Can wholefoods be tasty foods?

WE ASKED ONE OF THE LOCAL PIONEERS OF WHOLEFOODS ON THE COAST, THREE DONKEYS WHOLEFOODS CAFE OWNER, ROY MUSSALLI ABOUT THE INCREASING FOCUS ON WHOLEFOODS.

Is this just another diet fad for health nuts? ‘I don’t even think of myself as a health nut,’ says Roy. ‘I just think it’s unnecessary to put anything in our bodies that provides no value to our organs and immune system.

‘Wholefoods are as natural as possible, so the benefit is that they don’t have a list of preservatives, artificial flavours, and additives that have no nutritional value. Sometimes those additives are designed to make you crave more, and sometimes they can create inflammations and irritations. That’s not to say, you should entirely avoid foods that have been minimally processed. Cheeses for example, go through minimal processing, but we make sure we only use products with the highest of quality.

What was the trigger that made you switch to wholefoods? ‘My wife, Joanne, had developed an auto-immune disease. We’d tried every medical solution known but were told, “There’s no solution”. Her research told her that one of the biggest impacts on the auto-immune system was diet. She had nothing to lose, so she changed her lifestyle and diet, and it wasn’t too long before she saw improvements.

‘If you’re on a clean diet, your body is working naturally, and is not wasting energy fighting the rubbish in your system.

‘When we set up Three Donkeys, we didn’t want to sell anything we wouldn’t consume ourselves, so that’s why we directed the focus towards wholefoods. Any dish, when made well with quality ingredients and care, allows the flavours to shine. It’s a myth that good food doesn’t taste great, and our café proves that. I love food, and we have made it a point to ensure all our food is extremely tasty while also having that all-important nutritional value. We believe in “eating the rainbow”; try adding as much colour with fruit and vegetables on your plate and you can’t go wrong

I think you’re convincing me. How can we swap processed foods with wholefoods in our diet?

‘You don’t even need to shop in the health isle to eat well, just minimise the amount of food items in packets. It’s that simple.’ Fruit, veges, meats, nuts and seeds are all wholefoods.

If it’s that simple, what stops people from following such a sensible diet?

‘Mostly convenience, especially if you’re time poor. Wholefoods can require a bit more thought, time and sometimes money because you get what you pay for. But when you feel better because of it, it becomes second nature to you. Meanwhile, that’s why we offer our products and service to help people who don’t have time, or are not passionate about cooking.’

That was a not-so-subtle plug. So, what differences will I notice if I change to wholefoods? When you eat well, there are so many advantages that can’t all be listed but, in short, you can expect to have better skin, hair, maintain weight better, have more energy, be less stressed and have an immune system better equipped to deal with unwanted intruders – which all lead to also feeling better. And you can enjoy the true taste of your food.’

Three Donkeys Wholefood Cafe, 6 Ghersi Ave, Wamberal