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Why is January a vegan month for hundreds of thousands of people every year and why is the "go vegan for 30 days vegan" challenge.

What is vegan January
Every year in January, there is a "go vegan in January" challenge around the world. In 2021 more than half a million people from 200 countries decided to eat plant-based foods for the whole month. And every year the scale of the action grows. It is more than an experiment, a detox or a desire for a new lifestyle, and its goal is not only to change the paradigms of nutrition, but also to take care of the planet.

The movement began in the UK and today spans the globe. People come to the Veganuary website and sign a pledge to be vegan for 30 days. There are also detailed nutritional guides, nutritionist advice, vegan restaurant addresses, plenty of plant-based recipes, and the opportunity for feedback, collaborations, and support for companies that have massively decided to switch to a plant-based menu for employees. Challenge engages businesses by suggesting they expand their vegan offerings. Last year, more than 825 new vegan products, menus and dishes were introduced to the global marketplace.

The global goal is to protect nature, animals and improve the health of millions of people on Earth. Adherents of the movement write that if there was only one way to save the planet, it would be veganism. In 2021, there are more than 119 million posts on Instagram using the hashtag . It's indicative of the lifestyle that millennials are choosing.

Why does your hand reach for ice cream or chocolate when you're nervous? However, some people lose their appetite from stress - an individual reaction related to the hormonal background of our body.

People react to stress in different ways. Classically: they freeze, attack or "run". There are other reactions as well: taking extra care of loved ones, over-cleaning, and household chores. And probably most of you are familiar with fluctuating appetite in response to stress. For some people it completely disappears, they say: "a piece in the throat does not fit. In others, on the contrary, it increases, and they start to "eat" stress intensively.

Cortisol is to blame.
At least studies have found a link between spikes in the stress hormone and appetite. Premenopausal women were subjected to stress in the lab, determined how much each one released cortisol in response, and sent home for two weeks to live a normal life. Those who initially showed a high cortisol response to stress in the lab ate more in response to everyday stressors.

"As you can" and "only you can."
There are different approaches to stress behavior. On one side, "How can you eat in a situation like this?!" Such people focus all of their attention on the threat and simply can't eat because distractions are not allowed, because the "enemy" can take advantage of the weakness. Food can be thought of when the person is safe. Another reaction is "all you can do is eat. Chewing under stress is a kind of avoidance. The person tries to shift the focus of attention to the food, ignoring threats, as if "switching off". Food calms and relaxes him.

It's not just chocolate that can help us cope with negative emotions: nutritionists are constantly looking for foods that give us peace of mind and confidence. One proven way to restore the health of the nervous system is golden milk.

What to drink to combat bad moods and stress?
In stressful situations that deprive a good mood, sleep and rest, it can be very difficult to relax and turn off your head. Most often, adherents of the wellness philosophy prefer to drink herbal teas in these cases. Herbs such as peppermint, lavender and melissa really help relieve tension. But nutritionist Uma Naidoo has another tried-and-true recipe: golden milk. You may know its middle name, turmeric latte!

Uma is a professor of nutritiology at Harvard Medical School and has a long and deep history of researching herbal ingredients and the effects of herbal teas on the mind and body. And she writes books about how food affects the overall human condition - for example, one of her most recent works is called This Is Your Brain on Food.

Foods for a Healthy Life
The best and must-haves in the diet of anyone who wants to get healthy are fermented foods, omega-3-rich oily fish, and fiber. However, they don't compare in their anti-stress qualities to turmeric and plant milk. The latter does not cause the stress hormone cortisol to spike in the blood like regular milk does.

An ever-evolving trend is "sustainability" in relation to the environment. Offices are reducing paper and plastic consumption, people are striving for zero waste, volunteers are planting trees, and so on. The trend has come to food, too. Here are some recommendations on how to reduce waste in cooking and do less damage to the planet with food.

It seems very difficult to apply sustainability principles to food. Where do you take the time to plan for "healthy" shopping for the right foods, choosing containers, cooking in some special way to reduce emissions and waste...? In fact, it's real if you have a plan. Chef Palak Patel, owner of vegan Indian street food restaurant Dash & Chutney in Atlanta, who heads up the Well + Good 2022 ReNew Year program, offers a week-long guide to transitioning to a sustainable kitchen , she explains how to organize a "sustainable" kitchen, keep food fresh longer, minimize waste, and recycle what you have too and make delicious meals with it. Here's a guide to action by day.

Day 1.
Research your neighborhood markets and bases and find out what foods are realistic to buy in bulk. Make a list and head to the store for an eco-friendly purchase. You can also research online stores and find what you can order in a big bag instead of plastic pre-packs and use for a long time (nuts, cereals, pulses, flour, and so on). But it is profitable to buy in bulk products that you eat all the time. But if you need something for once, in this case, buy the minimum, so that it does not store and does not spoil. For example, one garlic or a few bay leaves by weight.