“I couldn’t have found a more loving and supportive community”

Ananya Malviya signed up for a one-month nutritional consultation with our nutritionist Shalini Goenka and got favourable results. Many of her misconceptions about the plant based diet were cleared and now she has taken her health into own hands.

Recipe – Raw Cashew Cheese

This delicious cashew cheese is not only a great replacement for dairy cheese, but since it’s fermented, it’s great for our gut health too. You must try this and can be used anywhere you need to add cheese!

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashew nuts, soaked in water for 6-8 hours
• ¼ – ⅓ cup water
• ⅓ tsp unrefined salt

Method

Drain and rinse the soaked cashew nuts and place them in a blender. Blend to a smooth paste, adding 1 tbsp water at a time. Transfer the paste to a clean glass container (ensuring that there is space to accommodate the rising of the cheese) with the lid lightly placed on top (or mouth covered with cheesecloth/muslin) and leave to ferment for 8-24 hours, depending on the weather, or until it begins to smell sour.

Add salt. Mix well and serve. Refrigerate to store.

This can keep for 10 days or more in the refrigerator. Keep unsalted until ready to serve/use. Ideal for making cheesy sauces, dips and spreads, or directly on bread.

It can even be used on baked dishes and will brown slightly, when baked.

Note

The fermentation time differs based on room temperature and season. Please keep an eye on the cheese after 8 hrs. It should be placed in the refrigerator once it begins to smell sour.

Variation

Make flavoured cashew cheese by adding chopped fresh herbs/crushed red pepper/coarsely crushed black peppercorns/caraway seeds, etc.

Serves 8-10

Food For The Mind

FACEBOOK SUPPORT GROUP

1. SHARAN India is SHARAN’s main Facebook page which you can like and follow for getting useful daily updates and news from the plant based health world. You will also get news about the latest SHARAN events, see testimonials, and more.

2. SHARAN’s Vegan Support Group is an open support group to know more about vegan/plant-based lifestyle. Here you can ask questions and share inspiring stories, tips, recipes, etc.

All our doctors and presenters will be here to answer your questions and give you tips. If you have attended our events join this group to be a part of our family.

Please like the main SHARAN page and join the group(s) applicable to you.

Bacteria – Nature’s Gift To Us!

The word bacteria generally conveys a negative connotation. Yes, there are bad bacteria, but there are good bacteria too! And they have a lot to do with keeping us healthy.

Healthy soil contains a large percentage of good bacteria which produce many essential nutrients for the plants to grow, and in turn, provide nutrition to us. Bacteria are also the world’s greatest recyclers, as they break down dead and decaying matter. Imagine if they were not there – all dead things including trees, animals, birds, insects et al would not be decomposing and disappearing!

In the human body, friendly probiotic bacteria ensure our intestines function efficiently and also produce acids which curb the multiplication of bad bacteria. They also help in lowering cholesterol, beating belly fat, boosting the immune system, protecting the gut and preventing yeast infections.

However, good bacteria can be easily destroyed. It’s when the balance topples, with bad bacteria taking over, that we experience the signs of tiredness, chronic constipation, bloating and other digestive issues.

Even vitamin B12 is produced by bacteria! Today, due to our super-hygienic lifestyles, we have vitamin B12 deficiencies. It’s the pesticides and chemicals present in our fruits, vegetables and grains – not the bacteria – that are poisonous to us! So, the best solution would be to focus on strengthening our immune system with the right diet, rather than fighting the bad bacteria and destroying the good bacteria in the process.

6 ways to ensure you maintain a healthy gut microbiome

1. Avoid antibiotics Take antibiotics only when necessary and under medical advice. Never self-medicate. Every sniffle or sneeze is not a serious bacterial infection.

2. Consume fermented foods Fermented foods such as plant-based yoghurts, kimchi, miso and fermented vegetables and pickles are rich in naturally occurring probiotics.

3. Eat Organic Harmful pesticides and chemicals are not used to grow organic food. By consuming organic produce, you will drastically reduce the amount of chemicals you unknowingly ingest.

4. Have plant-based foods which are whole Whole foods are rich in fibre which serve as prebiotics (food) for the good bacteria and help them flourish in your body.

5. Avoid animal products Since 80% of the antibiotics produced in the world are fed to animals in our food chain, by consuming animal products (whether dairy, meat, fish or poultry) you will be unwittingly consuming antibiotics which may kill the good bacteria in the gut. And of course animal products are also harmful because they have no fibre.

6. Be stress-free Chronic stress can alter the composition and structure of your gut bacteria, throwing it out of balance.