Recipes & Rituals — vegan protein

The front of a protein powder tub is one of the most misleading pieces of marketing you'll encounter in a health food shop. "Clean." "Natural." "Gut Friendly." "Plant Powered." "No Nasties." These claims are largely unregulated, entirely self-declared and frequently contradicted by the actual ingredients list on the back. Here's how to read past the marketing and assess what's actually in your protein powder — and what the red flags look like when you know how to find them. Step 1 — Ignore the Front Completely Seriously. Turn the product around before you form any opinion. The front of the...

Bloating, Cramps & IBS? Here's What Your Protein Powder Could Be Doing You've done everything right. You're eating carefully, avoiding your known triggers, managing stress. And then you have a protein shake and within an hour your stomach is in knots. Sound familiar? If you have IBS and you're using a protein powder, there's a good chance the powder itself is making your symptoms worse — and the worst part is that most people never connect the two. They assume it's something they ate at lunch, or stress, or a flare they can't explain. The protein powder doesn't even cross...

Following a low FODMAP diet is a discipline in itself. Reading ingredient labels, cross-referencing FODMAP databases, and navigating a food landscape that was not built with your gut in mind takes real effort. The last thing you need is to introduce a protein powder you believe is safe, only to find it sets off the very symptoms you've been working to control.The problem is not a shortage of products claiming to be "low FODMAP," "gut-friendly," or "suitable for sensitive stomachs." The problem is that most of those claims are unverified. This guide explains what the low FODMAP diet actually involves,...

If you have IBS, you already know the routine. You try a protein powder, follow the instructions, and within an hour you're dealing with bloating, cramping, or a sudden dash to the bathroom. You blame your gut. You wonder if protein supplementation is simply off the table for you. It isn't. The problem, in most cases, is not your gut — it's what's in the powder. IBS affects up to one in five people in the UK, and those figures likely underrepresent the real number given how many people never receive a formal diagnosis. For people managing the condition through...