��ϴ��¼� Kombucha - The ��ϴ��¼� Blog | Gut Health, Recipes & Kombucha Tips

Why I’m vegan: Aleksandra Wielgopolanin

2025-01-07T00:00:00+00:00

Our Technical and Quality Manager, Aleksandra Wielgopolanin loves a challenge. From reading a book a week for a year to training for an ultra-marathon, Aleks always has a goal to work towards. But underpinning all her efforts is her choice to follow a vegan diet.

Aleks’ veganism may have started as a post-COVID experiment she set herself as part of her ‘year of challenges’ in 2021. But it has become an important and enjoyable lifestyle choice that she sees as a fundamental part of her identity.

Embracing the challenge

“I love to challenge myself.” Aleks says.

“It’s not about judging my success, but having a goal helps to motivate me to make positive changes. I enjoy the journey and that was particularly true when it came to learning how to follow a healthy, vegan diet.

“Back in 2021, many of my friends were vegetarian or vegan and I wanted to see if I could follow a vegan diet myself. I had several motivations to cut out animal products from my diet; I was concerned about the dairy industry and wider animal welfare issues surrounding the production of meat and dairy, in addition, for me veganism is an important environmental choice. Once I made the switch to veganism I never lapsed, but I did learn some important lessons that made it much easier and more enjoyable!”

Try Aleks' favourite kombuchas for yourself

Original kombucha

From £24.65 for 12 bottles.

Our Original will always be my Number 1. I'm fan of its pure flavour. Sometimes I brew my own kombucha, mixing different types of teas, and I think the love for the classic fermented flavour grew from that.

Sicilian orange & Yuzu Kombucha

From £24.65 for 12 bottle

Orange & Yuzu is my favourite of our fruity kombuchas. It reminds me of Fanta, which is a taste of my childhood. Now I have a healthy version which is even better!

Ginger kombucha

From £24.65 for 12 bottles

Ginger is great when I need a pick-me-up, either in the morning to start the day better, or when I need a little bit of a vitamin kick because I'm not feeling great - it's the best option.

Find the life in your food

Aleks says that she found the transition to veganism gave her the chance to see food in a completely new way. It was exciting to experiment with food and find new ways to make familiar ingredients the star of her meals.

She says: “I tried a few meat substitutes but quickly realised that they weren’t for me. I didn’t use recipes, I just focused on the ingredients I loved and experimented with how to prepare the dishes I enjoy using just vegan-friendly ingredients.

“There’s lots of life in my food. My cooking skills have improved, and I love to cook for friends and surprise them with the flavour and excitement you can have in vegan dishes.”

Do your homework

If you’re considering adopting a vegan diet for Veganuary, or as a long-term choice, Aleks has some tips:

It’s important to do your homework. I would recommend researching the iron content of different foods to ensure you’re getting enough. Anaemia is a common problem, particularly for women, and it’s simple to top up your iron with a supplement. Make sure you pair it with Vitamin C to aid absorption.
I take vitamin B12 supplements as this can be difficult to find in a plant-based diet. There’s plenty of useful information on the and the is a rich source of tips, recipes and information.
There’s no need to start all at once – why not start with one or two vegan days a week and build up?
Herbs and spices are your friends – even the most humble vegetable can be made into something delicious and satisfying with a little care and creativity.

And one final piece of advice from Aleks…Have fun with your food.

Aleks says: “I think my challenge has been easier to stick to because I didn’t get too hung up on making perfect meals. Sometimes my creativity led to brilliant discoveries, other times I made things I will never repeat!”

Kombucha can help you feel like an Olympic medal winner inside

2024-08-06T00:00:00+01:00

We chat to Team GB Olympic Gold medalist, Hannah Scott, and Ollie Wynne-Griffith, who won Silver in Paris, about why they like to include kombucha in their diet. Have you been inspired by the awesome commitment and resilience of the athletes at the Olympic Games? Have you ever wondered how gut health and nutrition play a role in the training of elite athletes? We’re proud to supply kombucha to Team GB Olympic Rowers and and it’s great to know that the Gold and Silver medal-winning duo relied on our booch right the way through training. Here at ��ϴ��¼� Organic we’ve always believed in the power of kombucha to help you feel your best. For most of us our diet is something we think about with general health and wellbeing in mind, but for elite athletes it’s a crucial part of their training and preparation Before they headed to Paris we spoke to Hannah and Ollie to find out about their training and why they include our organic kombucha in their daily diet. EK – What does a typical day’s diet look like for you during training? OWG – We consume between 5,000 and 6,000 calories per day when we’re training, which means we have 5 meals per day. It’s a real challenge to get enough fuel to support our training regime of three two-hour sessions each day. We have a team nutritionist who works closely with the chef who prepares breakfast and lunch for us – we also have a first breakfast at home before training and an evening meal and snacks that we prepare for ourselves. EK – How do live cultures feature in your nutrition? HS – Our nutritionist is a strong advocate of including probiotics and live cultures in our diet and she helps us to balance the need to consume so many calories with the nutritional make up and diversity of our food and drink. The importance of probiotics and live cultures has become a real focus for our sport in the past two or three years because we know that the cumulative effect of all the small positive things we do makes a big difference to our results. EK – What benefit do you experience from drinking kombucha and including other gut-friendly foods in your diet? HS – For me the benefits of drinking kombucha are really tangible. When I first started training at this level, I struggled to take on enough calories – it was just physically uncomfortable and took a toll on my digestion. Drinking kombucha and eating plenty of fibre have really helped me to have an efficient and healthy digestive system. OWG – We can’t afford to have time out from training. It’s so easy to pick up bugs when travelling and competing in close proximity with rowers from all over the world so it’s crucial to support our immune systems with live cultures and pro-biotics. I have used pro-biotic supplements in the past, but I much prefer the reassurance of getting them from a natural organic product. HS – For both of us, our regular kombucha feels like a treat rather than a chore. It’s a great alternative to a fizzy sugary drink and we look forward to enjoying our kombucha. EK – Do you think a happy gut gives you psychological benefits? HS – I really notice the difference in my mood and resilience when my gut health is good. The gut-brain axis means that supporting your gut health is a wise move if you want to be able to cope well with stress and maintain focus. OWG – Our training is all about the cumulative result of many marginal gains. It just makes sense that anything we can do to help stay fit, focussed and strong is a good idea – especially when it’s something we enjoy! Of course, a daily kombucha boost isn’t just for rowing superstars, we can all benefit from improved digestion, better mood and strengthened immunity – even if the only medal we’re likely to win this summer is for the egg and spoon race at the school sports day. There’s lots more information about and in their British Rowing profiles.

Why I am Vegan

2023-01-06T00:00:00+00:00

My journey to becoming Vegan Like most people, I grew up eating meat, dairy and eggs and never thought twice about eating those foods. I believed that was normal and healthy and couldn’t understand why people took such extreme actions like not having cow’s milk on their cereal or boiled eggs for breakfast. But for 7 years now I have been fully vegan, and my diet has been entirely plant-based. So, what was it that changed my mind and was it the right decision? It began when I was at school and asked my parents if I could become a vegetarian. I’d grown up around farms and countryside and seeing the animal agriculture first hand had connected the animals I saw outside my window with the food on my plate. Once I had connected the two and seen what was involved in producing the food I ate, I decided that I would rather have lentils in my pasta sauce than minced beef. The idea that it was not worth killing an animal just for me to eat meat was fundamental to me for several years, but I never saw any issue with milking a cow or taking the eggs that a chicken had laid. It wasn’t until I went to university that I was exposed to many varying views of the world. This made me want to understand my diet and consumption from all aspects which included researching animal agriculture and the alternatives. The conclusion for me was to eliminate the consumption of all animal products from my life but it is important to recognise that is far from perfect. While I believe there are clear problems with the industries surrounding animal agriculture; plenty of alternative crops / meat-free foods can cause harm to humans as well as the environment when produced in the wrong way. My goal by transitioning to a vegan diet was to do as little harm as possible. My reasons why being Vegan is important For me, animals were the principal reason for becoming vegan. A lot of their exploitation goes unnoticed which is understandable when taking note may also mean removing peoples’ favourite part of their diet. Naturally the worst conditions are in factory farms employed by large corporations who can hide the horrible environments the animals endure. There are now plenty of articles and documentaries for those who are interested in knowing where their meat, dairy and eggs come from. Environmental issues have also become far more apparent through the media in recent years which has meant people are increasingly considering this in the lifestyle choices they make. For me, a vegan diet is a great way to reduce the impact I have on the drain of resources and damage to natural ecosystems. The air and water pollution from intensive factory farms, as well as their high-water use, makes alternative plant crops far more sustainable. Deforestation is also a massive issue: firstly, the land needed to raise the animals and then the vast number of crops that need to be grown to feed them. If the crops were simply fed to humans in the first place, far less land would be needed and hence more land would be protected for vital habitats like the Amazon rainforest. Health is another major consideration in our diets and there are many benefits with a plant-based one. The amount of chemicals involved in producing animal products is alarming. From antibiotics for preventing disease in their horrendous living conditions, to supplements for maximising their yield, all these chemicals result in toxins being left in the food that people eat. Plant crops tend to require and contain less toxins, but this is where organic produce becomes important. Organic fruit, veg and other plant-based products are fantastic for a cleaner, vegan lifestyle. For me, working at ��ϴ��¼� has been great as the company shares the same values around organic and vegan produce. I know that everything I contribute at work goes towards producing a great tasting drink that does as little harm as possible to people and the planet. The nutrition in animal-based foods also tends to be much higher in fat than the plant alternatives which can be an issue if consumed in excess. Ultimately the health effects I have experienced since become vegan are anecdotal but very real for me. I have experienced better moods, improved concentration, better gut health and an overall feeling of increased fitness. This may obviously vary for everyone but for me it has been fantastic. In recent years, finding products that are suitable for vegans has become much easier with increased options and clear labelling for most things. Eating out has also become far more straightforward as most places have clearly marked options. Beyond this, finding brands and products that meet higher standards of environmental and ethical responsibility can be very difficult. Every brand wants to be seen as though they are doing the right thing which can make it very confusing when deciding where to spend your money. Often the smaller natural / whole foods shops vet the products they sell so that customers don’t have to worry so much about researching each individual company. On a larger scale there are independent organisations like B Corp who certify companies based on various ethical and environmental standards. This means that if a company is a certified B Corp you know they meet high standards of social and environmental performance, and you can support them with a clearer conscience. Top tips for plant-based lifestyles So, this Veganuary if you are feeling like trying a plant-based diet out – here are some tips I have learned over the years!

Take it slow - Once I decided to go vegan, it was a slow transition. Try replacing foods and ingredients gradually to find out what works well for your body and lifestyle.
Reduce instead of remove - If you don’t want to go the whole way, maybe just try reducing your meat consumption for a month or two and see how you feel
Vote with your money - Spend some time looking at plant-based brands that you are attracted to and include these products in your diet – by voting with your money, you are automatically having a positive impact on the planet

Of course, so I can always recommend trying some of our delicious living kombucha as a part of your Veganuary adventures. But I would say that! Written by Ben Costello Planning and Production Manager @ ��ϴ��¼� Kombucha

���ϴ��¼� Kombucha - The ���ϴ��¼� Blog | Gut Health, Recipes & Kombucha Tips