“Where do you get your protein?”

This question is beyond obvious and antiquated. It should be buried and never allowed to resurface. We apologize in advance for brining it up now. Yet, despite all of the information out there, protein remains the focal point of many omnivorous minds. Whether you have been vegan for five days or five years, the protein question is bound to come up by some misinformed relative over the course of your holiday dinner. You could roll your eyes – you’ve been over this with them before – or raise an eyebrow and gesture to the heaping pile of plant-based goodness on your plate, but this may lead to some confrontation. To keep things civil this holiday season, we gathered responses from plant-based professionals so you can positively address this question and get back to enjoying your meal.

Scenario One
Uncle Joe: Yeah, but where do you get your protein? You need plenty of protein to stay healthy!
Response: All plant foods contain protein. Many plants contain more protein per calorie than meat. In fact excess animal protein drives cellular reproduction, rapid aging and susceptibility to cancer. A better question should be—how much animal protein is safe to eat, if any?  

Dr. Joel Fuhrman is board-certified family physician. With his years of experience transitioning ailing omnivores into healthy plant-based clientele, Dr. Fuhrman knows exactly what to say. If you’re up for a bit of conversation about the topic, steal Fuhrman’s response to turn the question back on Uncle Joe while you continue enjoying your savory kale salad.

Scenario Two
Aunt Barbara: I rely on a good roast chicken for my protein. How do you cook to make sure you get enough protein in your diet?
Response: I love using my favorite qseudo grains like quinoa and teff to make protein-packed holiday loafs!

Michelle Marquis, private chef and contributor to Jason Wrobel’s cookbook, “Eaternity”, knows exactly how to fuel her body. After discovering she had several food allergies (including gluten and soy), she made it her mission to develop delectable plant-based recipes devoid of food sensitivities. She now hosts pop-up dinners and brunches, which sell out every time. Give Aunt Barbara some culinary inspiration with Michelle’s simple advice.

Scenario Three
Little Cousin Charlie: We learned in school you need protein to be strong. So where do you get your protein?
Response: From the same source as elephants get their protein from. Plants!

Dominick Thompson is a vegan endurance athlete and owner of Crazies and Weirdos, the vegan apparel line famous for its “Eat What Elephants Eat” and “Clark Kent Was Vegan” t-shirts. Not only is he ripped, he has also competed in a number of triathlons on a mostly raw diet. Follow his advice and encourage Little Cousin Charlie to eat his lentil loaf if he wants to be big and strong like an elephant.

Scenario Four
Sister’s Boyfriend, Chris: I’m eating chicken and broccoli and I’m seeing mad gainz. Where do you get your protein?
Response: To be honest, I don’t worry about protein but rather I focus on amino acids which are the building blocks of protein. You can find amino acids in fruits and vegetables. So I have no reason to worry about where my protein is coming from, because I am consuming what is essential.

John Lewis, also known as the Badass Vegan, is a plant-based fitness consultant and influencer. A quick scroll through Lewis’ Instagram will prove that you don’t need animal protein to build major muscles.

Scenario Five
Niece Katie: I heard protein is important, and protein comes from meat. How do you get it?
Response: I get my protein the same way the king of the jungle does! I eat plants like gorillas. #gorillastrong!

Nicole Derseweh is an enthusiastic, creative plant-based chef known for her festive pop-up brunch series. Her elaborate unicorn and mermaid-themed brunches for sixty-plus guests are true delights, and they happen to be packed with protein. Use Derseweh’s response to keep the conversation fun and lighthearted. 

Scenario Six
Nephew Dylan: Where do you get your protein? Do plants have protein, too, or just stuff like milk and turkey?
Response: Protein is found in every single plant in the world. Plants are alive and protein is a necessary nutrient to all living things. Did you know even lemons are 16% protein?

Dotsie Bausch is an Olympic silver medalist turned plant-based advocate. She earned her medal in women’s cycling on a plant-based diet, and now she is on a mission to spread the word through her non-profit, Compassion Champs. This year, she will be making a 100% plant based Thanksgiving meal for eight. Her menu includes a lentil and quinoa main dish, mashed yams, fall harvest salad with apple cider vinaigrette, artichoke, vegan spinach dip, cranberries, mini-vegan pot pies and a vegan stuffing with wholegrain bread, lentils, onions, celery and sage. We’re copying both her response and her menu for our Thanksgiving table!

When All Else Fails
Mercy For Animals Global Vegetarian Support Manager, Erin Kwiatkowski, helps people transition to a plant-based diet. It’s her full time job to support everyone on their vegan journeys, be it with nutritional advice or how to navigate their social life. Kwiatkowski offered her sound wisdom to keep peace at the holiday table:

I try to treat this question like it’s the first time I’ve heard it. Keep in mind that most folks are genuinely curious and don’t realize plants have protein. There is also no way for them to know that you’ve answered this same question over one million times since going vegan, so don’t punish them for it. Lead with your heart, then with the facts, and you can’t go wrong. Happy Thanksgiving!! 

Find Tanya on Instagram and The Vegan Potluck Podcast. 

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The post Where Do You Get Your Protein? How Vegans Can Keep Peace at the Holiday Table appeared first on EcoSalon.

The secret to a gorgeous glow isn’t all in the skincare. The key is to nourish your skin from the inside out.

We’re all familiar with the skin hangover you get from going overboard on junk food. Breakouts? Check. Dark circles? Double check. What isn’t so clear is why the way we eat affects the way our skin functions so closely. We’re not just talking negative effects either; with the right diet, you can actually work toward healing skin issues, and slow aging.

But don’t just take our word for it! Nutrition and beauty expert Paula Simpson, who is also the brains behind ZSS Skincare, has spent her entire career exploring the deep connection behind the way we eat and the impact it has on our skin. We chatted with her to find out more about essential nutrients skin needs to stay healthy, why a skin condition could be a sign of poor gut health, and got the scoop on the best glow-inducing, wrinkle-fighting foods on the block!

EcoSalon: The road to beautiful skin can be tough! Why is it so important to start from the inside out?

Paula Simpson: Dietary toxins are often stored in skin tissue. A growing body of research suggests that many of the chemicals we ingest daily through food, water, and air can build up in our system, especially when the diet lacks certain nutrients impairing our natural ability to neutralize and remove chemicals. Over time they can overload our eliminative organs, causing toxins to be stored in the skin or fat tissue. The typical western diet is acidic and concentrated with simple sugars, chemicals, and preservatives. The combination of a poor diet, lifestyle and environmental pollutants can offset the skin’s natural balance affecting its function and overall appearance.

A plant based, low glycemic and antioxidant-rich diet (similar to the Mediterranean diet,) offers the best source of nutrition because it supports skin cell renewal and metabolism (which slows as we age), alongside antioxidant defense in skin tissue to protect skin from environmental aggressors and internal stressors (such as excess sugar), keeping skin firm and even in tone. This type of diet also provides the right balance of omega fatty acids to support strong skin cell membranes that plump and smooth out skin, bringing out a natural glow and shine to hair.

ES: Sometimes it can feel like despite eating a clean, healthy diet that skin conditions don’t improve. What could be the cause of this?

PS: There is a gut-skin axis. Many chronic skin conditions are correlated with digestive health (i.e. leaky gut syndrome, food allergens, harmful bacteria overgrowth within the gut,) that can depress skin immunity and offset normal skin function and structure. Numerous studies have shown a correlation between increased oxidative stress, bacterial overgrowth, and chronic skin conditions such as acne, atopic dermatitis, rosacea, and eczema. Consuming a plant-based, high fiber diet with lacto-fermented foods along with dietary supplements and pre/probiotics may help neutralize toxic by-products, defend the lining of the intestine, increasing the bioavailability of nutrients and protect against infectious microbes. Promoting the health of the digestive system and can be a primary defense to restore health and balance of your skin.

ES: Which simple easy sources do you recommend to get a daily dose of good bacteria to positively impact the gut-skin axis (and are any of them vegan)?

PS: Definitely! Plant-heavy diets, in general, improve microbial diversity. Focusing on plant-based foods with pre and probiotic rich foods can build and balance a healthy skin barrier and microbiome. Prebiotic foods help build good microflora, such as fermented sauerkraut, kim chi, kombucha, and pickled veggies. Probiotic rich foods include live-cultured yogurt, kefir, miso or kimchi!

ES: While that covers skin conditions, there’s one thing none of us can avoid – aging! What beautifying foods you can easily introduce into your diet to keep skin youthful?

PS: Wrinkles are rooted from within. Aging is, of course, a natural progression, but our diets and lifestyle we choose can make our skin age faster. The most visible effect of skin aging occurs when there is a weakening in the structural foundation of skin within the deeper dermal layers (collagen, elastin, and glycosaminoglycans). Visibly, skin becomes thinner losing its smoothness and structural strength and elasticity. When this connective tissue is healthy and strong, nutrients and oxygen can easily reach skin tissue while efficiently removing toxins and wastes. This is the site where new skin cells are produced then pushed towards the epidermal (outer) skin layer, keeping skin plump and healthy.

By adding certain protein-rich foods to your diet, you can promote a healthier rate of collagen renewal and protect your skin from premature aging. Mineral copper that is found in nuts, raisins, sweet potatoes, kidney beans, lobster, and oysters facilitates collagen production and therefore should be included in your diet. Lastly, be sure to include foods rich in Vitamin C as it is essential for collagen synthesis. Some top collagen boosting foods include; poultry, eggs (particularly egg whites,) cod, crab, lobster, oysters, oranges, tomatoes, lemons, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, sunflower and sesame seeds, almonds, raisins, adzuki, kidney, chickpeas, seaweed (spirulina, dulse).

Seeking out antioxidant-rich foods is also key! As we get older, our bodies become less efficient in neutralizing harmful free radicals that may permanently damage healthy cells (including skin cells.) Clinical studies have shown that catechins from green tea, anthocyanins from berries and red cabbage, bioflavonoids from citrus, carotenoids such as lycopene and lutein from tomatoes, and resveratrol from red wine offer potent secondary antioxidants that protect the skin cells from free radical damage. By including these types of foods more often in the diet, their additional antioxidant protection can support skin health particularly with regards to photoprotection.

ES: Are there any new superfoods on the block you think will be big this year in the beauty world?

PS: Spices are hot right now! Paprika is rich in zeaxanthin, which is a fantastic free radical fighter, especially when it comes to skin. Although other dietary sources include dark greens like kale and spinach, the purified and concentrated amounts from paprika pepper have been shown more effective to help protect the skin from premature photoaging and bring out a natural radiance and glow

Turmeric is another big one. It is a great detoxifier with strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin is the active ingredient in the spice turmeric, which gives it its yellow color and promotes liver and digestive health while calming the skin. Turmeric has also been used in the treatment of cicatricial alopecia, a scalp condition caused by inflammation that damages the hair follicles and prevents the growth of new hair. Try adding turmeric to foods more often. A dash of turmeric brings color and flavor to rice, soups, root vegetables or eggs.

Let’s not forget ginger, too. Active constituents found in the rhizome and root may offer a soothing and calming effect to the skin. When it comes to hair, ginger has long been used in ayurvedic medicine as a hair treatment. The antiseptic properties help to combat dandruff and the natural source of vitamins, minerals, and essential oils help to rebuild thinning dull hair.

Related on EcoSalon
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The post How to Eat Your Way to Glowing Skin (and a Happy Gut!) appeared first on EcoSalon.