:

1 cup Oats (used GF oats for Gluten Free)
1 cup Dates (soaked prior)
1 cup almonds

Blend, adding splashes of water when necessary till the mixture holds well.

Press mixture well into a cling wrap lined baking tin and pop in the fridge while preparing your caramel layer.

Caramel Layer:

1 cup dates (soaked prior)
4-5 tbsp tahini
crack of salt

Blend well, add splashes of water when necessary to combine mixture.

Add to the baking tin and spread evenly onto the prepared slice base and pop it back into the fridge.

Chocolate Layer:

Melted chocolate. I used a chocolate making kit from Meraki & Co. but you could also melt down your favourite vegan chocolate and use that!

Pour on top of the caramel layer in the tin, making sure it covers well.

Store in the fridge until the top layer has hardened.

To serve, use a hot knife to cut the slices otherwise you’ll end up with a beautiful mess like I did… not that that’s a bad thing 😛

Recipe inspired by laurasmess.me

 

 

Stress Less..

In today’s society it is so easy to become stressed out… all this rush, rush with deadlines and/or long hours at work, homework from UNI or school, fitting in time for chores, socialising with friends, partners & family and the list goes on!

Where do you fit in? Where is the time where you get to do something for you & only you?
Stress is incredibly toxic to the body. Stressing about food, boyfriends, your weight, work, friends, whether or not people like you, ect. Is not doing you any good at all!
Stress can cause health issues from something as basic as a headache through to digestive issues and onto much worse, serious things.
If things are causing you stress and aren’t necessary to have in your life, eg. Toxic relationships – Remove them! Sometimes you have to say goodbye to people who aren’t doing you any good. I have done this myself and trust me, it’s okay to do this! You should be surrounding yourself with people who make you feel good and bring you happiness.
If you are stressing about food and your weight – STOP because not only can stress contribute to weight gain, life is so much more than that! You are more than your physical appearance and food is there to fuel us and to be enjoyed. It is necessary for survival!
If work or study is really bringing you down and causing a lot of stress and making you exhausted, be sure to prioritise relaxing! I am a very busy person who loves to be productive and hates “wasting time” and I am currently teaching myself that it’s okay to relax. It’s okay to not be productive for a bit and just watch your favourite TV box set for a few hours, it’s okay to say no to a social occasion for you to have some time to yourself to chill out and it’s okay to take a day off from exercise if you are tired or sore or just because you don’t feel like it. It’s all 100% okay!
Of course we are all going to come across a stressful time in our lives but just make sure to make some time for you. Make you & your health a priority. You have to live with your brain & your body forever so look after them! Take some time out and do the things I mentioned or read a book, have a bath, paint your nails – pamper yourself! (And love yourself)

Beanfields Snacks Vegan Bean & Rice Chips – Review

Three words. Vegan Nacho Chips. Yep. True story!

I organise monthly vegan picnics in Adelaide and I was contacted by Beanfields snacks saying that they wish to support this by sending me some of their chips to share at the meet ups, as they are a vegan company and love seeing the sense of community that the vegan picnics have.

Thrilled to hear that they were vegan themselves and that they make a healthified, non-gmo, gluten free, low allergen, vegan range of bean & rice chips I jumped at the offer! Being able to share a new vegan snack option that are now available at Coles and Woolworths stores in Australia is something I know my friends and fellow vegans would appreciate!

I received four flavours – sea salt, nacho, salsa & bbq! ALL ARE EPIC FLAVOURS. My boyfriend & I tried them ourselves, I shared them with friends and brought them to the picnics. Every person I shared them with, loved them – vegans AND non-vegans. The flavours are so authentic and not lacking in anything at all!

They contain 5g of protein, 6g of fibre & 4.5g of fat per “serving” (I can eat an entire packet to myself! Haha) making them more nutritious than many chips on the shelves.

Beanfields snacks can be found in the health section of your local Coles or Woolworths supermarket!

 

 

The Best Vegan Chocolate “Milks”

As a kid I was a huge milk beverage fan! Milk shakes, thick shakes, Milo, store bought carton flavoured milks! They all made me feel incredibly ill, as dairy does and now being vegan I am so happy to have found some amazing, dairy free & mostly healthy chocolate beverages to satisfy my cravings!

ps. These are all available in Australia, not sure about other countries.

#1 Cocobella Choc Almond Smoothie.

It’s main ingredient is coconut water – which makes it relatively low in fat, and yet it so creamy! Approved by vegans & non-vegans alike! You MUST try it out! I’ve only seen this available in Woolworths in the juice section. Super chocolate-y & creamy. You’ll struggle not to finish the entire litre in one sitting!

#2 Natural Raw C Chocolate Protein Coconut Water

Another Coconut water based chocolate beverage that tastes like chocolate milk! This one took me straight back to my days of having “Classic” Chocolate milks, except The Natural RawC one is so, so much healthier and lower in fat! Available at Coles & Woolworths in the water/coconut water section!

#3 Almond Breeze – Chocolate Flavour

This is super light & perfect to add to smoothies or on top of cereal (or to skull out the carton, no judging right!) Super great chocolate taste! I’ve also only seen these available at Woolworths but in the long life milk section. I’m pretty sure they have this brand in the US as well.

 

The Red Lime Shack, Adelaide – Review

The Red Lime Shack is a small, pretty quiet cafe located in Port Adelaide. It’s ALL VEGAN and of course, this makes me incredibly happy.

They have a small menu with a daily special, but I can never go past their burgers! I’ve gone here a few times and every time I cannot pass on the Pecan, Sweet Potato & Maple Burger! My non-vegan boyfriend had this burger as well and said it was better than any burger he has had! It’s not short on flavour, that’s for sure! Also available are smoothies, coffees, cakes and raw treats.

The interior is super cool and a bit randomly thrown together in a funky way with odd tables and chairs. It suits Port Adelaide well! The staff are also friendly. Because it’s pretty quiet, it’s a great place to catch up with friends & grab a bite to eat.

I feel as if this is a hidden gem that needs to be more known because I do genuinely love this place! So if you’re ever in the area – check it out & support a small vegan business!

 

 

My 1st Naturopath Appointment

As you may or may not know, depending if you have been following me for some time or not, I suffer from some digestive issues!

There are some things that just a standard vegan, plant based diet cannot fix entirely and efficiently on it’s own. I often feel like a failure and a bad example when I promote that a vegan lifestyle is super healthy & the best for everyone, the animals & the environment when I feel like s*** everyday.

Over my years since childhood I have experienced an array of symptoms like bloating, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, cramping, pain ect. As a toddler, my diet was immaculate, my mother made the effort to feed me homemade veggie purees ect. As I got older my taste for processed junk became a thing. I remember saying to my Mum “how is it even possible to have two servings of fruit & five servings of veggies in a day?!” (how times have changed for me, now right?). In my early teens I saw a gastroenterologist and had an endoscopy to look into my stomach and nothing was wrong. I did another food test where I had to eat cornflakes at the hospital & they had to watch it digest to which they then discovered that food took a bit longer for me to digest and would sit in my stomach – hence the nausea every time I ate something (this has since improved immensely!). By the end of it, by gastroenterologist said that I have IBS and I need to clean up my diet and have more fibre. It took me a long time to realise what I had to do to help myself, but it still never got much better, I just learnt what made it a lot worse – oil, dairy, red meat & processed food.

The symptoms got worse as the years have gone on and now I’ve been a vegan for about 7 months. I was constantly looking for possible diagnoses hoping to find a solution and a way to fix myself.  I tried the FODMAP diet, I tried cutting out fruit thinking I had fructose malabsorption. Then I thought I had SIBO. My doctors weren’t helpful at all and I was on the public health system for a gastroenterologist for a year, which is when I decided I’d see a Naturopath. It was time. I didn’t like doctors anyway, I had just been putting it off for so long because I didn’t want to fork out all the money.

But on Monday the 1st of February, I finally did.

My Naturopath, Stuart Main – who is also vegan, pricked my finger for a blood sample and looked at it through a microscope. He said that I have some inflammation and an overgrowth of yeast and bad bacteria. This was more information than I had ever received from a doctor. It’s suggested that this would be from my past of taking antibiotics (a 6 week course a few months prior for my Perioral dermatitis & I annually experience tonsillitis or something similar as well) as well as past diet choices.

He instructed me to never have a dosage of antibiotics again, and knowing what they have done to me, I will certainly be steering clear of those! I also have to have 4 servings of powdered probiotics per day as well as fermented foods, more greens, fruits & a larger variety of food to heal my gut.

It’s going to take some time & effort, but I hope I will be able to heal myself with the instructions I’ve been given. I will be keeping regular updates on my Youtube channel & Instagram accounts if you wish to follow my journey.

I hope to heal myself and share the story with others who are experiencing digestive issues as I now know how common it is! Listen to a Naturopath first over a GP. There is a reason why your body does what it does, you just have to listen to it, not take a ton of drugs.

 

 

The Market Shed on Holland Street, Adelaide – Review

If you’re visiting Adelaide or live here and like food or markets in general, you must make your way to The Market Shed on a Sunday.

The sell organic produce and have an array of stalls offering coffee, smoothies, food (vegan, vegetarian, healthy & gluten free options), juice and some other products too.

The stalls often vary, with some that are there every week. The food options are endless and if you’re indecisive like me, you’ll often spend too long trying to decide on something you want!

My personal favorites are Raw Karma (raw cakes), Veggie Velo (vegan burgers), The Traveling Greek (quality, good bang for your buck food plates where you pick & choose what you’d like) and Live A Little Gelato (vegan waffles & gelato).

There is often a live band or singer at the shed which sets a nice vibe, but due to it’s awesomeness and popularity it can get super busy & noisy but it’s a great place to meet up with friends where you can all pick something that tickles your fancy for brunch or lunch.

The Market Shed‘s opening hours are 11.00AM – 3.00PM every Sunday! I highly recommend you check it out!

 

Veggie Velo – Review

Veggie Velo is a food truck, well actually, it’s a bike that travels around and sets up in different spots in the city of Adelaide. They offer vegetarian and vegan burgers and may I just say, the BEST burgers I’ve had so far on my vegan food journey.

Large, refreshing, plant based burgers with SO much flavour! I’ve tried their chickpea burger which is amazing. It has vegan mayo on it, which is the best damn sauce I’ve had in my life. This pictured tempeh & pumpkin burger which is, you guessed it, also amazing. The tempeh has such a meaty texture it would please anyone!

Sometimes a nacho burger is offered on the menu that I am yet to try but I certainly have the intentions to!

The only improvement I would like to see is gluten free burger buns! They offer the burger in salad form if you are sensitive to gluten or have coeliac disease, but I think those people would appreciate an awesome gluten free bun to make their Veggie Velo experience epic!

The stall can get super busy but the staff cope with the work considerably well considering they’re running a culinary business out of a small shelter with a bike attached – kudos to them! I remember at the Adelaide vegan festival in 2015, they were crazy busy, the line was so long & it was hot but it looked as if they were keeping their cool. The quality never lacks either when they get busy either!

You can follow Veggie Velo on their Instagram &  Facebook pages to keep up with their locations but you can find them most weekends on Sunday’s at The Market Shed.

Argo On the Parade, Adelaide – Review

Ask any health-conscious foodie from Adelaide some good places to dine out for breakfast or lunch and there is a 9/10 chance they’ll suggest Argo’s in Norwood.

Their menu is extensive with options for everyone – vegan, vegetarian, healthy, gluten free, ect. They offer burgers, salads, smoothie bowls, smoothies, juices, wraps, waffles, chips.. everything!

I’ve been here multiple times myself & it’s definitely on my favorites list when I’m looking to go out for lunch & meet with friends. Their “namaste” vegan burger with a chickpea patty and generous salads is a  favorite of mine and all the smoothies I’ve tried so far are epic!

Recently Argos started offering Cocowhip to their menu which is EPIC. It’s a healthy dairy free (vegan) ice cream made from coconut water… what-what!?! I know right. Addictive.

I wish to try their vegan waffles on my next trip there! They look amazing.

The cafe has a modern theme decor and, this is going to sound weird but, their toilets are super funky! So make sure you make a trip to the bathroom while you’re there.

The only downfall about this place being so popular is that it’s almost always packed to the brim with customers and sometimes you have to wait for a table.

Despite being so busy, the wait for food isn’t often long at all & the staff are usually pretty friendly!

I definitely recommend visiting Argo’s on the Parade in Norwood when you are in Adelaide. Maybe aim for a week day rather than a weekend as they are extra packed on weekends.