A mum who was told by doctors to 'go home and enjoy Christmas as we don't know what your prognosis is,' is celebrating success with her own business making vegan 'cheese.'
Nicky Pryzchodna, who lives in Yarmouth, was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 but beat it to go on to set up Absurd Nutrition. The motivation for starting her own business was because at the time, as a single parent, she didn't even know how she'd afford her own funeral.
Part of working for herself involved looking at her own diet, choosing to become vegan, and four years on, the former gaming industry manager has now qualified as a plant-based nutritionist and is cancer-free. Mrs Pryzchodna is also now married and after changing her diet, says she has lost weight and has more energy.
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"But the downside was that I missed cheese," she said. I wasted a lot of time and money trying to find a suitable replacement, only to find the majority of them went straight into the bin, so I set about making my own."
And called Absurd, her 'cheese' which is aimed to be a tasty substitute for the real thing, with a consistency more like spreadable cream cheese, is proving a big hit.
"I think the major advantage of a vegan making vegan cheese is that I know exactly what vegans are looking for. After about seven months of daily experimentation, I think I have found it. My cheeses have a lower fat and salt content than their dairy counterparts, contain fresh, organic ingredients as well as miso for good gut health and nutritional yeast for, amongst others, that elusive vitamin B12. Absurd Nutrition is, as a whole, rooted in reality. It's ok being told to slow down and get a different job, but most of us have bills to pay.
"My passion lies in helping people like me. Those who have to work too much, who have families, who are cash and time poor, who want to be able to cook delicious, nutritious and economical meals for themselves and their families, who don't have time to fight through the wealth of information out there and find the facts but who want to be healthy enough to watch their children and grandchildren grow up."
Mrs Pryzchodna also works part-time for the Benjamin Foundation in Yarmouth, helping young people, and rents a kitchen space to make the cheese.
Absurd cheeses include different flavours such as onion and chive, garlic and a spicy 'firecracker, all available to order online at www.absurdnutrition.co.uk
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