It's become the way that we start our day, with a cup of coffee in hand and for many preferably within the first hour of waking. It’s come to the point that we don’t skip a beat when memes like “but first coffee” enter our vocabulary. Here’s the thing, when did we last ask ourselves what our addiction to caffeine could be doing to us? Naturopath Hannah Jayne breaks down exactly why you’ll be rethinking that next espresso.

Caffeine can be found and derived from a few main sources including tea leaves, cocoa beans, kola nuts and most widely, from coffee beans.

Of course, there are some good benefits to coffee. There have been several studies conducted to say that caffeine can protect the heart, but that’s only when you stick to recommended amount. It’s not uncommon to see people downing their second coffee before 10am. We’ve become such a ‘go go’ society, we run off adrenaline and never get time to stop. This is why we get so tired and that’s when the coffee cravings start.

Ever wondered why coffee affects some people and not others? The body’s ability to metabolise caffeine can be faster or slower person to person depending on the individuals personal health. Some may be more adrenally driven than others, and this is why caffeine can make them feel worse, ironically feeling more tired, experience digestive issues, insomnia or so anxious and on edge that you become less productive.

Adding stress to our body by putting our adrenals constantly under pressure can have greater problems to our overall health down the line. If being dependent on a stimulant bothers you and you’re sick of anticipating when the post-coffee panic attack will come through, then stress less! We’ve got some totally caffeine free coffee alternatives to make your daily a little smoother without the crash.

 Here are some of our top caffeine-free picks to start your day:

• Find your favourite coffee alternative (say hello to Shroom Brew!)
• Get up and do some exercise first thing in the morning to get those endorphins running and even better doing it in the sunshine (just don’t skip the SPF) this improves your circadian rhythm and helps you feel better
• Drink a glass of water upon waking. This keeps your hydration in check and supports your tummy
• Eat a good breakfast. Include some protein and good fats into your breakfast to pick up that energy
• Stress can make us feel like we have no energy, meditating each morning will help pick up your energy
• Make sure you get adequate sleep; 6-8 hours is recommended.

What is Shroom Brew? Medicinal mushrooms give you that pick me up that coffee gives without the crash and jitters. It also provides immune enhancing properties, rich in antioxidants, can reduce stress response in the body and improves your wellbeing. Tick, tick, tick! Besides this naturopathic blend making you feel good, if you crave the taste of coffee, then the Dandelion root inside Shroom Brew helps to mimic the strong, bitter flavour.

The Ketogenic diet, or Keto diet for short is taking the world by storm, and has quickly become the most popular lifestyle choice for celebrities and models which they credit their amazing bodies for (in conjunction with a balanced exercise plan of course

If you’re unfamiliar with the Ketogenic diet- we’ll break it down for you. Basically, the keto diet is very low in carbohydrates (less than 50g a day which would be equivalent to a bowl of rice) and very high in fat with moderate amounts of protein. This results in sending the body into a state of what is called ‘ketosis’, which pretty much means your body uses and burns fat as the primary source of energy instead of carbs. So why are people swearing by it? The Keto diet has been vastly praised for weight loss benefits and has also been linked to improved energy levels and clearer skin.

Those following a keto diet consume protein and fat rich foods, foods that would usually come to mind would be meat, fish, cheese and eggs. But can you follow the keto diet as a vegan? The answer is yes! In fact, some can argue following a vegan keto diet is far healthier way to follow the regular keto diet as you are consuming more of the good fats (monounsaturated & polyunsaturated fats) as opposed to saturated and trans fatty acids which can be found in meat, cheese and high fat processed foods.

To give you a rough idea on the guidelines of a vegan keto diet, we’ve put together a list of foods that would typically be included in a keto diet but are still able to be eaten as a vegan.

 

Foods you can have
This includes high fat foods such as all nuts (macadamias, almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pine nuts etc) seeds (hemp seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds) and oils (avocado, olive, hemp, coconut). Low carbohydrate veggies such as avocado (which is high in fats!) leafy greens, asparagus, radish, zucchini, celery, mushrooms, broccoli, cucumber & cauliflower. Low sugar sweeteners such as monk fruit and stevia are also amazing low carb natural sweeteners.

 

Foods to eat in moderation
Fruit is high in carbohydrates but does not have to be totally eliminated from a vegan keto diet. Fruits should be consumed in moderate amounts and should be low GI fruits including berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries). To add more substance to your meals you could also add Tofu.

 

Foods to Avoid
As keto diets are very low in carbohydrates, foods to be avoided would include grains such as pasta, bread, quinoa, rice, buckwheat plus legumes and lentils. Starchy vegetables such as potato, sweet potato, sweet corn, leek, carrots and of course sugar (but this is something we should be trying to avoid or limit at all times) are also off the list.  

Now that you’ve got the general 101 on what a vegan keto diet can include, you’re probably thinking how can I make this into a full day of eating!? Well the fun part is, going keto gives you a chance to be creative and enjoy conjuring up some delicious recipes in the kitchen. A great point about eating high fats is that they are so filling and satisfying! Yes, chocolate may be excluded from the list… but that doesn’t stop you from making your own Keto friendly chocolate, right?! Nut Butter, Coconut Oil, Cacao Powder plus a dash of stevia and Shroom Brew Super Latte mixed together and set in ice cube trays in the freezer makes the most delicious melt in your mouth peanut butter cup style chocolate- YUM!

So… thinking of trying out the Keto diet? Our nutritionist has put together a simple 3-day vegan keto meal plan.

3 DAY GF & VEGAN KETO MEAL PLAN

	DAY 1	DAY 2	DAY 3
Breakfast	Home Made Chia Pudding with chia seeds, coconut milk, nut butter, flaked almonds, protein powder & a handful of berries.	Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie (chocolate protein powder, coconut milk, peanut butter, ½ banana)	Tofu scramble with leafy greens, Better Cheddar & avocado
Snack	Chopped veggies (cucumber & celery) with guacamole.	Vegan coconut yoghurt with a handful of berries	Home-made keto chocolate bites (coconut oil, cacao powder, stevia, peanut butter & Shroom Brew Super Latte powder)
Lunch	Salad with broccoli, almonds, leafy greens, shredded carrots, macadamia nuts, creamy cashew salad dressing (cashews blended with garlic, water, oil, salt & pepper).	Creamy coconut & vegetable soup (with coconut oil, garlic, onion celery, carrot, mushrooms & herbs)	Zucchini noodles with vegan pesto (blending Knowrish Well Better Cheddar, pine nuts, walnuts, oil, garlic, salt & pepper)
Snack	Home-made keto chocolate bites (coconut oil, cacao powder, stevia, peanut butter, and Shroom Brew Super Latte powder mixed together and set in the freezer).	Chopped veggies (cucumber & celery) with guacamole	Coconut Almond Protein Balls (vanilla protein, almonds, cashews coconut oil, stevia blended and rolled into balls)
Dinner	Flax meal pizza crust (made with 1 cup flax seed, oil, herbs & water blended together) topped with mushroom, capsicum, carrots, spinach, avocado & Knowrish Well Better Cheddar.	Zucchini Noodle Alfredo using our delicious creamy ‘cheese’ sauce!	Stir Fry Cauliflower Rice (using olive oil, spring onion, cauliflower rice, peas, carrots & broccoli)

 

Holistic health is evolving, and we're all for it! Moving away from thinking of health as  simply illness prevention but total health and wellbeing and having a greater connection between the mind, body and spirit are all things we can get behind. Something exciting leading the charge are Adaptogens. Adapt-a-what?! We hear you fam, so we're giving you the cheat sheet to Adaptogens 101. What are they, how do they work and how you could benefit from incorporating them into your life.

WHAT ARE ADAPTOGENS?
Adaptogens can be defined as a nontoxic plant source that is used to help increase the body’s ability to resist the damaging effects of stress, support your adrenal system, and promote or restore normal physiological functioning. Adaptogens have been used for centuries in Chinese and Ayruvedic (Indian) healing and continue to be used today. One of the most notable plants which you may be familiar with are medicinal mushrooms which are powerful adaptogens we're huge fans of. Medicinal Mushrooms including Chaga, Lion’s Mane, Reishi and Cordyceps are common types that support the body in their own way to adapt and cope with stress. These mushrooms all promote immune system health and are great to integrate into your daily routine for overall health and wellbeing. Our delicious ‘Shroom Brew’ Super Latte features Chaga, Reishi & Lion’s Mane extracts.

HOW DO THEY BENEFIT THE BODY?
Of course, there are over hundreds of different adaptogens that all function and benefit the body in different ways, depending on what you are after. A number of clinical trials have been done which demonstrate that adaptogens are able to exhibit neuroprotective, anti-fatigue, ant depressive, anxiolytic, nootropic and central nervous system stimulating activity (Panossian & Wikman, 2010). Without getting too technical, adaptogens function by buffering the stress response in the body to help reach homeostasis (balance). They can help reduce recovery time between stressful events and decrease the body’s sensitivity to outside disruption.

Below, we’ve given examples of 3 popular adaptogens and their function in the body.

Ashwagandha (Withania somniferum)
Ashwagandha is well known herb for stress. It helps improve the response to stress and help the body to adapt by normalising physiological processes in times of increased stress. Studies have shown that Ashwagandha may help reduce cortisol levels and help balance high blood sugar levels.

Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus)
Siberian Ginseng is commonly used for increasing energy and enhancing performance for athletes by increasing oxygenation of the cells. It also exhibits immune health benefits by increasing lymphocytes (components in the body that defend against viral infections) and helps stimulate the activity of white blood cells.

Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis)
Commonly used for anxiety, sleep and digestive problems, Lemon Balm has a mild lemon aroma which is very soothing. Lemon Balm increases GABA levels in the body (a neurotransmitter that is involved in regulating communication between brain cells) to improve sleep, help reduce anxiety and increase calmness and mood.

Ready to stress less and adapt more? You can try taking single adaptogens or a blend such as our Shroom Brew Super Latte. Above all though, if you decide to include adaptogens as part of your routine we wanna know! 

xx Knowrish Well

References
Panossian, A, Wikman, G, ‘Effects of Adaptogens on the Central Nervous System and the Molecular Mechanisms Associated with Their Stress-Protective Activity’, 2010, Pharmaceuticals, 3, 188-224

Bohn B, Nebe CT, Birr C, ‘Flow-cytometric studies with Eleutherococcus senticosus extract as an immunomodulatory agent’, 1987, Arzneimittelforschung, 37(10):1193–6

Amit et al, ‘Antistress activity of Ashwagandha- a review’, 2014, International Ayurvedic Medical Journal, 2, 3

When speaking to plant based eaters, do you know what the most common food they seem to miss the most? Nope, it’s not chocolate, the answer is cheese.

Vegan cheese is one of the hardest foods to master, and we’re excited to finally announce that we’ve made the impossible possible and present to you the bomb-est cheese powder; Better Cheddar. Free from dairy and gluten, our Better Cheddar perfectly mimics the delicious flavour of cheddar cheese but with wholesome, plant-based ingredients. We’re proud to say our Better Cheddar free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives, so you can give into those cheesy cravings any time!

To give you a lowdown of what’s in our Cheese; lets break it down…

The base of our Better Cheddar is made up of raw cashew nuts, nutritional yeast and coconut milk. Cashew nuts help provide a delicious creamy texture thanks to their rich content of unsaturated fats including oleic and linoleic. A great vegan-friendly source of Iron and healthy fats, cashews also contain micronutrients including magnesium, potassium, zinc and Vitamin E.

Of course nutritional yeast is equally as important as cashew nuts, as it naturally provides that ‘cheesy’ flavour. Its flavour profile includes; nutty, creamy, umami (savoury tasting) and of course cheesy. Flavour aside, we also include nutritional yeast for its impressive nutritional composition. Vegetarian and vegan diets can often be deficient in B vitamins, which is why nutritional yeast is a must, not only does it provide a great source of fibre and protein but most importantly B vitamins such as B12. Nutritional Yeast is associated with improved immune function, digestion, and skin health.

Coconut milk another key player in our Better Cheddar, provides a subtle creamy taste completing the taste and texture profile. It also provides a source of healthy fats such as medium chain triglycerides.

Other goodies in our Better Cheddar include Organic Lucuma, which is a popular Peruvian super fruit. It adds a nice rounded flavour and also provides micronutrients.

You’ll also notice Turmeric Powder appearing in the ingredient list. Turmeric provides a savoury taste and natural colour plus anti inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

When formulating Better Cheddar, convenience and versatility was something we knew we had to nail along with nutrition and taste! You can enjoy it in a number of different ways such as sprinkling it on pizzas, salads or pastas. It can also be transformed into the ultimate gooey cheese sauce by mixing it with almond milk (definitely one of our favourites!)

So there you have it, we can guarantee Knowrish Well Better Cheddar will become your favourite pantry staple!

Vegans may make up a small percent of the population but reality is the demand for vegan-friendly products in the food & beverage, health and beauty industries is becoming increasingly popular. Although there is more awareness on veganism, there are still so many misconceptions about vegan diets. Here, we’ve asked our nutritionist to tackle some common myths surrounding veganism.

 

MYTH: Not Enough Protein

One of the most common misconceptions is that to meet your protein intake you must include meat in your diet, this is far from it. There are a variety of high protein plant foods including nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, lentils and of course tofu which provide plenty of protein. In fact, some of the foods you may already be enjoying in your diet provide a good source of protein in just 1 serve.  Quinoa, for example, provides roughly 13% of your daily recommended intake of protein I just ½ cup. You can also reach your protein intake with the variety of plant protein powders available, this includes pea, brown rice, pumpkin and hemp seed protein powders. They’re easy to add to cooking and baking plus of course in a delicious smoothie with your favourite superfoods.

MYTH: Restrictive choices

With so much variety and choice available today of vegan foods and products, you’ll feel like a kid in a candy shop with all the endless options. Just take a look in your local supermarket or health food store and you’ll see the choices of mylks, cheeses (yes vegan cheese exists!!), chocolates, spreads and more! Many restaurants and cafes cater to vegans with some even being exclusively vegan. You can easily enjoy your favourite recipes like spaghetti bolognaise, pasta carbonara, nachos and cakes and slices using vegan products such as coconut milk, flax & chia eggs, plant mylks and more. Check out our recipes for some delicious vegan-friendly dishes at: https://knowrishwell.com/blogs/recipes

 

MYTH: Iron deficiency
a belief that vegan diets result in iron deficiency is a very common misconception. Most people make the link that iron is only found in meats, particularly red meat, this however is not the case. Iron rich food sources include dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, beetroot leaves and swiss chard (a cousin of beetroot leaves). Fact: Iron absorption is actually increased when consuming vitamin C rich foods at the same time. Good sources of vitamin C include oranges, grapefruits and strawberries. Our tip is to make a delicious citrus dressing to go on top of your leafy green salads, or even enjoy a glass of OJ with your meals!

MYTH: Being vegan isn’t healthy

It’s true that having a balanced diet is the foundation for healthy eating, which is exactly what veganism is. There is no excluding of macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates and protein) in fact it could be argued that vegan diets are healthier due to the majority of the diet coming from fruits, vegetables and wholegrains which are rich in micronutrients (vitamins & minerals).  This includes mushrooms which are rich in B vitamins and broccoli which is rich in calcium. Many plant based mylks are also fortified with calcium and vitamin D such as soy and almond.

 

If you’re considering going vegan, we recommend easing into it, start by incorporating 2-3 vegan days a week, experiment and have fun in the kitchen and also check out some popular vegan influencers on social media for tips and delicious recipes. One of our favourites is Sam Murphy from @sobeautifullyreal