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Why Eating More Plants Gives Big Health Wins

why plant-based diets are healthy

Why Your Body Loves Plants

Over the past decade, plant-based diets have risen in popularity due to the research pointing to it's BIG benefits on the body, your health and our environment.

Eating more fruits, veggies, seeds and grains help your body in a ton of different ways:

​1. Maintain good cellular health (ie. help fight disease like certain cancers) & reduce your risk of heart

2. Support organ function and toxin elimination

3. Reducing inflammation in the body

4. Gut Health: getting a higher level of fibre in your diet promotes a healthy gut, which is essential for both physical and mental health

5. A healthy plant-based diet packed with veggies, fruits and protein boosts both your immunity and energy

6. Help you maintain a healthy body weight

7.Skin Glow

Diets that are heavy in plant foods have been used for centuries by ancient roman gladiators, professional athletes, and even bodybuilders starting in the 80s.

The Netflix show The Game Changers is great watch if you're curious.

Below are tips for upping the plant game in your diet and a few delicious recipes that re-create traditional meat-heavy faves.

It's Not All or Nothing

A plant-based diet may seem daunting, but if you focus on steps and progress not all or nothing. Going 100% plant-based isn't right for everyone. A great way to start is aiming for a ratio of 75/25:

Make 75% of your meals plant-based / 25% that have a mix of other foods like meat, dairy and seafood proteins. For example:

Breakfast: your Blended Smoothie

Snack: Greek Yogurt with Granola

Lunch: Veggie Bowl, Blended Soup or Salad with plant-based proteins (chickpeas, lentils, tofu). If you're adding meat or seafood proteins, keep it to smaller 2 to 3 oz portions.

Snack: Hummus and Veggies or your Blended Chia Bowl

Dinner: Roasted Salmon with Quinoa & Roasted Root Veggies.

Know Your Plant-Based Proteins

 
There's no shortage of plant-based proteins out there.....

Beans and legumes: Per 1/2 cup, chickpeas have 19 grams of protein and lentils have 9 grams.

Soy: Tofu (11g/serving), fortified soymilk (8g/serving), and edamame beans (9g/serving)

Tofu Tip: cut your tofu block into 4ths and freeze them in a container overnight. When the tofu is thawed it becomes more spongy and porous and can easily soak up a marinade or dressing.

Seeds: per 3 Tbsp, hemp seeds have 10g of protein, Chia seeds 6g of protein and flax seeds 6 grams.
Vitamin & Mineral Check
Whichever diet is best for you, making sure you're getting enough of each essential nutrient is important. Here are some flags for the plant-focused:

Vitamin B12: vital for nearly every organ in the body and blood flow circulation. B12 levels is something plant and meat-eaters should all watch out for.

Iron: a mineral that is essential to help the body carry oxygen from the lungs to other parts if the body. Women need 8-18mg of iron per day while men only need 8-11g per day. For max absorption combine iron rich foods with Vitamin C.

Vitamin D: crucial for maintaining healthy bones and teeth, and also a key player in mental health. Though Vitamin D can be soaked up from a 10 minute sun bath, mushrooms also contain a fair amount. 4.9 IU per 1 cup of mushrooms. A daily supplement is needed by most, especially in darker seasons.

Omegas: healthy fats that help in the fight against heart disease and support mental health.

The Omega-3 daily recommendation is 250-500mg/ day, 28g of chia seeds contains 4915mg of omega-3.

The Omega-6 daily recommendation is 12-17g, 3.5 ounces of walnuts contains 38 grams.

 Plan Your Meal Prep

When you're learning a new way of eating, planning is essential to ensure that you are incorporating enough protein, minerals, vitamins, and calories to keep you satiated.

Making veggies and plant proteins the star of your meal is the go-to rule for more Vegan/Vegetarian eating. Here are a couple of veg-for-meat swap recipes we love:

Pulled BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich

Lentil Walnut Tacos

Check out our top blends for supporting a plant-based diet.

While all of our blends are 100% plant-based, some have more of the essential nutrients noted above than others.

Here are our top picks, all with 14-20 grams of protein, 60%-90% of your Iron RDI, and very high in the following: Vitamins A, B12, C, K, Folate, Magnesium, Manganese, Calcium and more.

BLENDED FOR VEGAN DIETS

If you're interested in plant-based recipes, please email us.

Mind & Body Health Check

Mind & Body Health Check
Life gets mad busy, which makes health and nutrition check-ins to ensure you’re eating foods that help boost your mental and physical health super important. Here's a list of our go-to foods that help your body reduce and avoid inflammation, bloating, bran fog and fatigue. Not only do they help support your body and brain manage all that crazy busy you've got going on, they'll actually boost your energy and mood through it all. 

Read more

Energize Your Holiday Season

Energize Your Holiday Season

The Holiday sprint is here, which means balancing a really hectic schedule and festive activities with your health. Keeping your immunity game strong and energy levels up is what Blended is all about, so we thought it would be a good time to share some tips and a mini health-reset we do when our bodies start to feel drained. 

When you start to feel sluggish, bloated, brain fogged and generally run down, your body is telling you something. Gut health and nutrition play a huge role in all of the symptoms above (trust your gut!), which means even a quick heath-reset can go a long way in helping to reduce inflammation and bloating, increase energy and clear your mind. 

Here are 5 things we do (or don't do) when our bodies need a healing and recharge break.  Look ahead at your December calendar and mark the days that you can commit to following these simple diet and movement tips. 

1. Avoid refined sugar & syrups: we know sugar is a thing during the holidays, so it's good to avoid it entirely on days when you don't have festive activities planned. Naturally occurring sugars in whole foods like fruits and veggies are fine and come with lots of fibre and immunity-boosting nutrients, so load up.  

2. Go Cow Dairy-free: skip the yogurt, milk, cheeses all together (small amounts of sheep & goat cheeses are fine). Dairy often causes inflammation in the body, so skip on your 'health focused' days.

3. Go whole foods & plant-based (or mostly plant-based): we love all things plant-based eating, but know it's not for everyone.  During your reset days, avoid all non-organic animal protein and skip red meat. The focus: lots of fibre - veggies, fruits, grains (quinoa is a staple), sweet potatoes (and family), healthy fats, smaller amounts of proteins.  Avoid processed and fried foods.  If you'd like a foods list to follow, please email us here: Blended Clean Foods List

4. Get Fresh Air: exercise is often done with a mission to burn calories and exhaust the body.  During a health reset day, opt for outdoor activities that don't punish and require your body to do heavy repair work, and also help clear your mind and support mental focus. 

5. Be Beverage-Wise: one cup of coffee a day or pick tea as a better bet. No sugary drinks. Alcohol gets a break (go for zero units on your health reset days).  Check the sodium content on bottled bevs. Drink loads of water (+ lemon &/or cucumber) and herbal teas.

Pro tip: your Blended smoothie, soup or chia bowl is a great way to make sure you're getting a big dose of immunity-boosting, energizing nutrients every day. Check out some of our top blend picks for mental and physical energy support in our Energy Collection.


If you'd like further info or help deciding which blends are right for your taste buds and health goals, please email us.

Happy Blending!

Inflammation Part 2 + the Blended Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition Plan

Inflammation Part 2 + the Blended Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition Plan

Inflammation P2 + an Exciting New Product is Here!

Last week, in part one of our inflammation series, we did a deep dive into the important of topic of inflammation, specifically Chronic inflammation, and the serious negative long term impact it has on your body and mind. If you missed it, check it out here: Inflammation Part 1

Today, we're sharing tips on what you can do to reduce inflammation and keep your levels low.

A Quick Recap

Inflammation refers to your body's process of fighting against things that harm it, such as infections, injuries, and toxins, in an attempt to heal itself. When something damages your cells, your body releases chemicals that trigger a response from your immune system.

Chronic inflammation has a slow on-set and can last several months to years. Symptoms can include:

  • Body pain, aches, swelling
  • Chronic fatigue and insomnia
  • Depression, anxiety and mood disorders
  • Gastrointestinal complications like constipation, diarrhea, and acid reflux
  • Weight gain or weight loss
  • Frequent infections
  • ​In addition to the symptoms listed above, it is involved in the disease process of many conditions including: Alzheimer's, asthma, cancers, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes.


Six Key Tips & the Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Eat Anti-Inflammatory Foods: ginger, turmeric, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, nuts, fatty fish, fruits, green tea, and berries.

Take Anti-Inflammatory Supplements: alpha-lipoic acid, curcumin (turmeric), fish oil, omega-3, resveratrol, spirulina, S-adenosylmethionine, zinc, frankincense, cat’s claw, ashwagandha.

Control your blood sugar: avoid simple carbohydrates like white flour, white rice, refined sugar, and corn syrup.

Minimize (or skip) alcohol: alcohol not only impairs gut and liver functions, but also has multi-organ interactions, leading to persistent systemic inflammation.

Get Physical: exercising (4-5 times a week) – combine cardio and strength training in your routine.

Stress Management: chronic stress is known to contribute to inflammation – try meditation, relaxation, yoga

One of the best ways to combat inflammation starts with the foods you eat. Read about the gut health-inflammation connection in part one of our series.


Foods that have shown to reduce inflammation:
Turmeric
Ginger
Pineapple
Spirulina
Ashwagandha
Olive oil
Berries
Almonds & Walnuts
Apple Cider Vinegar
Green Leafy Vegetables (spinach, kale)
Omega-Rich Fatty Fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines)


The foods you eat can cause inflammation in your body. Skip these foods/ingredients:
Refined Sugar
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Artificial Trans-Fats
Refined Carbohydrates (white breads, pasta, candy, cookies, some cereals etc)
Alcohol
Processed meat

Introducing the New Inflammation-Fighter Package

You told us that reducing inflammation is one of your biggest health priorities, so we put together a new combo that includes our top inflammation-fighting blends, a free nutrition guide, and a tea we love to include as a part of an anti-inflammatory-focused nutrition plan.


Meet the Inflammation-Fighter Combo Package

This package includes 10 blends (7 smoothies + 3 soups) and a Turmeric Ginger support tea we love. We'll also send you a free 5-day nutrition plan* if you're needing to reduce your inflammation levels and reset gut health.


Click here to receive our free 5-day Inflammation-Fighter Nutrition Guide

* The 5-Day Plan gives a recommended sequence for having two blends each day (from the blends in the Inflammation-Fighter package) along with recipes that support reducing inflammation and getting your gut health back on track.

Click Here to Shop the Inflammation-Fighter Combo Package

Inflammation: the NEED to know (Part 1)

What is Inflammation & Why it Happens in the Body

If you follow Blended, you know we're BIG into helping you stay healthy, supporting personal goals and getting you through health-hurdle times. This week, we're talking about something that everyone needs to know about: how Inflammation impacts your body AND mind. It's such an important conversation, we're breaking this into a 2-Part series.

In Part 1 of our Inflammation series, we're going to get into the what-why of inflammation, how it impacts your mind and body and tips on keeping it low.

In Part 2 we'll be getting further into the nutrition-factor and giving you a three-day inflammation nutrition plan for when your body needs more support.

Let's dive in.

The Inflammation What-Why

Inflammation refers to your body's process of fighting against things that harm it, such as infections, injuries, and toxins, in an attempt to heal itself. When something damages your cells, your body releases chemicals that trigger a response from your immune system. There are two types:

Acute: acute inflammation is noticeable within a few hours and is caused by injury or illness. It is short term and typically lasts a couple days.
Symptoms: pain, redness, loss of joint and/or muscle function, swelling, and heat (felt externally from the skin). 

Chronic: chronic inflammation has a slow on-set and can last several months to years. It can be brought on by untreated causes of acute inflammation, an autoimmune disorder, which involves your immune system mistakenly attacking healthy tissue, and long-term exposure to irritants, such as industrial chemicals or polluted air. Symptoms

  • Body pain, arthralgia, myalgia
  • Chronic fatigue and insomnia
  • Depression, anxiety and mood disorders
  • Gastrointestinal complications like constipation, diarrhea, and acid reflux
  • Weight gain or weight loss
  • Frequent infections

We're most interested in the Chronic type and the critical role nutrition plays in both prevention and treatment. 

Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation has very negative physical and mental health consequences.  In addition to the symptoms listed above, it is involved in the disease process of many conditions including: Alzheimer's, asthma, cancers, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes. 

The Gut-inflammation Connection

The major source of inflammation is coming from your gut, which hosts the largest number of immune cells in the body. You also have a lot of bacteria in your gut, which helps regulate your immune cell response. When you aren't eating the right foods, including getting enough fibre, inflammation is the response. You need to feed your gut bacteria the right types of food (fibre specifically).

We love how Dr. Rhonda Patrick breaks this down the what-why of inflammation in the body, the key role your gut and nutrition play in regulating it, and easy tips for keeping your levels in check. Throw in your ear buds, take a walk & listen: Understanding Inflammation

Inflammation & Your Brain

Keeping your brain healthy is another key reason to ensure you don't end up in a state of Chronic Inflammation. Neuroinflammation is proving to play a powerful role in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. Rates for these neurodegenerative illnesses are increasing steadily with the aging population, and it is thought that worsening symptoms can be blamed on the havoc inflammation wreaks on brain regions involved in thinking, memory, and movement, or, in the case of frontotemporal dementia, personality, behavior, and language. Read more on this here: Inflammation Harvard Eu

The good news is that what you eat can keep inflammation low, and bring it down if you're struggling with high levels now.

Getting Your Fibre

For a healthy gut, you need to load up on fibre every day (aim for at least 30 to 40 grams).  Get 10 to 14 grams of fibre in one single Blended For You smoothie, soup or bowl.  Email us for a list of blends with the highest fibre count. 

Inflammation-Fighting Foods

Turmeric
Ginger
Pineapple
Spirulina
Olive oil
Berries
Almonds & Walnuts
Apple Cider Vinegar
Green Leafy Vegetables (spinach, kale)
Omega-Rich Fatty Fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines)

Your daily Blended habit is one way you can keep your gut health in check & keep inflammation levels down. Email us anytime for a list of recommended blends that are right for your taste buds and health goals.

Stay tuned for Inflammation Part 2: we've got more tips and tools for sticking to an anti-inflammatory diet. We've also got an exciting new blend package launching. Can you guess what it's all about?

Happy Blending!