Whole Food Living - Spring 2021 by Whole Food Living

SPRING 2021 VOL 2 • ISSUE 7

6 Steps to a Plant-Based lifestyle Water fasting Is it worth it?

PLANT BASED

RECIPES Recovery Stories

Janice Marriott: Time to get gardening

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Where we stand THE WHOLE FOOD CONNECTION

Food

Health

Environment

It all starts with our most basic, primal desire. Even before our need for shelter or our desire to procreate, food comes first. The recipes for the food we talk about in Whole Food Living are all based on solid scientific research and clinical experience gathered over the last 50 years.

Our health, good or bad, is the result of the food choices we make. There are genetic and environmental conditions that can affect our good health but for most of us, our health will be determined by what we put on our plates. For this magazine, food and optimal health is the primary focus.

The third and final factor in the whole food connection is environment. Why? Because the condition of our environment is affected by our food choices. Understanding the connection between food, health and the environment is key to developing a sustainable world.

WFL Optimal Health Guide

Whole Food Plant Based The WFL Optimal Health Guide is a simplified, visual explanation of different eating styles. Our policy is to assist and encourage plant-based eating and to explain the significant health benefits available to those that become fully whole food plant-based. WFPB eating is comprised of foods drawn solely from the first four categories of the table. Strictly speaking, sugar, oil and salt are off the menu for people who are fully WFPB based, especially those who have experienced serious medical events. We place sugar, oil and salt along with highly processed foods in the Avoid category as a warning because, unless you prepare everything you eat at home yourself, you are unlikely to achieve a perfect score. In your quest towards better eating, don't let perfect become the enemy of good.

WFL MEDICAL DISCLAIMER The medical and/or nutritional information covered in Whole Food Living magazine is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please seek medical advice before using diet to treat disease.

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EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS Critical contents of this magazine, particularly articles that cover medical issues, are referred to our editorial consultants. Our consultants are: * Dr Mark Craig * Dr Caitlin Randles * Dr Martyn Williamson

Editorial

Good health: It's a fight on all fronts

ith all New Zealand and much of ear from authority. Where climate change is Australia in various states of lockdown concerned, we’re about to find out at a meeting in over the last several weeks it’s hard not Scotland in November just how united the world to think of a whole range of questions that few of really is. On this summit, I’ve got my fingers crossed, us are qualified to answer. but I’m not holding my breath. That doesn’t stop us from having an opinion, of Heck, look at that. Once again, I’ve turned this course, and while many have little trouble finding piece into some mini-review of worldwide affairs an online forum in which to express themselves, when really, I promised myself only a few lines it seems to me there are three common factors above to focus down on the things only I can many of us are losing here: patience, common control. It’s times like these I take heart from the sense and mutual respect. efforts of those around me, particularly the people These are difficult times, and with all the we come across in the production of this magazine. evidence coming out now, it’s becoming perfectly Dr Thomas Joseph and his wife Reen (p26) are clear that our world is changing - dramatically. Peter Barclay, Editor great examples of the kind of people that continue Who wouldn’t be concerned? As I comprehend it, to inspire us. Eagerly beavering away in their own Corona virus will be an ongoing thorn for years to come, making it community to help make a difference, the softly spoken Dr Joseph difficult to book a holiday (if you can afford it) with certainty or for isn’t afraid to identify a spade for what it is rather than referring businesses to plan a fiscal year. And then there’s climate change. to it as a garden implement. Just as we put this edition to bed, some roads in New York City He pulls no punches when it comes to discussing the barriers his had turned into raging rivers. And, since our last edition, in New fellow professionals have in encouraging people to take up plantZealand, areas of Canterbury went underwater while fires burned based eating: how can they, he says, when they’re “addicted” to their way across large parts of the United States, Canada, Greece and Spain. Germany suffered a major weather event. Many have all the wrong foods? And likewise, Dr Michael Klaper (p15) refers died in these tempests, and to top it off, Haiti has had another to “this black hole in medical education that is appalling.” He’s another of our WFPB professionals who, so unambiguously, major earthquake, again, with substantial loss of life. Looking back down under, my thoughts focus on one key points out the knowledge gaps in the good health battle we wage. It’s an area that groups like Evidence Based Eating (p34) and question: what can I do? Obviously, it’s out of my range to change Doctors for Nutrition are fighting to explain, and something the hearts of the Taliban or ISIS-K, or even to prevent a terror EBE’s intrepid leader, Grant Dixon, often refers to as “cognitive attack at a local supermarket, but if people like Dr Rod Carr (p46) dissonance.” There’s so much more to be done on all fronts. are to be taken seriously, being little can still count for a lot. Finally, something from the truly bizarre department. Whole In the ‘free’ world anyway, we haven’t lost the power to take Food Living recently received a release request from a Californian collective action. Surely New Zealand’s effort to battle Corona film company making a zombie movie. Apparently, the cover of virus with its elimination strategy suggests that, but what of our the magazine will feature in their set design. I said yes because ability to measure its support? Many of us have become deeply divided. We’re vigorously I’m a sucker for publicity, but now I wonder if it was wise. Do questioning the collective goal, often without hope of a listening zombie’s see living human beings as whole food?

Cover Design

Viewpoints

NicButterworthDesign

Whole Food Living (ISSN 2624-4101 - Print. ISSN 2703-4313 - Digital, is subject to copyright in its entirety. The views expressed in this publication are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of Iclay Media. No responsibility will be accepted for unsolicited material. No liability is accepted by Iclay Media, the publisher, nor the authors for information contained in this magazine. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and veracity of all content in this publication but neither Whole Food Living nor its publisher Iclay Media is responsible for damage or harm of whatever description resulting from persons using any advice, consuming any product or using any services in Whole Food Living's print, electronic publication or website.

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67 Kayes Road, Pukekohe, Auckland, New Zealand 2120 p. (Peter) +64 27 218 5948 e. editor@wholefoodliving.life w. www.wholefoodliving.life

Producers Editor: Peter Barclay e. peter@wholefoodliving.life

Food Editor: Catherine Barclay e. catherine@wholefoodliving.life

Printer: Inkwise, Christchurch Distributors: Ovato,NZ Post & Iclay Media Contributions & Assistance Contributions & assistance on this issue is gratefully acknowledged from the following: Nic Butterworth, Dr Mark Craig, Dr Martyn Williamson, Liz Williamson, Radha Sahar, Katherine Matthews, Gerald Haslinger, Dr Malcolm MacKay, Jenny Cameron, Penny Garrick, Cathy Duffield, High Carb Health, Dr Thomas Joseph, Janice Carter.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

CONTENTS 20 48

26 General Features 15. Know what you eat Dr Klapper reviews the state of medical health and urges us to know what we are eating.

21. Growing your own Janice Marroitt invites us to get out, enjoy the sun, and grow your own food.

26. Eat and get well Doctors explain their effort to help people become well.

30. Climate Action Innes Hope on climate action in the kitchen.

34. EBE hits Dunedin Second lecture series seen as the most successful yet. 6 wholefoodliving.life | Spring 2021

38. Chipping for health NZ's first publicly funded CHIP programme conducted in Southland Otago.

46. Newsbites Dr Rod Carr explains why being small doesn't stop us doing big things.

50. That IPCC report Sorry, but 1.5c now looks like a reality by 2030.

51. Water fasting Katherine Matthews delves into the benefits.

58. The first steps Janice Carter outlines 6 steps to becoming plant-based.

62. Bookshelf Check out our essential book list. This selection will start you out on a firm footing.

65. Our healthy crossword Test your reading recall with our heart healthy crossword. The answers lay within.

References Many of the articles published in this magazine refer to scientific studies. To view these studies use the QR code or go to the url below.

Click or scan QR image for references. wholefoodliving.life/references-spring-2021/

The inside goss Lifestyle medicine encourages more than just a dietary change, - Gerald Haslinger

The majority of food that goes down your gullet on a daily basis ‘should’ be a whole plant food that you can identify. - Dr Michael Klaper

38 Recipes 12. Potato pancake A high carb answer to an easy meal from Shamiz Kachwalla of High Carb Health.

13. Soba noodle salad This salad with a Japanese twist uses soba noodles, edamame beans and ginger.

18. Macaroni 'cheese' A plant-based dish to tempt the most discerning taste buds

19. Mushroom risotto Ideal for a cool spring evening, delightful mushroom taste.

24. Smoked almond salad Broccoli, smoked almond salad fibre rich and flavourful.

Anyone can grow some food. The trick is to start small, and grow easy plants. -Janice Marriott

29. Polenta & vege stack Super easy, colourful, delicious. What more could want from a vege stack.

32. Stir fry sans fry No oil? You'd never guess. The big secret here is all in the glaze.

36. Fajita A great dish for both colour and flavour. Ideal with tortillas

37. It's a cake! Look what happens when Penny Garrick bakes a cake.

40. Dukkah A simple condiment that adds rich, spicy flavours to meals.

It’s not easy for a meat worker, for instance, or a dairy worker, to hear that the very products they help produce on a daily basis are the cause of their poor health. Dr Thomas Joseph An enormous amount of heart disease and other diseases are due to diabetes and increasingly so. - Prof Jim Mann Overall, fasting is really protective of our health. - Katherine Matthews wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

WFPB ADVOCATES International

Dr Scott Stoll

Dr Michael Klapper

Dr Kim A. Williams

Dr Shireen Kassam

Dr Joel Khan

Dr Renae Thomas

A former Olympian and now is co-founder and chairman of The Plantrician Project and Regenerative Health Institute amounst numerous other organisations.

Gifted speaker on plant-based nutrition. Teaches other health care professions on the importance of nutrition in clinical practice and integrative medicine

An American cardiologist and currently head of a Chicago medical centre. Vocal on the benefits of plantbased nutrition to cardiovascular health.

Founder and director of Plant Based Health Professionals UK. An honorary senior lecturer at King's College Hospital London. Passionate about plant-based nutrition.

An American cardiologist who believes plant-based nutrition is the most powerful source of preventative medicine on the plant: creator or many books and podcasts.

An Australian doctor based at Loma Linda California. Passionate in empowering people to optimize their health through improving their lifestyle choices with evidence based eating

Dr Michael Greger

Dr T Colin Campbell

Dr Alan Goldhamer

Dr Saray Stancic

Dr Nandita Shah

Founder of NutritionalFacts.org a significant resource in both videos and researched writings on the benefits of eating Whole Food Plant-based.

A biochemist and author of The China Study. He coined the term Whole Food Plant-Based, at age 86 he is still regularly speaking at plant based events.

Dr Caldwell Esselstyn

A chiropractor and founder of the TrueNorth Health Centre based in California. Co-author of best selling book, The Pleasure Trap. An expert in fasting for health.

Author of Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease. Former Olympic athlete now directs the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute.

Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis Dr Saray created a movie called Cold Blue showing her wellness journey through adoption of lifestyle medicine.

A registered medical doctor and author based in India, Founder of SHARAN and recipient of Nari Shakti Award for her pioneering work in the field of health and nutrition.

Dr Neal Barnard

Dr John McDougall

Dr Alan Desmond

Dr Dean Ornish

Drs Dean and Ayesha Sherzai

Founder of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and a very active member of the WFPB Community.

Dedicated to helping people transition to a WFPB Diet. Runs 10 day retreats for people making the transition to a plantbased diet.

Leads a Gastroenterology clinic in Torbay, South Devon UK. Advises plant-based dietary treatment for many chronic digestive disorders.

Founder of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research institute, California. Creator of the Ornish program for Reversing Heart disease.

Founders of Team Sherzai, this couple are dedicated to educating people on simple steps to long-term health and wellbeing through their work as co-directors of the Alzheimer's Prevention Program at Loma Linda University in America. They work to demystify the steps to achieving long-term brain health and the prevention of devastating diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia.

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WFPB ADVOCATES Australasia

Dr Mark Craig

Dr Heleen RoexHaitjema

Dr Luke Wilson

Dr Coral Dixon

Drew Harrisberg

Hannah Barnes

A Paediatrician and Co-.Founder and chairman of Doctors for Nutrition. Based in Teringie, South Australia

A GP in Wellington NZ. Co-Founder of Two Zesty Bananas, Board Director of Doctors for Nutrition and co-author of the BROAD study.

A GP in Mt Maunganui, NZ. An advocate of preventative medicine and lives a plant-based lifestyle with her physio husband Brad and their two daughters.

An exercise physiologist, sports scientist, diabetes educator based in Australia who is healthy and thriving with type 1 diabetes.

A registered nurse in Nelson, holds a certificate in plantbased nutrition. She leads workshops and retreats and focuses on helping women to improve their holistic wellbeing.

Robyn Chuter

Dr Adrian Griscti

Dr Libby Forsyth

Gerald Haslinger

A GP in Alexandra NZ. Co-Founder of Plant Strong Living, Founding board member of EBE.NZ and Central Otago Health Services Ltd.

A Naturopath, counsellor, EFT therapist and Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner, Founder of Empower Total Health, Australia. Based in Robina, Gold Coast.

A rural General Practitioner in South Australia. He is a fellow of ASLM, and a Ambassadoc for Doctors for Nutrition. He counsels and educates on healthy living.

A practising medical doctor. Focused on advocating the benefits of WFPB nutrition for managing and preventing chronic diseases. Member of Doctors for Nutrition.

Is the principal psychologist in the Highlands Recovery Support Centre based in Bowral NSW, he is focused on helping people adopt a healthier food lifestyle.

Emma Strutt

Dr Nick Wright

Dr Caitlin Randles

Dr Malcolm MacKay

Dr Peter Johnston

Dr Wayne Hurlow

An Australian practising Dietitian and Nutritionist. Founder of Greenstuff Nutrition. The Queensland Lead Dietitian for Doctors for Nutrition.

A General Practitioner based in Gisborne. Co-Founder of Plantbasedvideos with his partner Morgen Smith. Co-Author of The BROAD study.

A British General Practitioner based in Auckland. NZ. Passionate about educating on Whole Food Plant-based living.

A General Practitioner based in Melbourne Australia. Co-Founder of Plant Based Health Australia. He is Resources Advisor for Doctors for Nutrition.

An Accredited practising dietitian, lifestyle medicine practitioner & wellness coach based in Melbourne. Masters in Nutrition & Dietetics and a PHD in Human Genetics,

A General Practitioner based Tasman. Is passionate about preventative medicine, promoting wellness by addressing the common underlying causes.

A lifestyle medicine and General Practitioner in Ponsonby, Auckland, NZ. Founder of TrueSouth Medical and founding member and deputy chair of EBE.NZ

Hannah O'Malley A clinical Pharmacist and founder of The Better Base in Nelson NZ. She has an eCornell Cert. in Plant-Based Nutrition.

Dr Martyn Williamson

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

Whole Foods Immersion Retreat January 2022

Join us in the beautiful Southern Highlands of NSW on a journey that will optimise your immunity and start your new year on a path to long-term good health. Tailored for people keen to experience the Whole Food Plant-Based lifestyle, this five-day retreat focuses on improving your physical health and overall wellbeing. You will make new friends with similar interests and leave with a clear understanding of what makes whole food plant-based eating so incredibly healthy and why. Backed by qualified professional advice in the areas of psychology, nutrition, exercise physiology, yoga, mindfulness and medical health, our retreats are all about enjoying delicious WFPB meals, moderate exercise, relaxation and personal renewal. What is involved? You can expect to be well fed, entertained, meet new people and learn lots. Your stay with us will involve the following: • Maximum of 20 attendees • Arrive Sunday 2pm, depart Friday 12pm • All WFPB meals provided (special needs catered for) • Daily information sessions regarding WFPB eating available • Daily facilitated gentle exercise • Introduction to stress management techniques • Medical & psychological support as required • Expert guest speakers • One-on-one nutrition support • WFPB movie nights

Where is the Retreat? Your 5 day immersion stay will be based at the lovely boutique hotel, Links House, in Bowral, NSW. Built in 1928 this sedate establishment provides ample reflective space for guests seeking to renew and review their approach to the coming year. What is the cost? We have done our best to make the costs affordable for as many people as possible. All rooms come with private bathroom facilities in our quality four (4) star accommodation located in Bowral. Twin Share cost Queen bed or 2 single beds - $1,999.00 per person Single occupancy Queen bed - $2,399.00 per person Arrive: Sunday January 9th, 2022, from 2.00pm Depart: Friday January 14th, 2022, at 11.00am Please get in touch for more information by calling on 1800 50 40 20 or emailing gerald@hwfi.com.au. We look forward to hearing from and meeting you! The location for the event will be: LINKS HOUSE. 17 Links Road, Bowral NSW 2576 https://linkshouse.com.au

LINKS HOUSE.

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Immersion retreats: What are the benefits?

s a psychologist and health coach I could focus on all the reasons why attending a whole food plant-based (WFPB) immersion retreat is a great idea, according to all the research that has been done to date. And I will share some of that, but more importantly, I made the switch to WFPB eating in June 2020 and attended an immersion retreat in early 2021 which reinforced what I knew but provided a whole lot of additional benefits that I will also share with you. The health improvement benefits of lifestyle change programmes that include a WFPB food lifestyle component have been extensively researched during the last few decades, supporting the emergence of a lifestyle medicine approach to supporting people struggling with their physical health. Programs such as the Lifestyle Heart trials (Ornish), Pritikin Program (Barnard), CHIP Program (Diehl) and more recently the BROAD trial in New Zealand have consistently shown that making lifestyle changes, including a switch to a WFPB diet, will result in improved physical health. Of course, lifestyle medicine encourages more than just a dietary change in supporting anyone challenged by obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and other lifestyle related ailments. Various lifestyle change programmes include a focus on increasing social connection and exercise, focusing on stress relief, reducing alcohol and tobacco consumption, improving sleep as well as introducing a WFPB way of eating. People making major lifestyle changes can find it daunting, involving adopting a whole new way of cooking and eating, engaging in regular stress management activities, exercising more often and working on sleep quality, all at home, usually alone or with a partner. Many of the lifestyle change programmes mentioned earlier are community based and do meet regularly to provide some of that social support but in the end, everyone goes home to tackle the changes alone – a big ask. We aim to make the transition to a healthier way of living easier and provide those that attend an immersion retreat with a glimpse of what life will be like when they have made the change. Some of the benefits of attended our immersion include: • Learn - what WFPB eating is all about and why it is a good idea, by attending daily, engaging seminars where plenty of group discussion is encouraged – learn lots! • Eat well - all meals are prepared according to WFPB principles, so you get to adopt a WFPB way of eating without the need to do any cooking yourself – yum! • Move more - exercise daily in facilitated sessions designed to get you used to moderate daily activity – learn to be more active! • Relax more - embrace relaxation by trying some yoga, mindfulness practice, sit in nature of read a book – relax! Personally, I adopted a WFPB food lifestyle with my wife in

•

You time - enjoy being away from home for a week in relaxing surroundings - look after you! June 2020 following a period of intense grief after we lost our family home in the January 2020 bushfires. We were consuming way too much take-away and processed food, meat, sugar, and alcohol. After finding a great doctor in Sydney who helped us detox, we adopted a WFPB way of eating and found it amazing. We were eating more than usual and were losing weight – amazing. Exercise and self-care activities were also increased, and we haven’t looked back. We then researched WFPB eating extensively, read lots and to cement our knowledge attended an immersion retreat in Anglesea hosted by Jenny Cameron and Dr Malcolm Mackay. Some of the personal benefits we found and expect you will also experience, include: •

•

Shared goal - spending time others who are also interested in adopting a WFPB way of eating as part of a lifestyle change is invigorating – suddenly you will be with others who share your interest in a healthier way of living – amazing! Contributing – sharing your views and hearing what others think during education sessions can be inspiring and helped us get the most out of our immersion – share! Connections – you may build relationships with people at the immersion that will continue to develop when you go home, and we’ve found new connections with even more people through social media as a result! Enduring – the lifestyle changes experienced at the immersion can change your life as it did for us – my wife and I are leaner, more energetic, and there have also been psychological benefits – we feel better mentally too!

If this sounds appealing to you, you too can enjoy these benefits and you will be supported by professionals such as a general practitioner (GP), dietician, nutritionist, psychologist and an exercise specialist, there to answer any questions you have. We will also provide you with access to resources so that you can read about WFPB eating and the Lifestyle Medicine approach whilst you are with us.

Hope to see you at one of our immersion retreats! Gerald Haslinger wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

Potato Pancake If you're like us and you love potatoes you're going to love this easy, delicious potato pancake! Oil free! | by Shamiz Kachwalla - High Carb Health INGREDIENTS 3 - 4 medium potatoes 1 broccoli 2 sprigs of spring onion Half a bunch of fresh coriander 1/2 onion 1 lemon SPICES (optional) 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp coriander 1/2 tsp turmeric

METHOD 1. Cut and boil potatoes and broc until soft, drain and mash. Cool in fridge for 15-20 mins. The key is for the mash to dry. You cannot do this with a wet mash. 2. Cut spring onion, coriander and onion and add to mixture/mash. Add spices as well. 3. Get a non-stick pan and pat on the mash to form a pancake and let it sit on low heat until slightly brown. 4. Flip and do the same for the other side. 5. Serve with a squeeze of lemon, or cut and add on top of a soup of your choice! (Potato dumplings) Shamiz along with his brother Shukul founded High Carb Health to help hundreds of people to heal from Ulcerative Colitis & Chron's Disease. Both are Certified Wholistic Health & Natural Healing Counsellors from the Vibrant Health & Wealth Academy.

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Soba Noodle Salad with Lemon Marinated Tofu A salad with a Japanese twist using soba noodles, edamame beans and ginger | Made for four INGREDIENTS - Tofu Marinade 300g 1 Tbsp 2 tsp 1 2 1 Tbsp

firm tofu low salt soy sauce or tamari ground paprika lemon garlic cloves, minced honey or maple syrup chickpea or corn flour

INGREDIENTS - Salad 180g 100g 2 lrg 1 Tbsp 200g 150g 6 4 1 Tbsp 2 tsp 2 tsp

dried soba noodles baby spinach carrots, grated rice wine vinegar edamame beans, not in pods snow peas, trimmed, thinly sliced cherry tomatoes, halved red radishes, finely chopped reduced-salt soy sauce finely sliced fresh ginger pine nuts, to serve

METHOD - Tofu Marinade 1. Squeeze excess water from tofu and then cut into lengthways strips. 2. Combine all other ingredients other than the flour into a mixing bowl. In another bowl, add enough flour to coat the tofu. 3. After coating, move tofu to the bowl containing the other ingredients. Gently coat in liquid and leave to stand while prepping the salad. 4. Dry fry the tofu in a preheated frying pan with a little water to stop it sticking. Add to the top of the salad. METHOD - Salad 1. Cook the noodles in a saucepan of boiling water following packet instructions. Add edamame beans in last few minutes. 2. Combine soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger in a small bowl for the dressing. 3. Arrange all other ingredients, including marinadated tofu, onto plates and pour dressing over the top.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

"It doesn’t cost any money to order the bean chilly instead of the beef chilly and the results are so spectacular as far as your health goes without giving up any great taste sensation." - Dr Michael Klaper

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Dr Michael Klaper

Everything you eat, you should be able to identify

ohn Robins: Dr Klaper, what is it you find so rewarding about your work?

First and foremost, as a physician, there is no greater joy than watching your patients get healthy, and my patients get healthy right before my very eyes. It’s no small matter. There’s a little levity in the answer because most of my colleagues are upset – ask any cardiologist or endocrinologist, they say their patients are all just getting fatter and sicker. They all need stents, they all need statins. Well, that’s right doctor, if you don’t talk to them about what they are eating, that’s exactly what you are going to see. That’s the difference between myself and most of my colleagues. I zero in on what my patients are eating because that’s the main reason why they have these degenerative diseases. If you can get them on a truly health enhancing diet these diseases go away. It’s so exciting to watch diabetes resolve and high blood pressure resolve and get people off their medication. So, I’m the happiest doctor I know because my patients get healthy. I’d like to share that joy with my colleagues but it’s not so easy sometimes. It's been the focus of my career lately. I’m a happy doctor because my patients get healthy. Robins: Many doctors believe that to ask their patients to make major changes to their diet would be asking too much of them. And, it is true that changing your diet takes a lot more work than swallowing a pill. Some people would be wondering if it really would be worthwhile to go to the trouble of changing their diet? Changing your diet is the one thing that we all have the power to do. It doesn’t cost any money to order the bean chilly instead of the beef chilly and the results are so spectacular as far as your health goes without giving up any great taste sensation. So, all the way around, I would like to tell both the public and my colleagues that people do change. They’re tired of being obese and sick and on a bunch of pills. They really want to get healthier. The word is out that food is so powerful in determining health or disease. And, I’m finding more and more people are ready to make that change. And, if they’re not, that’s fine. I’m a patient guy, and maybe they will be ready six months from now. The idea is to plant the seeds and they will sprout. More and more people are seeing films and watching interviews on TV etc so I’m encouraged by all the people I see who do change. Yes, it’s some work but oh, the rewards make it definitely worth it. Robins: Can you give us some principles or guidelines that can help people to know and enjoy the foods that will be the healthiest possible for them?

The following article was produced from an excerpt of a podcast by John and Ocean Robins of foodrevolution.org. It features an interview with internationally renowned US physician, Dr Michael Klaper, a former medical director of White Cross, Whangarei, from 2006 to 2009. Dr Klaper has practised preventative and nutritional medicine for over four decades. He is the author of several books, is a sourght after public speaker and co-founder of Moving Medicine Forward which focuses on introducing nutritional education to medical schools. The rules are pretty simple. The majority of food that goes down your gullet on a daily basis ‘should’ be a whole plant food that you can identify. Like, that’s a cucumber, that’s a tomato or those are green beans - if that constitutes the majority of your meals, e.g. whole grain breakfasts, lunches and dinners of colourful salads and hearty vegetable soups and stews, steamed veggies and casseroles etc, if they are substantially whole plant foods, you are going to be fine. You don’t have to be 100 per cent vegan. If there’s a little meat once in a while, lightning won’t come out of the sky and strike you dead. But as long as the majority of the foods that you consume on a daily basis are whole plant foods you are going to be fine. That automatically makes the diet high in fibre, high in water content, high in phytonutrients and free of most of the toxins that come in with meat and dairy and refined sugars. Whole plant foods making up the majority of breakfast, lunch and dinners are the key to a healthy diet. The rest kind of takes care of itself. Robins: Most physicians have learned little about nutrition and much of what they have learned is mostly about pathology so, for example, what little most doctors have learned about vegan or vegetarian diets are the pathologies that can occur when these diets are followed in unhealthy ways. I’ve always felt that a physician that doesn’t know about the healing powers of food is like a firefighter who doesn’t know about water. What is it most of today’s doctors, and the general public, haven’t learned about the healing powers of a plant-based diet? Oh my, John! You just put your finger on this huge gaping wound, this black hole in medical education that is appalling. It’s grotesque. It’s embarrassing for my colleagues to walk into an exam room with little or no knowledge on nutrition and trying to

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sort out these diseases. We practice medicine today as if what our patients are eating has no affect on the diseases they’re bringing to us when, the truth is doctor, that is why that patient is sitting in front of you, all obese and diabetic, hypertensive, clogged up and inflamed from what they’re running through their arteries every four or five hours with every meal they eat. It’s just appalling; an appalling oversight that medical education does not include nutrition. As a result, a whole bunch of pills get prescribed that wind up bankrupting the patient and don’t really improve their health. The patient goes and gets a half million dollar coronary bypass and has a wound infection and pulminory embolism in post-op; for what? So they can go out and eat more cheese burgers and pizzas and clog up their grafts. Nobody is talking to them about the reality of what put them on the operating table in first place. We need to totally redesign, not only our medical care system but the compensation system. We’ve got to pay doctors and patients for staying healthy. There’s value to the community for every CEO that doesn’t go down with a heart attack, for every bread winner that doesn’t develop a colon cancer or for every diabetic person who gets his diabetes under control. That’s what we're aiming to do in our Moving Medicine Forward initiative." Dr Klaper dreams of a day when the health system has created a generation of physcians that can walk into an exam room knowing the importance of what their patients are eating and asking about it at the beginning of the interview. But, he says, "there’s still lots of work to do before we reach that point." Robins: As well as heart and other cardiovascular diseases, are there other conditions that can be reliably improved and even completely reversed by shifting to a whole food plant-based diet? It’s hard to think of a disease that doesn’t get better. If you stop hitting yourself in the head with a hammer, the headaches go away. If you remove the cause of the problem, the problem generally resolves. And, if you pick a common degenerative disease, whether its high blood pressure, diabetes, inflammatory arthritis, cirrhosis, colitis, chrons disease, lupus, all of these autoimmune diseases - all of them have a foundation on a diet based on meat, dairy, oils and sugar. They cause disruption at every level from the inflammatory fats this food brings in, to the microbes that it spawns in the gut to the inflammation it sets off throughout the body. This is all due to eating foods that really don’t belong in our human digestive system. We have the same digestive system that our gorilla and other cousins have. They’re up in the trees eating leaves and fruit tonight, and we should be doing the same. We have a digestion system that works on whole plant foods and when we eat that, it’s like putting high strength gasoline in a racing car. It runs great. But, when we start eating the food of the mountain lion and we start eating flesh and processed foods, then inflammation happens and dysfunction happens on many levels. I’ve been just fascinated in all the improvements I see by getting folks onto a healthy diet. So many of these fearsome diseases that, in school, I was taught never go away; they’ll be diabetic the rest of their lives, they’ll have high blood pressure all their lives, all you can do is manage their chronic disease because its ideology is unknown, we don’t understand the causes. Well, all these fearsome diseases, they go poof. Their diabetes goes away, the high blood pressure goes away and you realise it was the food all along. It was the food! Why didn’t somebody tell me this? That’s why I go into the medical schools to talk to the first, second, third year med students and give them the lecture I wish somebody had given me 50 years ago. It would have changed every diagnosis I ever made, every treatment plan I suggested. Absolutely, it beats any procedure, any pill, any therapy, hands

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down. Nothing compares to a whole food plant-based diet in arresting and reversing disease. Robins: Michael, is it true that chronic inflammation underlies an enormous amount of the chronic diseases of our time and if so what is the significance of the fact that in a great many cases, we are able to bring down high sensitivity C reactive protein by eating a whole food plant based diet? That’s such a profound question. It echoes our friend and colleague Dr Neil Barnard who ran a study and compared a whole food plant-based diet to the American Diabetes Association diet. He found again that the plant-based diet outperformed the American Diabetes Association diet. Here we have an echo to that where the same whole food plant based diet outperforms the American Heart Association diet in resolving the problematic parameters of heart disease. It’s the same disease manifesting in all these different organ systems. If you run a high fat, meat based, processed food stream through the tissues then all the organ systems suffer dysfunction. The respective specialists have to deal with it so they’re all sitting in their cubicles and the endocrinologist sees the type two diabetes and the internist sees the high blood pressure, the cardiologist sees the clogged arteries and the gastroenterologist sees the colitis and the chron's diseases and the dermatologist sees the psoriasis and they’re all looking to save disease. It’s a malfunction of the various organ systems when the wrong fuel is put through the system. If you compare any of these specialty suggested diets with a whole food plant based diet then the whole food plant-based diet is probably going to prove itself superior. Plant based foods are healing. Animal foods and processed foods generally set off inflammation. Inflammation lies at the base of so many of these diseases. Robins: They say that, given the right conditions, the body can heal itself. If someone has been eating poorly their whole life, realistically, how much hope is there for results from dietary change? There is huge hope. Box cars of hope. All of us (plant-based) docs have a folder full of patients where it first seems this guy’s a goner, this lady is never going to get better. But time, and a healthy diet and perseverance has shown us this astounding ability for the body to heal. Pick a disease; hypertension and diabetes, diabetic retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy from diabetes – things that make you want to run the other way when you pick up the patients' chart. We’ve seen them get better. People should absolutely have hope and they should also not fall into the trap the other way round – by thinking, ‘well I’ll just get my heart attack and die. I gotta die of something doc. Until then, I’ll eat my burgers.’ Well, I’ve been a physician for 47 years; mother nature’s got some tricks up her sleeve. For those folks with that attitude I would just caution you that one of the most grim things in medicine is to get your stroke and not die. Then you spend your next 20 years in a wheelchair drooling with some pretty nurse wiping your backside because you can’t reach back there with one hand. Takes the joy out of life. Takes the romance out of marriages, I tell you. Big time! Get your heart attack and die? Let me tell you, you get your heart attack and you loose two thirds of your heart muscle so you get out of breath walking to the mail box and everywhere you go you’re going to have oxygen tubes up your nose. Now, you’re a cardiac cripple. Life gets a lot of not fun at that stage. So, I would tell people, don’t get too cavalier about this. Every meal matters and no matter how bad your disease state may be, the body doesn’t want to be inflamed. It doesn’t want to be crippled up. It wants to get back to a state of health again and if you give it the right diet and lifestyle and other benefits like enough sleep etc, the body can heal in ways that are just astounding to observe.

Understanding your endothelium layer

t is estimated that the human body contains over 160,000 kms of veins and arteries. Our veins and arteries are lined with an extremely thin (only one cell thick) membrane called the endothelial lining and there’s enough of it to cover over six tennis courts if it were laid out flat. Robins: Some cardiologists say that the endothelium is the key to living a long and healthy life. Dr Klapper, can you help us understand why they would say that? It’s amazing how dependent we are on these delicate, delicate mechanisms in our body, one of which is the lining in our intestinal tract that separates the food we eat from our bloodstream. It’s literally only one cell thin. And, in our lungs, that separation membrane from the outside air; well it’s the same thing this one cell that lines our blood vessels, it’s almost magical in the quality it has. It’s got to be gossamer smooth so the red blood cells that are delivering oxygen can slide along so they don’t injure either themselves or the lining. The endothelial lining is chemically active. It puts out a molecule called nitric oxide that relaxes the blood vessel and lets it expand and take up that shockwave that comes out of the heart with every beat. A healthy endothelium puts out enough nitric oxide to allow the blood vessels to be nice and elastic and spongy to take those shockwaves so the downstream delicate organs in your eye and your kidney don’t get injured from the high blood pressure. The closer you look at the endothelial lining the more remarkable it is.

Under the electron microscope you see sticking up from the surface of this endothelial lining a forest of protein threads, little fibrils called the glycocalyx. It’s like the non-hook part of Velcro. It’s almost a spongy fabric layer on the inner surface of the endothelium. It’s there to cushion those red blood cells so they don’t injure themselves but also, the glycocalyx absorbs salt. When you eat a salty pizza or a slaty pretzel, a good half teaspoon of salt gets absorbed into these fibrils of your glycocalyx which is part of the endothelium so there isn’t a big surge of salt that gets absorbed into your tissues, it buffers the salt meals for us. The endothelial does so many things. You could spend your whole career just studying this amazing organ that nobody thinks about, that nobody even knew it even existed until a few years ago. The upshot, of course, is it takes care of your glycocalyx. Don’t injure it with cigarette smoke, don’t injure it with high fructose corn syrup, don’t injure it with too much salt in your diet or oxidising agents or hydrogenated oils. Be gentle with your glycocalyx and your endothelial linings. Those dark green leafy vegetables are mother’s milk when it comes to your endothelial lining. Eat lots of greens as Dr Esselstyn would tell us. Don’t do things that hurt your endothelium and it’ll last you a lifetime and keep looking after your better interest.

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Plant-Based Macaroni Cheese Loved by the family and very filling | Serves 6 | by Janice Carter INGREDIENTS 1 onion, finely chopped 3 cups dry wholemeal pasta (gluten if possible) 2 cups plant-based milk 1 cup water 1/2 cup nutritional yeast 1 cup cashews** 1/4 cup yellow capsicum, chopped 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp Massell Vegetable stock (or 1 cube) 1/4 cup cornflour 2 tsp salt (optional)

**If you can leave the cashews to soak in water overnight or for 2 hours before blending, it makes the process easier. Drain off the water before using.

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METHOD 1. Cook chopped onion in a little water until softened. 2. Cook macaroni until just done – don’t let it overcook. 3. While macaroni is cooking, blend the remaining ingredients for about 2 minutes until very smooth. 4. Drain cooked macaroni and return to pot. 5. Add cooked onion. 6. Add whatever cooked vegetables you like (leftover roast veggies chopped small, frozen mixed veggies, finely chopped zucchini & carrot) 7. Pour blended mixture into hot drained macaroni and onion and cook together until thick, stirring all the time, so no lumps develop. 8. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes before serving or put in a greased rectangular casserole, cover with breadcrumbs that have had two teaspoons of mixed or Italian herbs mixed into the breadcrumbs and bake until golden (or place under a gentle grill element but watch it doesn’t burn).

Creamy Mushroom Risotto Great for a cool spring evening, Creamy with a distinct mushroom taste | Serves 6 INGREDIENTS 1 med 5 cups 2 1 1/2 cups 6 cups 1 cup 1 Tbsp 1 cup 1/2

onion, finely chopped button or cremini mushroom, sliced garlic cloves, crushed brown basmati rice vegetable stock cashews** nutritional yeast spinach, chopped red capsicum, diced

**If you can leave the cashews to soak in water overnight or for 2 hours before blending, it makes the process easier. Drain off the water before using.

METHOD 1. Saute onions in a frying pan with a little water or stock until softened and translucent. 2. Add in the mushroom and garlic, stirring through, and continue to cook for a few more minutes with the lid on. 3. Add the rice and mix through the onion mix. 4. Include half of the vegetable stock (3 cups), cover and simmer for 20 mins. 5. While waiting for the rice to absorb the liquid blend the cashew nuts with a small amount of the vegetable stock until smooth. 6. Add in another 1 1/2 cups, mix through and cook for a further 10 mins. 7. Finally, add the last amount of stock along with the spinach, capsicum, cashew mix and nutritional yeast. Simmer for 10 mins. 8. Serve garnished with parsley and ground black pepper.

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by Janice Marriott

Feed your body and soul by growing your own food

Leave your kitchen and go into the garden. Breathe deeply. Feel the sun. Anyone can grow some food. The trick is to start small, and grow easy plants.

was telling the story of Jack and the Beanstalk to a child. We had just planted beans in a circle and zucchini seeds in an outer ring. It was November last year. “Here’s Jack exchanging his cow for three bean seeds. Wow! His mother was angry! But wait. Those bean vines grew so strong that Jack could climb them to find treasure! Imagine how many beans Jack’s family collected, ate, and stored for the winter! And we know beans grow year after year!” I like to think of Jack and the Beanstalk as being an ancient folk tale about the value of edible plants compared to the value of one cow, and about the value of growing your own. In Auckland I can grow food all year round. In my sloping city garden I have fruit trees, four compost bins and five small vegetable plots. Winter can be a little bit like office work; it’s about planning, future proofing and time management - and dreaming into a mug of hot soup while reading Whole Food Living. But now, early spring, is time to drain the last dregs of pearl barley, get off the couch, go outside and admire the beginnings of new life. There are purple cyclamen, daffodils, and the furry-looking buds of a white magnolia just waiting for the kereru. Being outdoors makes me feel more energetic - and hungrier. Gardening, I am convinced, feeds the soul as well as the gut. Leave your kitchen and go into the garden. Breathe deeply. Feel the sun. Anyone can grow some food. The trick is to start small, and grow easy plants. But what to plant? In The Well-Gardened Mind by Sue Stuart-Smith I read that Israeli archaeologists have discovered that around 23,000 BC some humans living beside the Sea of Galilee grew green peas, lentils, figs, grapes, almonds, olives and a cereal like wheat. Pulses, legumes, fruit, nuts and cereals. Sounds perfect to me. Dig a square plot. Vegetables like loose, light soil so dig deep. Add lime and compost then put a border around the bed. Old bricks or pavers are good. Plant sprawly, scrawly plants like thyme, alpine strawberries, chamomile, marjoram, parsley to grow between the bricks, or you could go bold and bright with marigolds, nasturtiums and onions. These three will annoy any leaf-eating bugs. Sprigs of rosemary around the beds will help deter slugs and snails. Inside your square start with the centrepiece, maybe a dwarf fruit tree. They produce full-sized fruit but grow less than two meters tall, so the fruit is easy to pick, and they rarely need pruning. The Ballerina columnar apple tree is no more than 50 cm wide. Or try the dwarf Garden Delight nectarine. There’s the Belle

de Jumet pear or the Agrigold self-fertile dwarf apricot or try a lemon or a grey-leaved, artichoke. Of course my own centrepiece will be, in honour of Jack, a bamboo tepee around which we’ll plant scarlet runner beans. You can buy your veggie plants as seedlings, or you can try growing them from seeds. If this is your first season growing your own food buy seedlings. But soon curiosity will get the better of you. You and your children will want to be like Jack and plant seeds and be amazed as they transform into plants. Use seed trays or recycled polystyrene fish bins and seed-raising mix for your seeds. When you have tiny filigree seedlings to transplant, after having raised them from seed, it’s much easier if you lay the bunch of seedlings on the ground and pick each one up from there. It’s amazing how much easier it is to separate them this way. Around your centrepiece choose small, well-behaved plants. Small lettuces like buttercrunch or, smaller still, Tom Thumb or Little Gem, are the open-hearted sort from which you can constantly pick individual leaves for salads. Plant them in a shady corner with maybe a red lettuce. Red-leafed Komatsuma mustard spinach is a great cut and come again leaf if you like a salad that tingles. In the summer, lettuces don’t like too much sun so they will flourish in the shade of silver beet or onions. Other easy to grow greens are Asian greens. For a supply of Asian stirfry veggies try Kings Seeds Mesclun Oriental mix. Dandelion greens have about twice as much vitamin A as spinach. Picked early in the spring when the leaves are small, they are slightly bitter like endive or chicory. New Zealand spinach is this country's only indigenous salad vegetable. It takes a while to germinate (up to three weeks) but once it's planted out into your garden or in a pot it will look after itself. It’s a rambling vine with large fleshy leaves that wilt very quickly so harvest just before eating. It turns bright green when steamed (just 1 minute in the microwave or steamer). Peas are a favourite in-the-garden snack for children. They come gift wrapped in their own pod. 'Dwarf Massey' doesn't need staking. I put twigs from the pomegranate tree beside the plants and the peas cling to them. We also love Petit Provencal. Baby squash are ready for harvest in just a few weeks. Yates has three baby squash to choose from in its seed range. Green Button produces little, round, pale green pillows that look good when

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they’re served whole. These and Yellow Button and Squash Mix can be baked, steamed, or lightly cooked and tossed into a salad. Zucchinis are easy growers too and you can pick them when just finger size and at their most tender. Buttercup is the compact pumpkin for the small family. A thin green outer shell protects the contrasting bright orange interior. Unlike most other pumpkins, Buttercup won’t take over the entire garden. Tomatoes can take up a lot of room so choose smaller Sweet 100s. Even smaller are Window Box Red from Kings Seeds, and Yates’ Small Fry, and Tiny Tim designed for pots and hanging baskets. Yates Small Fry has cherry-sized tomatoes on a sprawly bush. I scatter radish, rocket and coriander seeds in one section. They germinate easily. A row of onions between each row of carrots and radish will dissuade the carrot rust fly from laying eggs. I often grow onions or chives or carrots as dividers between leaf crops. Or you could edge the different plantings with easy-to-grow chives. You can cut chives down at least twice and they’ll grow more chives. Chive flowers are edible too so leave some of the lovely pink flowers. I like a row of large white daikon radishes too. The daikon root has a crisp, mild flavour and is good in salads or soups or pickled. Take care when you dig daikon up: they are brittle. They’ll last for up to two months if you cut their leaves off and keep them in your fridge. All through the year I have silver beet growing, especially the red, yellow, orange and pink stemmed varieties, like Bright Lights. I always have beetroot and leeks too. Beetroots will sit in the ground, during rain, frost, or even snow, and don’t get woody or bitter. They make great soups, salads and pickles. Look for a compact variety,

like Cylindra. Leeks are deliciously sweet when eaten small. If you do leave them in the garden, they make wonderful starry flowers on tall stalks the following summer. It’s so important to show children how plants grow. Help them sow carrots, strawberries in hanging baskets, pumpkins, sunflower seeds, runner beans, peas, cherry tomatoes of unusual colours, or bright edible flowers like nasturtiums or marigolds. Marigold petals look like saffron in rice dishes, cakes, and bread or let the children toss fresh petals of heartsease pansies and blue borage into a salad. Give the kids their own fruit plot if you have the space. In the centre try a berry bush, a guava, or a tamarillo if you are in a warm area. Look at the Incredible Edibles range online for more ideas. Plant different types of strawberries. There are very sweet white ones that don’t tend to get dive-bombed by birds, and tiny alpine ones that are so secretive they are a delight to hunt for. Plant a Cocktail Kiwi! They are mouth-sized mini versions with a very thin, sweet skin, and are ideal on desserts and in kids' lunchboxes! You can train it along a wall, pergola, or trellis. Another lunchbox treat are Flatto Peaches which are easy for kids to hold. By November your plot will be thriving and so will you. Water it regularly while you listen to the birds and bees, and you’ll be eating salads and stir-fries throughout the summer and autumn. Now, what can I eat tonight? The silver beet have small leaves now and thick stalks. They’ve given and given all through winter, as has the kale. There’s beetroot, NZ spinach, parsley, a few carrots, rocket, coriander, chives, leeks, celeriac, pak choi. Most mysteriously there’s a broccolini that has grown through the winter and is now 5 feet high. Hmm. Maybe it was planted by that fabled Jack’s sister, Jill.

Give children their own garden space.

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Kumara and Cumin Hummus Oil free hummus made in bulk, can be frozen into small portions | by Penny Garrick INGREDIENTS 500 gms cooked chickpea plus some of the cooking water 2 lrg roasted kumara 2-3 garlic cloves 1 tsp kelp powder 3 Tbsp whole tahini, pour off any accumulated oil on top. 2-3 lemons, juice 1-2 tsp cumin powder 1-2 tsp cumin seeds, dry roast till slightly browned 1 tsp chilli paste or fresh chilli, chopped ground pepper

METHOD 1. Soak dried chickpeas overnight or a minimum of eight hours. Drain and refresh the water. Boil until softened, approx 45 mins. 2. Roast unpeeled kumara with a bit of water, and cover the oven dish with foil to keep the kumara moist until cooked thoroughly, approx 45 mins. 3. Drain chickpeas reserving the cooking water, and put chickpeas into the largest bowl of your food processor. 4. Add roughly chopped kumara, garlic, pepper, kelp, tahini, lemon juice, cumin powder & seeds and chilli. 5. Pour in about one cup of reserved chickpea cooking water and whiz thoroughly. Add more water if the mixture is too thick. Add additional flavourings to taste. Other alternative ingredients instead of the kumara and cumin • Caramelised Onion • Roasted red peppers • Roasted beetroot wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

Broccoli and Smoked Almond Salad Fibre rich salad with texture and flavour. Great addition to any meal by Naphatsanan Yongsirirungruang INGREDIENTS - Almonds Topping 1/2 cup 1 Tbsp 1/4 tsp 2 drops

almonds tamari (soya sauce) smoked paprika liquid smoke

METHOD - Almonds Topping 1. Combine all ingredients into a bowl and soak for a few minutes while the oven heats up. 2. Heat oven at 180°C and line a pan with baking paper or a silicon liner. 3. Move almond mix onto the tray in a single layer. Bake for 10 mins. 4. Shake mix and return to oven for a further 5 mins. 5. Remove from oven, allow to cool before adding to salad.

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INGREDIENTS - Salad 2 heads 1 cup 1 1/2 Tbsp 2 tsp 1/4 cup 1 tsp 1 1/4 cup 1/2 cup

fresh broccoli, cut to small florets soy yoghurt apple cider vinegar dijon mustard red onions, diced finely maple syrup or honey garlic clove, minced cranberries roasted almonds (see recipe below)

METHOD - Salad 1. Steam broccoli until soft but not mushy (most recipes for broccoli salad blanch the broccoli, but we prefer them softer ... totally up to you). 2. In a large bowl, mix together the vinegar, mustard, maple syrup and garlic. 3. Add in the broccoli, red onions, cranberries and roasted almonds and toss to coat.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes Smooth creamy mashed potatoes with a distinct garlic flavour by Naphatsanan Yongsirirungruang METHOD

INGREDIENTS 1 4-5 1

whole garlic bulb yukon potatoes (approx 1 kg) vegetable stock cube (optional)

1. First, trim the top of the garlic bulb. Sit in foil, curling the sides up to form a bowl shape, pour a tablespoon of water in bowl. Close top of foil over and roast in the oven at 180°C for 1 hour. 2. Peel the potatoes and place into a large pot covering with water, bring to boil then simmer for 10 mins. 3. Add the stock cube into the boiling water and mix gently to dissolve. Simmer for another 10 mins or until a fork can pierce the potato easily. 4. Drain the potatoes, keeping a cup of the liquid. 5. Mash the potatoes with a ricer or hand masher, then fold in the roast garlic and the liquid from the potato in small amounts. To make it more creamy, whisk with a fork. If too dry, add a small amount of plant-based milk. 6. Serve with ground black pepper and diced chives, parsley or rosemary.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

Eating your way to wellness By Diana Noonan

How can the doctor who is overweight because she is addicted to sugar and oil, ask her patient to give up the same?

oung, newly married, in good health, and highly qualified … the world should be your oyster, right? That’s what Dr. Thomas Joseph, currently a GP at Invercargill’s He Puna Waiora Wellness Centre, thought. But as he was to discover shortly after starting work as an anaesthesia registrar, nothing could have been further from the truth. Thomas, who was twenty-five at the time, and living in his former home of Kerala, India, was about to receive a devastating diagnosis. Just months after he was married, he started experiencing stomach pain, nausea and what seemed like repeated bouts of gastroenteritis. His first instinct was to attribute the symptoms to his hectic new work schedule and his associated poor diet of takeaways. However, when a bowel obstruction landed him in hospital, and resulted in the loss of a significant portion of his intestine, he knew the situation was much more serious. A subsequent diagnosis of Crohn's Disease outlined a dismal future; the apparently incurable chronic inflammatory bowel disease would mean a lifetime battling painful symptoms that could be mitigated only with steroids. However, the everincreasing doses of steroids prescribed him, only exacerbated the symptoms, as did the advice from health professionals to eat more red meat and move away from fibre-rich, plant-based, foods. It was not a future Thomas was prepared to accept, and so began his search for a better outcome.

Researching the facts Having been raised a Seventh Day Adventist, Thomas was aware of its vegetarian philosophy, but wasn’t strictly following the Christian movement’s best dietary practice. Now, with science being of little help with managing his diagnosis, he turned more towards researching the facts behind the faith-based alternative. Gradually, Thomas began making changes to his diet, starting first with eating more fruit and vegetables, then eating only minimal amounts of meat, and eventually eschewing powdered spices. But, although his health improved dramatically, he was still not a complete convert to wholefood plant-based eating. Then came a shattering relapse. A move to New Zealand in 2004 saw Thomas’ ill health return, with stomach ulcers necessitating more surgery – and more advice to continue eating red meat while avoiding fibrous foods. It was a turning point. This time, Thomas would ditch the steroids and other medications altogether, and adopt a wholefood plant-based diet in a much more serious and dedicated way.

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Husband and wife team, Doctors Thomas Joseph and Reen Skaria. Meat and fish were the first to go, then all dairy products. As the beneficial affects were experienced, Thomas would seek out the research that helped explain them. A new job at Otago University was a huge help in this respect, as it gave him access to an academic library and the internet. Along with his Adventist teaching, and access to research at the church’s Loma Linda University in California, it was a valuable combination. As we now know, it was only a matter of time until the world began accepting the healthy reality of ‘lifestyle medicine’, but it still came as a revelation to Thomas. Despite having grown up with an Adventist minister father who was dishing out this advice to his congregation on a daily basis, his son, it seems, had to go full circle before coming to believe in it himself. Not all medical practitioners, however, are in agreement with the concept of lifestyle medicine, and even today, Thomas finds himself ‘flying under the radar’ when amongst his peers. Although his own health centre has been fully supportive of him providing patients with lifestyle medicine information he believes will benefit them, it’s not something he would necessarily feel comfortable sharing with doctors in other practices. In fact, when Thomas presented a paper on nutrition and medicine when working as a medical registrar at Southland Hospital, some staff were outrightly dismissive of it. Even today, Thomas is discreet in offering lifestyle advice to patients – it’s not

something he shouts about to the medical world in general. The difficulty in achieving main stream adoption of lifestyle medicine, says Thomas, is that, regardless of evidence-based research, if practitioners themselves are not living it out in their own lives, they will be reluctant to suggest it to patients. What is it then, that sees medical professionals disregard the evidence? Thomas’ answer is short and clear: “Addiction”. If, in order to give out sound advice, one must practise what one preaches, and this practice involves the giving up of addictive lifestyle habits, how can it ever happen? How can the doctor who is overweight because she is addicted to sugar and oil, ask her patient to give up the same? How can the dietician who is addicted to meat eating, advise their patient not to eat chicken and beef? Even the GP who is practising what he preaches, is up against enormous odds, especially when his patients are drawn from economically and educationally marginalised sectors of the community. Thomas compensates for this by seeking out opportunities where he can.

Opportunities for discussion “If I’m presented with a patient who’s just had an angina attack, or whose blood sugar levels are through the roof,” he says, “there’s a chance they will be a little more open to suggestions of lifestyle change.” If they are, Joseph lets them know the facts, and that it’s their choice, entirely, as to just how far they can realistically move toward making changes. But with this, comes an encouraging piece of news that every patient will want to hear. “The further you go in making lifestyle changes,” says Thomas, “the more your health will improve. It’s not ‘all or nothing’. Even if all you can achieve is a wholefood plant-based meal once or twice a week, that will still make a difference. Even starting out small can allow your GP to begin cutting back on your medications.” Unfortunately, food preference isn’t the only barrier to making healthy lifestyle changes. The reality for many, and especially for those who face poverty, mental illness, family violence and housing insecurity, is that mood, time, and economics play a major factor in the ability to embrace a healthier way of life. After all, how many in New Zealand (‘the land of plenty’), unless they are growing it themselves, can afford fresh fruit and vegetables in abundance? Thomas is the first to acknowledge this and has gone some way towards addressing the social problems his patients face by helping them budget time and money. He has also taken on the role of dietician. One of the ways he’s done this is through offering free cooking classes and short health talks for the community, over the past ten years. He and his wife, nurse educator, Dr Reen Skaria, now also conduct free community-based health retreats in Southland, where they live. They are assisted by volunteers, without whom, the couple say, the retreats could not operate. Despite the fact that running retreats is not their ‘core business’, and that there is much Thomas and Reen are ‘learning on the job’, they are encouraged by the results.

An holistic approach The 3-day holistically-approached, lifestyle retreats take place at Camp Columba, in Gore, and include easy-recipe cooking classes, and short talks on physical, mental and spiritual health issues. Thomas is quick to point out that spiritual health, in this context, is not about a religion, but more about relationship, aspiration, contentment, and love. Forgiveness, empathy, and purpose-in-life are of equal importance, with all aspects of spiritual life impacting on physical and mental health. He Puna Waiora Wellness Centre, which promotes the retreats, is instrumental in their continuing, affording Thomas 10 days paid leave a year so he can conduct the classes. The retreats are not heavily advertised, but word is spreading outside of He Puna Waiora Wellness Centre, and the demand

is there despite Southland being one of the more conservative regions in the country. Southland’s tendency towards conservatism is certainly part of the difficulty of talking ‘lifestyle change’ admits Thomas. “It’s not easy for a meat worker, for instance, or a dairy worker, to hear that the very products they help produce on a daily basis are the cause of their poor health.” Nor is it easy to dissuade a southern population to lay off the soft drink, beer and wine, in favour of water. But for all that, many patients are willing to make some changes to their lifestyle, and some even embrace, completely, the notion of wholefood plantbased eating. It’s not uncommon to hear the latter say the changes to their diet have completely turned their lives around – weight has dropped off, symptoms have disappeared, and the need for medications has been reduced or eliminated. But what about those who have already, and for many years, embraced wholefood plant-based eating, along with other recommended lifestyle changes, yet still succumb to serious illnesses such as cancer? Does this negate the positive research Thomas talks about? “Not at all,” he says. “We are living in a world surrounded by carcinogens. It’s unrealistic to expect we won’t be affected by these. The pesticides on our vegetables and fruit, herbicides in the soil, and household cleaners, all destroy the helpful bacteria in our gut biome. When this important aspect of our health is lost, we cannot expect a wholefood plant-based diet alone will protect us. What it will do, however, is reduce the likelihood of illness occurring, (thus improving the quality of life), and extend our lifespan by 5 to 7 years. For anyone considering adopting Thomas’ lifestyle advice, perhaps one of the greatest catalysts for change comes through the growing understanding of diet and intergenerational epigenetics. There is much to suggest that not only does a wholefood plantbased diet have the ability to switch gene expression on and off in our own bodies, but it can also influence the gene health of future off-spring. When young people are already facing an uncertain future in a climate-changing world, what parent wouldn’t choose to give their children the very best start in life!

THREE DAY LIFESTYLE RETREAT

5-7 September 26-28 September 14-16 November 12-14 December Camp Columba, Pukerau, Gore

For more information contact josth98p@gmail.com wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

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Polenta and Vegetable Stack This super easy yet very colourful and delicious stack is a great lunchtime plate to impress guests. by Janice Carter INGREDIENTS

METHOD

For the polenta base: 1 cup 3 1/2 cups 1 1 1 1 tsp 1/4 tsp 3 Tbsp

polenta water massell vegetable stock onion, finely chopped garlic clove, crushed onion powder garlic powder toasted sesame seeds a good handful of fresh herbs chopped finely (pasley, chives, oregano, basil) or 1 1/2 tsp italian herbs

Suggested vegetables for the stack: 2 red onions, peeled and cut into six wedges 2 red bell peppers, each cut into eight long strips 6 zucchini, halved lengthwise 6 large flat mushrooms 10 cherry tomatoes halved as many garlic cloves as you like, peeled.

Oil-Free Pesto Incredible taste and very simple to make. A great addition to the vegetable stack. INGREDIENTS 2 cups basil leaves 2 cups baby spinach leaves 3 Tbsp pine or walnuts 1 med tomato 4 garlic cloves, peeled 1 lemon 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

For the polenta base:

1. Use a large non-stick pot. 2. Place water, onion, garlic, onion and garlic powders, stock cube into the pot and bring to a boil. 3. Turn heat down and simmer for a few minutes to allow the onion and garlic to cook. 4. Bring back to high heat and slowly pour in the polenta, whisking vigorously, so no lumps form. (Watch for splashes). 5. Stir in the sesame seeds and herbs. 6. Turn heat down again and put the lid on and allow to simmer for 3 minutes. 7. Press polenta into a baking paper lined rectangular baking dish and place in the fridge to set for 1 hour For the vegetable stack:

1. Turn the oven on to 180°C and line a roasting dish with baking paper. While it is heating, prepare the vegetables. 2. Place all vegetables in a large bowl. Mix ½ tsp vegetable stock into 3 Tbsp of water. 3. Using your hands, mix seasoned water through all the vegetables until evenly coated. 4. Lay onions, peppers, zucchini and garlic in a single layer on a roasting dish. 5. Roast until softening, then add mushrooms and tomatoes and roast until all vegetables are cooked and golden. To Serve:

1. Cut polenta into triangles, dip each wedge in a little raw polenta to stop them sticking and grill for 5 minutes on each side or place in a sandwich press and cook until golden. 2. Place two hot wedges of polenta on a plate and arrange vegetables attractively on top. Place a few baby spinach leaves among roasted vegetables. 3. Drizzle the stack with a relish or pesto (see recipe to the left).

METHOD 1. Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Add small amounts of water if it seems too dry. 2. Store in the fridge for a week and freezes well.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

Climate action in the kitchen by Innes Hope Media

We do our best to source reliable information. New data are being released all the time. Most ‘numbers’ fall within a range . A big shout out for climate scientists We and our children may well owe you our lives.

30 wholefoodliving.life | Spring 2021

Voices from Pantries Past

hat will people be eating in 2063? I think as I stare at our pantry, blessed with nutritious, tasty foods and ingredients from around the world. ‘And how will it relate to the past?’ I wonder, recalling my mother’s store of preserves. Everything is of inter-generational relevance. When the Maori people first landed in Aotearoa, how on earth did they discover what plants were safe to eat? What skills they must have had! I drift back in time … It’s 1863 My great, great grandmother arrives in the barren goldfields of Central Otago. Seasonal temperatures are extreme, but the weather is stable. She is unaware that Irish physicist John Tyndall has recently discovered the greenhouse effect and, even if she was, it wouldn’t seem relevant to her life. She is busy planting potatoes, pumpkins, cabbages, and a walnut tree. Flour and sugar are hauled in by bullock wagons. Rabbit fills her humble pies. “Life here is challenging,” she tells me. Only three of her twelve children survive. Over the Next Two Generations Things improve for my great grandmother as irrigation trenches are dug. Fruit trees are now doing well in the semi-desert heat, cabbage and kale survive the freezing winters, and walnut trees are yielding. It’s 1896 and Swedish scientist, Svante Arrhenius is predicting that industrial-age coal burning will see the "man-made greenhouse" expand - a few degrees Celsius for a doubling of CO2, (as today’s climate models show). My grandmother is born and grows up with no idea of such things. Time passes and she marries. By 1930, as the global population reaches two billion and the great depression hits hard, Granny manages – just – to feed a large family, casual farm workers, and occasional homeless wanderers through the dark times. I hear her musing, ‘My grandchildren will be born into a world of plenty!’ 1963 It’s a hundred years now since my great, great grandmother immigrated. I am entering my teens. Charles (Dave) Keeling, measuring atmospheric CO2 in Hawaii and Antarctica, is about to provide proof that CO2 concentrations are rising. The US President’s advisory committee issues a warning that climate change is of ‘real concern’. There are now three billion people on Earth. Dinner at our house is basic; meat n three ‘veg,’ and a simple dessert. Granny lives with us and makes me lemon sago pudding. Yum! Our family knew nothing about climate change, yogurt,

pecan pie or cashews, or peanut butter. Tofu, hummus, olives and avocado have yet to enter the scene, and falafel, tacos, and Pad Thai are unknown words in a different language. “Remember the treats you loved so much?” my mother smiles. Canned guavas, and fresh pineapple from Australia. Wow! What luxury! 2021 I’m in a supermarket, assailed on all sides by new, processed foods ‘made with love’ or ‘created with passion.’ This fashionable promo-talk seems hollow and superficial when I think of my family history. I recall how secure and loved I felt as a child as I watched mum cook a simple dinner. She, Granny and my great, and great, great grandmother were masters of resourcefulness. I feel proud of them and want to follow their example. The human family now numbers nearly eight billion, and at only a 1°C rise, Earth is now hotter than any time in recorded history. On track towards 3°C, we’re already ‘shattering the temple of life, with a million species on the edge of extinction.’¹. In late June, Aljazeera accesses a leaked UN report.². In it, the IPCC warns that ‘Devastating climate effects are accelerating and are bound to become painfully obvious before a child born today turns 30.’ Waves of despair wash over me. Trying to lower my carbon footprint helps. Enjoying delicious plant-based meals cheers me up and spurs me on. I know the climate crisis will bring many unexpected challenges, and I want to gain more of the skills my ‘earth mothers’ had and put them into action. I’ll also need new skills. I gaze into nowhere, pondering on what they might be. “Understand and value the optimum use of food,” my great, great grandmother whispers across the distance. Time seems suspended … The kettle whistles loudly, calling me back to daily reality and a warm, friendly kitchen. I make a cup of tea and browse the pantry shelves once more. Cashews, quinoa, linseed … hmm. I currently use these without much thought. What would their optimum use be? I decide to ask them! Maybe it will give me some clues as to what we might be eating in 2063. Maybe that will see our grandchildren more able to enjoy them too. I tune into the cashews, curled up like beautiful little embryos … like a new generation. “So what is your special role in the scheme of things?” I ask the cashews. I wonder what they’ll tell me. I’ll let you know. And if you’re slightly quirky like me and talk to your food supply, I invite you to write & tell me what the voices in your pantry tell you. Note: Go to wholefoodliving.life/ref-spring2021 to review references cited in this article

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

Stir Fry Sans Fry No oil? You’d never guess. The secret is in the glaze. by Innes Hope Stir Frys are popular everywhere. Toss in any vege you like and have a nourishing meal ready in a few minutes. Though this version, ‘sans’ (without), oil, is not fried, it has a glossy, oil-like shine. It tastes yum and is healthy as!

INGREDIENTS • Chopped seasonal vegetables of your choice. • Optional dried mushrooms, black fungus, nuts, tofu chunks, etc. • Optional seasonings such as ginger, chilli, lemongrass, herbs. • Water, vege stock or liquid left over from cooking other vegetables.

GLAZE • • • •

Approx. ½ cup water Soy sauce salt or low salt to taste (optional) A dash of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice 1 spoon whole-food sweetener, eg, raw or coconut sugar, maple syrup • 1 heaped teaspoon of tapioca flour

METHOD

Before you begin, check that the wok has no rust, (see Tips).

1. Prepare the veges, and mix the glaze ingredients in a cup and set it aside. 2. Pour some water into the wok. Turn heat on high, (medium for a non-stick wok). 3. If you’re using dried fungus etc, put it in now to swell as the water heats up.

32 wholefoodliving.life | Spring 2021

4. Add the vegetables that take longer to cook. Stir constantly, adding rest of veges as you go, and a little more water if it dries out. Don’t overcook – keep the crunch! 5. When the veges are almost done, (still al dente), add seasonings, pour in the glaze mix, and stir until it thickens and turns clear. Add any additional ingredients that don’t need to cook, e.g. sesame seeds, cashew nuts. You’re done! Serve hot.

TIPS The type of wok matters when stir-frying without oil. Regular woks, made of steel, depend on the constant use of oil to stop them rusting. With non-stick woks, a medium heat is recommended as they wear out quickly when cooking on high. Stir-fries ideally cook at a high heat. Invest in a quality stainless-steel wok if you can – a large size with two handles. It will last a lifetime of constant use. Oil plasticizes when it’s heated, forming sticky brown goo that has to be scrubbed heavily in order to remove it. With no residue to speak of, cleaning a ‘Sans Fry’ wok is a breeze! The secret of the glaze is using tapioca flour to thicken it, not cornflour. Tapioca forms a high shine that mimics the look of oil. If you’ve no other glaze ingredients, just water and tapioca flour will do the trick. Pre-mix the flour in a little water first and stir it just before you tip it into the vegetables. The key to a good stir fry is constantly keeping the vegetables moving on a very high heat so they’re being seared on the outside surfaces. This also keeps them a little crunchy in the middle. Have you tried Black Fungus? It’s inexpensive, has a pleasant texture & is easy to cook. Give it a go!

Skinnyjacks Spicy, tangy, fresh broad bean patties | Makes 5 – 7, serves 2 by Innes Hope Skinnyjacks, are a delicious way to eat broad beans. They’re like ‘Falafel ‘ but flat - a cross between small pancake-like fritters and burger patties. Fresh beans work best, but frozen are fine, thawed. For home-garden cooks, they’re a superb way to use older beans - zero waste, fabulous taste!

INGREDIENTS • Up to ¼ cup lemon juice* (see tips) • 2 cups fresh raw broad beans (or thawed from frozen) • ½ tsp salt or low salt (optional) • ½ tsp ground coriander • ½ tsp ground cumin • ¼ tsp ground chilli or cayenne (or less to taste) • ¼ cup wholegrain flour of your choice

METHOD 1. Put everything except the flour into a food processor, and process until the mix pulls together with an even, thick, ‘paste with finely-chopped chunks in it’ look. It takes a while, so rest the machine between bursts, scraping the sides into the mix. 2. When it looks ready, set a frypan on low heat, (I use non-stick, no oil, though visitors prefer them lightly fried). Mix the flour in. 3. To make a ‘test’ Jack, press some mixture into ¼ or 1/3 cup measuring cup, then ease it into the pan by hand. Flatten with a spatula to approx 1 cm. Cook gently on a low heat until the mix is set, then flip it over to cook side two. It should hold together, with only a small amount of

crumbling or cracks. 4. If your test Jack turns out too crumbly, add a little more flour to the mixture. When they’re binding well enough, cook the batch, popping them in the oven to keep warm until they’re all cooked. Serve with a sauce, pesto or relish of your choice. They’re wonderful eaten cold too! – including the next day. TIPS If you’re not so keen on a lemony taste, use less juice, making up the difference with water. How thick you make the Jack depends on the age and moisture level of the beans; the younger the bean the more moisture and the softer the skin – as is the case with we humans! Nature will make every mix different so, as with many recipes, it’s a matter of getting a ‘feel’ for the texture. If you’ve a too-busy lifestyle, make a large batch and freeze either the formed patties or the raw mixture so you can defrost and cook a batch any time. OR, cook a double batch now, and store the spare Jacks in the fridge for a day or two, or freeze them for an instant meal later on. Some cooks like to peel the skin off the individual beans themselves. This takes dedicated time, but the result is a very smooth mixture that will bind easily, allowing each Jack to be skinnier. Experiment on a test run to find the right moisture balance, knowing that without the fibre, the instantly-accessed protein in peeled beans will see the mix bind more easily. Use a grainy flour to ensure at least some fibre, as this method makes smooth, not chunky Jacks. Adjust the amount of seasonings to suit your taste. Chilli is optional. Don’t forget to try some cold the next day. And they make a great picnic treat!

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

EBE Dunedin lectures 'technically

n the one hand, Evidence Based Eating’s second series of lecture presentations couldn’t have been more disastrous, but on the other, as chairman Grant Dixon observed, “it was probably our most successful yet.” Technical gremlins got into the system at the Dunedin presentation. Still, despite the lights going out and the projector screen automatically rolling up out of sight, a good time was had by all. For EBE, the Dunedin event will go down as a milestone because it not only elicited a promise of help to put nutrition studies on the curriculum for doctors in training but it was followed up with a meeting with the Dean of the Otago Medical School, Professor Rathan Subramaniam, the next day. “His suggestion was that we fundraise for research and utilise an existing model whereby philanthropic organisations partner with Otago Medical School to provide funding for research in a particular paradigm,” EBE delegate to the meeting, Dr Martyn Williamson, said afterwards. He said it represented an opportunity to create a relationship with the school, plus creating academic interest in the WFPB approach. “It is an important early step to get widespread acceptance of the approach within the school, and it will automatically filter into the medical course over time,” Dr Williamson said.

Support for the cause

Strong support for the cause came from Prof Jim Mann during question time prior to the delivery of his personal address. In response to a point made by medical trainee Yvette Hall, he said he too was concerned about the lack of nutrition teaching available to medical trainees. “You are absolutely right; there is a lack of teaching. There used to be far more, and I am very happy to support you if you wish to take that up,” he said. Another question concerned dietitians and nutritionists. Professor Mann conceded that dietitians were taught about these matters but: “There is an issue with what dietitians and nutritionists can actually do in terms of talking about a strictly plant-based diet as distinct from a predominantly plant-based diet.” Professor Mann’s address was the one most affected by technical issues, but he ably handled the troubles he faced to deliver, without the use of slides, a clear explanation of his deep concerns around the problems New Zealand faces with type 2 diabetes. He said type 2 diabetes had increased exponentially across the world, but it had increased more strikingly in New Zealand because of the increased risk amongst Pacific, an increasing Asian population and Maori, compared with the European population in New Zealand.

Astronomical risks identified

“The rates in those three groups, especially amongst Pacific people, is amongst the highest in the world. Of course, the biggest number of people with type 2 diabetes is still European because people of European descent are the majority of the New Zealand population. The risks are astronomical in these other populations. “And just to give you some idea of the cost to the health service, point seven per cent of the entire GDP of New Zealand goes on diabetes, and the cost of diabetes is greater than any single other disease in New Zealand. “An enormous amount of heart disease and other diseases are due to diabetes and increasingly so. When I was a young doctor,

34 wholefoodliving.life | Spring 2021

Christchurch - Complete: videos on ebe.nz

Prof Julia Rucklidge University of Canterbury

Dr Rob Wilks Motueka GP

Dr Wayne Hurlow Nelson GP

Dunedin - Complete: videos on ebe.nz

Dr Martyn Williamson Alexandra GP

Yvette Hall Medical student

Prof Jim Mann University of Otago

that was not the case, but now, if you go into a coronary care unit, the majority of people have either got diabetes or pre-diabetes. “The commonest cause of kidney disease is diabetes, and the really scary thing is I have had a 12-year-old with type 2 diabetes. It’s pretty scary stuff. “I think at last that Government has realised they are sitting on a minefield. There are not enough beds for renal dialysis in New Zealand. With diabetes, we are sitting not on an epidemic but a pandemic.”

y challenged' but still the best yet heal. He challenged the notion that calories from a source other than plants, was actually necessary. “There’s a range of benefits you can get metabolically from eating plants. In my view, you get the maximum of those if you only eat plants. What’s the advantage of eating calories that aren’t? Is it just for the taste, or is it where you want to go for health? “Why I as a GP offer whole food plant-based on the more complete side is that I know, although it sounds difficult to people, it’s actually easy to do, and you lose the cravings for all of the rubbish. That happens for most people very quickly. “Then I say, make your choice, if you want to add a little bit of meat in, that’s fine. But if you start to go down the road of ‘oh well, I’d like to have a little bit of meat’ well, how much is a little bit of meat?

Signalling the brain

A section of the audience at the Dunedin lecture on August 1st

Auckland - October: see ebe.nz for details

Fuchsia Goldsmith Dietitian

Prof Boyd Swinburn University of Auckland

Dr Mark Craig Auckland GP

Wellington - October 30 ..............................

“Once you start putting that into your mouth, you signal the brain to want that little bit more. You might have some bacon, which isn’t healthy, and wow, the salt and the fats want you to have that little bit more. It’s kind of like expecting to control the amount of alcohol you drink if you’ve been alcoholic. The easiest way to do it is not to have any at all.” In her address medical trainee, Yvette Hall focussed on her journey with nutrition and that of her family. Her father was diagnosed with significant cardiovascular disease and given less than a year to live if he didn’t have a coronary artery bypass. There was also significant vascular disease throughout his body. Then, less than two months later, things got more complicated when her younger brother Hayden was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer. “Our family was reeling, to say the least. Then, I had the oncologist say to my brother, and the cardiologist say to my father that the damage is done, diet is not that big a deal. I thought, oh wow, I’m sure it is. I’m sure it is one of the key causative factors in it.” What happened next is worth watching. The full details of Yvette’s address (along with Prof Mann and Dr Williamson) can be seen on the video clips available on the front page at www.ebe.nz

The Whole Food Solution Saving health. Saving the planet

Evidence Based Eating New Zealand invites you to a series of health focused public lectures highlighting the power of plant-based whole foods to restore health to all New Zealanders. Dr Luke Wilson Wellington GP

Dr Mike Joy Victoria University

Dr Christina Cleghorn University

Professor Mann is a strong advocate of plant-based diets and says dietary fibre has the potential to reduce total mortality by 20 per cent, "and there ain't no pill can do that," he said. “That’s absolutely astronomical. There are amazing studies that show this absolutely convincingly. And it’s not only dietary fibre, but if you look at whole-grain foods, it’s something similar. All that translates directly into type 2 diabetes.” Earlier, and on a similar theme, Dr Martyn Williamson also extolled the benefits of plant-based nutrition and its ability to

For booking & full details on upcoming lectures go to www.ebe.nz/thewholefoodsolution

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

Fajita A colourful dish with incredible flavour. Great with tortillas, as a taco or as a dish with any plant-based meal. by Naphatsanan Yongsirirungruang & Louise Barclay INGREDIENTS 3 capsicums, different colours, sliced into strips 3 portobello mushrooms or 8-10 button mushrooms, sliced 1 red onion, sliced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp chilli powder 1/2 tsp cumin powder 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 1/2 lime handful of fresh coriander, chopped. (Approx 1/4 cup once chopped) Give it a try and adjust the spice mix to your tasting. Smoked Chipotle powder also adds a great fajita flavour, or you can choose your favourite taco or fajita pre-mix seasoning for a quick alternative.

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METHOD 1. To season, toss the sliced capsicum, onions, mushrooms and minced garlic in the spice mix (excluding coriander) 2. Heat a non-stick pan or grill on high. 3. Add seasoned vegetables to hot pan or grill and allow to dry-fry for three minutes before tossing. (Add a dash of liquid vege stock if needed, however too much liquid will prevent the charring of vegetables) 4. Cook until a slight charring appears on the onion and capsicum to get that fajita-style chargrilled flavour. 5. Remove from heat. Toss through chopped corriander and squeeze over half a lime. You are ready to serve!

Pineapple, Mandarin and Sultana Cake This recipe can be 'chopped & changed' to use what ever you have in the cupboard. Makes a large volume. It would pay to freeze for later as it is super tasty | by Penny Garrick INGREDIENTS 400 grms 400 grms 3 1/2 1 tin 1/2 cup 1 cup 1 1/2 4 cups 4 heaped tsps 1 tsp 1 tsp 2 big tsps 1 sml cup 1 cup 2 - 3 tsp 4-5

sultanas dates, chopped in half mandarins lemon crushed pineapple fruit juice of your choice ground linseed (flaxseed) water wholemeal spelt flour baking powder baking soda guar gum mixed spices date sugar ground almonds pure vanilla essence bananas, mashed selection of nuts

METHOD 1. Add the sultanas and dates to a bowl. Whiz up mandarins and lemon in the food processor, mix that through. Add the pineapple and the fruit juice. Mix all together and leave to soak. Stir a few times while you are getting the rest sorted.

2. In a separate small bowl add ground linseed with the water, mix through then leave to soak. 3. Get your tins greased and lined. Use a cake tin and/or loaf tins. This recipe made 3 loaf tins. 4. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, guar gum, mixed spices, date sugar and ground almonds into a very big bowl. Tip in the soaking fruit mixture. Add the vanilla and the soaked linseed. Finally the bananas. 5. Gently fold all together and if it looks too dry add dairy free milk or juice and if too wet add more flour. Stir gently so you don't knock out the air in the mixture. 6. Tip into your tins, add a few nuts on top of the mixture, almonds, pecans and hazelnuts. I set the oven a bit lower temperature than usual baking, about 170°C and the three tins went in all together on 1 rack for about 45 mins, cook longer in a larger tin. The vegan baking seems to be quicker than standard recipes. Note: This recipe can come out quite doughy and dense. It is often quite sticky inside but once it cools down you will find it firms up and cuts easily.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

Martyn & Liz Williamson

Chipping away at the root cause of ill-health

entral Otago based Lifestrong Health recently completed New Zealand's first publicly funded CHIP programme. Based out of Alexandra, Dr Martyn Williamson and his team delivered a slightly shortened course designed to fit a funding timeframe set by the local Primary Health Organisation, WellSouth. "CHIP (Complete Health Improvement Programme) is normally 18 sessions run over a three-month period," Dr Williamson explained. "The nature of the contract we had, which made it free for patients to attend, meant we had to run and finish it before the end of June. “We got the nod to go ahead with it by the first week in April. It didn't give us a lot of time, so we did a shortened version of the CHIP programme, which was 12 sessions - two sessions per week. "We told the PHO (Primary Health Organisation) that we would be targeting people with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes because they wanted to target an important group. The contract was delivered through Health Central, a local Alexandra practice. "The PHO have an interest in the overall health of the population and how it can be influenced at a community level, other than in a hospital. They run programmes to help people, and the PHO in Otago Southland is on the innovative side; it's called WellSouth. So, I think it is the first time in New Zealand that something like this has been funded through the health system." To start it off, an information evening was promoted to patients through Health Central in Alexandra. The evening was open to anyone that wanted to attend and attracted around 40 people. "At the information evening, we played a video provided by CHIP which tells people about what it is, and we got 15 people signed up who were prepared to come along to the course. There were potentially more people who were interested, but they couldn't fit it in.” Martyn's partner Liz said they thought 15 would be a good number to start with because "we knew that people do drop out of these things, and we definitely wanted to get a dozen people to the end." Martyn: So it's quite a time commitment for people, the way we did it. It meant we ran two sessions a week on a Monday and Wednesday evening. They went from 6.30 to 8 or 8.30 pm. When it came to Queen's Birthday weekend, we dropped a session the week before and the week after. "It was relatively intensive, and the course is really well designed. It provides people with information about how they got the problems they might have got and of course, it is a complete health improvement programme, so it includes things like high blood pressure, heart disease and many other chronic diseases. It's

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In what is understood to be a Kiwi first, the internationally renowned CHIP programme has been delivered by Central Otago health group, Lifestrong Health. To discover more about this husband and wife team and what they do, go to: www.lifestronghealth.co.nz not just for people with diabetes. They hear and learn about why they have the problem, and at the same time, they're encouraged to make significant changes." Martyn said they upgraded their facilitation status to professional. "This meant that within our scope of practice we were able to answer questions that you wouldn't be able to answer as a community facilitator. We could field a lot of questions from people. "CHIP utilises a whole food plant-based approach, but it acknowledges that people have a start point and can choose how far they go. Some people might choose to have meat and fish, for example, but they would be encouraged to eat more plants. Basically, the message is, the bigger change that you make, the more likely you are to see the benefit."

Health on a spectrum Liz: It really views nutritional habits as being on a spectrum. From the most unhealthy - the heavily processed and animal products end - to the most healthy, which is whole food plant-based. That spectrum is emphasised in the course, which is evidence-based. "It takes the approach that people learn where they sit on the spectrum. If people learn that they're actually on a spectrum, they can work out where they want to be in terms of how much improvement in health they want and make adjustments accordingly. It’s very much an awareness approach, giving people the autonomy to choose where they want to be on the spectrum of health. “But people who haven’t got a chronic illness can benefit from CHIP; they might just be worried that they’re going to get one because they’re a bit overweight or have an unhealthy lifestyle. They learn how to make better lifestyle choices. The idea is to support people to change their environment and develop new habits and behaviours that line up with what they want for themselves.” Martyn: We had the really pleasurable experience of supporting people to make a change. We invited them to come onto the programme to see if they could reverse their diabetes. They begin with what CHIP call a “jump start” challenge at the healthiest extreme of the nutritional spectrum.

“Basically, that’s a dive straight into eating what is compatible with whole food plant-based nutrition. And if they have diabetes, they (CHIP) like them to do that for three days. With jump start people noticed gains immediately. They feel so good that they continue with it. “What one participant noticed, and once she said it, it was glaringly obvious, was that on the introduction night, people were tired, worn looking and pasty. There wasn’t a lot of energy in the room. But by the end of the fourth session, people were lively, looking healthier with colour in their faces. And the energy in the room had changed. “Part of that is the group effect but a significant proportion of it, in our view anyway, was the fact that they had altered the way they were eating, and they had started being more active.” Liz: Their mood was better. Some symptoms, such as various peripheral complaints, were changing. One man’s neuropathy had gone from his foot. That was within two weeks. Martyn: Neuropathy is nerve damage that occurs when you have type two diabetes. It’s to do with the blood supply itself. He’d had the problem for two years. He could now feel the underneath of his foot which he hadn’t been able to feel for two years.” Liz: One woman lost five per cent of her body weight within the first few weeks. Five per cent may not sound like much, but it's significant in terms of improving your health in general.” But there are some interesting issues associated with changing weight, Martyn says. “If you have changed weight, but you are eating badly, you have reduced some problems, but you are still going to have some. But if you start eating well there are a number of significant benefits that plant-based nutrition brings with it. “Losing weight is almost secondary. We can identify weight as contributing to problems in medicine when you do epidemiology and so on. But, it’s questionable in my view that it's literally the weight or whether the weight is just a reflection of consuming too many calories of unhealthy food.” Liz: It’s how you create the weight. You need to see where the calories are coming from. So, if you are overweight and you are eating unhealthy food products, you are likely to have health issues. If you are overweight and you are eating whole food plantbased, you are much less likely to have those problems.” Martyn: This is one where Prof Grant Schofield (AUT) is on the right track. It’s about the underlying insulin resistance. The weight is only a marker. It’s a reductionist error to ring weight as a problem without any look at the nutrition that’s gone in to produce the weight. “I would say that someone who is carrying extra weight and who is eating whole food plant-based nutrition, and is active, is going to

be significantly healthier than someone who looks slim but who is eating unhealthy foods.” Liz: Having said all that, the group, at the end of 12 sessions, had lost 105kg, collectively. Martyn: At the end of two weeks, apart from the guy who could now feel the underside of his foot and the lady who lost 5 per cent of her body weight, we also had someone whose asthma had almost disappeared and who felt an absolute million dollars. “By the end of the course, this lady just sparkled and was glowing, and all her friends were asking her what she was doing. She was looking really good. I think she is in her 70s, and she’s a picture of health now.”

People were beaming Liz: She said I just tell people. She’s beaming it out. A lot of them at the end, they were just beaming. They really were. They got hope that life can be better for their health. They’re moving in other areas, doing new activities, and new things are opening up for them. “For the group as a whole, people were reducing or coming of medications, blood pressure was improved, cholesterol lowered, and diabetes better controlled.” Martyn: For us, it was a real privilege to run the course. Basically, the format is to have people share little success stories. Things they have noticed since the previous session or since the start of the course and then discuss some of the questions in their workbook. “Everybody gets three books. They get a recipe book; they get a textbook that provides some of the information in work form that they get from watching the video, and they get a workbook where they have to write their answer to a particular question they get asked. It helps them consolidate what they have learned in a session and how they apply it to their own lives. “Generally speaking, we made a point of celebrating every little success. And, you would hear people coming up with ideas on how to get around challenges. One lady was struggling with walking and she went out and hired a treadmill. Within days she had this thing installed and was bashing away on it - absolutely amazing! Liz: People were encouraged to generate solutions to their own personal circumstances. There were lots of instances of that sort of thing, where they got themselves an exercycle. They were encouraged to make it easy for themselves and put it somewhere obvious to just do what they could. “Once they valued being active, and they were already feeling better, (this was within a couple of weeks) then they have the energy to take new actions. It really was quite amazing to watch. People really come to life.”

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

Kumara Chapatis Fantastic with chilli beans, curry with mango chutney and soy yoghurt, a flat bread filled with salad, lentil casserole etc | by Penny Garrick INGREDIENTS 4 lrg 2 cups 2 cups 2 Tbsp

kumara (sweet potato) wholegrain spelt flour wholegrain rye flour whole cumin seeds* ground pepper

* Can substite cumin seeds for a spice or dried herb you prefer.

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METHOD 1. Pressure cook kumara on a trivet with a cup or so of water or roast in an oven dish with a little water and covered in foil. Either method takes about 1 hour plus cooling time to de-pressurize the Pressure Cooker. 2. Process whole kumara till very smooth. 3. Dry fry the cumin seeds until just smoking and fragrant (if you are substituting dried herbs, don’t dry fry them). 4. Sift flour into a large bowl, add everything else and mix to a soft dough. You might need to add additional flour if it is too moist. 5. Divide into segments, this amount made 16. 6. Flatten into chapati shape. Dry fry on both sides, I used two pans at once to make it quicker. 7. Cover with a slightly damp tea towel and keep warm in oven as you cook the rest.

Dukkah A very simple condiment that can add a rich, spicy flavour to many dishes INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup 1/2 cup 1 Tbsp 1 Tbsp 1/2 tsp 2 Tbsp 1 tsp

pine nuts walnuts cumin seeds coriander seeds thyme seasame seeds ground fennel

METHOD 1. Toast the nuts and seeds for 8 mins at 200°C 2. Move all nuts and seeds to a food processor, pulse for around 25 -30 secs or until broken down but are still course. 3. In a bowl, combine the blended mix with the seasoning. 4. Keeps in an airtight container for up to three months. Best in a cool, dark, dry place.

Dukkah Originating in ancient Egypt, this condiment is typically used as a dip with bread or fresh vegetables. It is known for its ability to remedy digestive problems. Other ingredients that can be added are chickpeas, mint, marjoram, pistachios and star anise. Other ways to eat Dukkah is in stews, on salads or sprinkled over roasted vegetables.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

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Within Our Hands

You Are What You Eat

ofty statements are often made about art. For instance, the Polish-American novelist Jerzy Kosinski, once observed that 'the principles of true art is not to portray, but to evoke.' It's an observation that probably perfectly fits the creations of Christchurch vegan artist Ruth Killoran. Still, if you ask her about the driving force behind her work, she says everything she does is completely dictated by her mood. Her work can certainly evoke a reaction. The general public will get a chance to test their own response at a two-week exhibition she is holding in Christchurch's XCHC - Exchange on November 1st, World Vegan Day. The exhibition is titled Within our Hands, a perfect description as Killoran sees it because it fits a stand she personally took many years ago. It also underlies her fundamental belief that our ability to change the world around us is actually within our own hands. For her, it's a statement that covers health - we can change our health outcomes by changing what we eat. We have the power to change our environment by choosing not to eat animals, and we can put a halt to animal cruelty by not eating them and according them the respect they deserve. All of it is Within our Hands. Killoran regularly exhibits around New Zealand and has won awards for her work locally and abroad. "I try to take part in some group exhibitions annually but since the quakes, my attention has been organising the rebuild of my home which I moved back into at the beginning of this year."

When asked about her approach to the work, she says, "I come at it purely as an artist first, but because veganism is so ingrained in who I am, it can't help but be expressed. "I generally don't start out with any plan as such. I like to play, and once I start playing with paint, usually watercolour, shapes start coming, and then ideas flow from that," she says. "It doesn't always go towards the vegan obvious message. I think that's really a big thing for me and I love it when it does because you sort of get goosebumps and you think, ah yes, that's what I'm going to do. The ideas flow from that." Ruth's vegan journey started on November 1st, 1982. in the UK, when she was an 18 year-old student. "I'd just gone to college, and Chanel 4, which was always a bit risque when they started out, played The Animals Film. Me and other students watched it, and it literally was a smack in the face to me. It was like all the people I'd loved had all lied to me. "What really upset me was that the people who watched it with me thought it was dreadful but weren't prepared to do anything about it. That really upset me. Of course, as you grow up, you discover that most people just put a blindfold on and don't want to know." Now, Ruth says her art enables her to express her feelings and communicate a message she sometimes finds awkward to put into words. "It's much better for my mental health, I think because when you are the type of person who feels these things, it can destroy you if you don't have an outlet for expressing what you feel. "I had no realisation of that until coming to New Zealand. It made me realise that New Zealand has an awful lot of creative talent; it's amazing. For the population size, I think we really punch above our weight. Kiwi's are very pro have a go." For herself personally, though, art makes her happy. "It makes me happy to think that my work makes people talk about what I'm trying to say."

Wake UP

Time For A Change

Ruth Killoran:

Art with a message, moved by a mood

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

SHOPPING LIST

hese days, few of us doubt the long-term dangers of cigarette smoking. We understand the damage it causes isn't immediately apparent but accumulates over time. Something similar happens with food, but why don't we think that way when we go shopping? Science has now proven that today's lifestyle illnesses are clearly linked to the food we eat. Think about it the next time you go shopping. All the diseases listed below are on offer; it's just a question of what you put in your trolley.

Heart Disease

Breast Cancer

Bowel Cancer

Ulcerative Colitis

Crohn's Disease

Prostate Cancer

Asthma

Osteoporosis

Multiple Sclerosis

Inflammatory Arthritis

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Constipation

Type 2 Diabetes

Menstral Pain

Alzhiemers

Ovarian Syndrome

Acne

Hypertension

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Looking at

Asthma

Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger. Dr Caldwell Esselstyn Australia

In 2019 asthma cause the deaths of 421 Australians. One in Nine are affected by asthma In 2017-2018 there were 38,792 hospitalisations in where asthma was the main diagnosis. Almost half (44%) of these were for children aged younger than 14 years old. Children under 15 were more likely to be hospitalised with asthma (442 per 100,000 population) than those aged 15 and over (98 per 100,000). Death from asthma is uncommon and effective management can reduce the risk even further. In 2018, there were 389 deaths due to asthma in Australia (0.2% of all deaths), which corresponds to a mortality rate of 1.3 per 100,000 population

New Zealand

Asthma is a chronic condition affecting the airways. Internationally, New Zealand has a high prevalence of asthma, with one in seven children (13 percent) aged 2–14 years (110,000 children) and one in eight adults (12 percent, 452,000 adults) reporting taking current asthma medication. 597,00 people in NZ take medication for asthma that is one in eight adults. and one in seven children Maori and Pacific people and low-income families are around 3x more likely to be hospitalised for Asthma The cost per year to the nation is 1 billion a year. and 77 people a year die from this disease.

Plant foods can cut the risk of developing & reducing Asthma Diets that emphasize fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes and minimize saturated fat reduce the risk for asthma and may improve asthma control. In one study, asthma patients who consumed a plant-based diet for eight weeks experienced a greater reduction in use of asthma medication and less severe, less frequent symptoms compared with those in a control group. In another study, asthma patients adopted a plant-based diet for a year and saw improvements in vital capacity—a measure of the volume of air patients can expel—and other measures. Similarly, a study in Peruvian children found that fruits, vegetables, legumes, and cereals and reduced meat

intake positively impacted asthma risk. How does a plant-based diet help? Plant-based diets have been shown to reduce systemic inflammation, which can exacerbate asthma. Plant-based diets are also high in fiber, which has been positively associated with improvements in lung function. Fiber promotes a healthy gut microbiome, which plays a role in immune responses and airway diseases. PCRM have studied Asthma and have found that a plantbased diet can reduce the risk of developing the condition and improve symptom control, while dairy products increase risk and exacerbate symptoms.

Newsbites

See wholefoodliving.life/ref-spring2021 to review references cited below

Research confirms plant-based diets significantly reduce Covid-19 impact P

lant-based diets are linked to less severe illness from COVID-19, according to a study published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health. Researchers surveyed health care workers with high exposure to COVID-19 patients across six countries on their dietary habits and COVID-19 outcomes. Participants who followed plant-based diets had a 73% lower chance of moderate to severe COVID-19 illness, whereas those who followed low-carbohydrate, highprotein diets were 48% more likely to have moderate to severe COVID-19 illness. Those who followed plant-based diets had higher intakes of legumes, nuts, and vegetables rich in fiber and vitamins A, C, and E that support the immune system and overall health. The authors recommend a plant-based diet that avoids pro-inflammatory foods such as red and processed meat, which associate with negative health outcomes, to help protect against severe COVID-19. The study found that plant-based diets or pescatarian diets are healthy dietary patterns, which may be considered for protection against severe Covid-19.

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Being little can add up to a mighty big difference

hile some may question New Zealand’s ability to make any significant contribution to climate change, Dr Rod Carr, chairman of the NZ Climate Change Commission, says being little can still make a big collective difference. Speaking at a meeting of the Auckland City Council’s Climate Change Committee, Dr Carr, succinctly weighed up the nature of the contribution that New Zealand, despite its size, could make to the overall debate. “New Zealand has 0.06 per cent of the world’s population,” he told the committee. “We are little. “We omit 0.17 per cent of all global emissions – that’s three times our share of the population. Historically we have been attributed 0.3 of one per cent of all the carbon dioxide that is in the atmosphere having been emitted since the industrial revolution. That is five times our population. “If we took all of our agricultural

emissions out of our emissions profile and left all of China’s manufacturing in their profile, our emissions would still be twice theirs per capita. “We are among the richest nations in the world and we have access to technologies that, should we choose to, we can reduce our emissions. This is indeed a choice we are making. “We can afford it and arguing that we are little we won’t make a difference would have meant that every New Zealander that ever fought in any war wasted their effort, because clearly, we were never going to make that much difference. “We need to do the right thing and be a role model. There are a hundred small countries that look like us, so being little does not get you out of jail free. “But by being little, and taking action, reassures others that they too can take meaningful action. And those hundred little countries are a third of global emissions.”

Flavonoid rich foods lower blood pressure

lavonoid-rich foods, such as apples, berries, and pears, lower blood pressure, according to a study published online in Hypertension. Researchers sequenced gut microbiomes for 904 participants and compared intakes of flavonoid-rich foods with blood pressure levels. Participants with the highest intake of these fruits, and red wine, lowered systolic blood pressure when compared to those with the lowest intake of these foods. The authors attribute the lower blood pressure readings to positive changes in gut bacteria diversity. These findings show similar dietary interventions may

clinically benefit vascular outcomes and cardiometabolic health. Flavonoids are various compounds found naturally in many fruits and vegetables. They’re also in plant products like wine, tea, and chocolate. There are six different types of flavonoids found in food, and each type is broken down by the body in a different way. Flavonoids are rich in antioxidant activity and help the body ward off toxins. Apart from improving your blood pressure, including more flavonoids in your diet will help you stay healthy and potentially decrease your risk of some chronic health conditions.

The YouTube selections below cover food and health issues and provide quick access to a deeper understanding of what whole food eating can achieve. There's also a quick tip on how to grow turmeric and some good advice on how change your brain from Dr Neal Nedley.

Subscribe to EBE NZ YouTube channel

Nitric Oxide, a powerful molecule

Check out or growing number of youtube videos from the Whole Food Solution talks currently touring NZ http://tiny.cc/bgriuz

Dr. Van Dyken discusses nitric oxide, the foods that it is found in, and how important it is for health. http://tiny.cc/5griuz

WFPB saved her life

What makes a good life?

Doctors told Kate McGoey-Smith she had only a few years to live. That diagnosis was made well over a decade ago. http://tiny.cc/kgriuz

A TED talk by psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, on a 75 yr old Havard study on what makes a good life. http://tiny.cc/yfriuz

Greens! Eat them 6 times a day!

How to get Type 2 Diabetes in 6 Hours

Jane and Ann Esselstyn show you how you can eat greens six times a day without trying. http://tiny.cc/rgriuz

Dr. Nick Delgado looks at what aspects of food are implicated in the onset of type 2 diabetes http://tiny.cc/xgriuz

The happiest man on earth at 99

How To Grow Basil

In this moving talk, the self proclaimed "happiest man on earth", Eddie Jaku shares his story of love and survival http://tiny.cc/jhriuz

From store brought basil to more than you can possibly eat, learn tips on propogating and growing basil. http://tiny.cc/ohriuz

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

Lemon Poppyseed Cake Tangy as, moist, dairy, egg, oil & gluten free | Serves 8 -12 | by Innes Hope If lemon cakes are usually not lemony enough for you, try this one! The light colour is thanks to yellow cornmeal flour and ground almond. No icing is needed - a simple glaze whets the appetite. Time for a citrus treat dotted with poppy seeds.

DRY INGREDIENTS fine yellow cornmeal flour ground almond fine brown rice flour 'no egg' egg-replacer baking powder (raising powder) baking soda raw sugar or 1/2 cup of stevia (see tip on pg.49) 1/4 cup poppy seeds

1 cup 1 cup 1/2 cup 3 Tbsp 1 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 3/4 cup

WET INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups apple puree 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice zest from the lemon GLAZE 1 Tbsp marmalade, or rice syrup 1 Tbsp lemon juice extra lemon juice (optional)

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METHOD 1. Set the oven to 180°C and prepare a 20 cm (8 inch) cake tin. 2. Sift the flours, no egg and raising agents into in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly. 3. Mix the ground almond, sweetener and poppy seeds into the dry ingredients. 4. Using a fine microplane, grate the zest from several lemons, then juice them. 5. Put the apple puree & lemon juice into a medium bowl. Mix, then stir in the zest. 6. When the oven is hot, quickly fold the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring just enough to blend the mixture. 7. Bake for 30 mins. Test if done by poking a skewer into the centre of the cake. It should come out almost clean. Take it out of oven to cool for at least 10 mins. 8. While the cake cools, paint the glaze over the top using a pastry brush. Run a knife around the edges and take it out of the tin – preferably when cold. For tang addicts, serve with extra glaze or lemon juice to add as a drizzle.

Orange & Persimmon Blondies by Innes Hope

Baking without butter, margarine or oil can be a challenge. Mashed banana and apple puree are usually used instead. But there’s a new kid on the block - the persimmon! This fabulous wholefood oil substitute is mild in flavour and it keeps your slices and cakes moist and nourishing. Today we’re making Blondies – the famous cousin of Brownies. Alternatively, you could cook the mixture in a round 8” springform pan to make a delicious cake.

Whole Food Living wishes to apologise, this recipe was missing the wet ingredients in the Winter issue so we have decided to republish the complete recipe. Tips for these recipes on the reference page of our website.

DRY INGREDIENTS 3/4 cup 1/2 cup 3 tbsp 1 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1 cup 3/4 or 1 cup 1/2 tsp

fine brown rice flour fine yellow corn flour 'no egg' egg-replacer raising powder baking soda ground almond raw sugar (or 1/2 cup of sweetener)* ground nutmeg (or less to taste) a pinch of ground cloves

WET INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups 1/2 cup 1/4 cup 1/2 cup

mushy persimmon orange juice (from oranges) lemon juice (from lemon) chopped or julienned, firm persimmon

TOPPING Marmalade, and some more fresh, firm persimmon, grated or finely chopped

METHOD

1. Set the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and prepare a brownie pan. 2. Sift the flours, no egg and raising agents into a large bowl. Mix thoroughly. 3. Mix the ground almond, sugar or sweetener and spices into the dry ingredients. 4. Using a fine micro-plane, grate the zest from a couple of lemons, then juice them. 5. Pour the lemon juice into a blender, then zest an orange or two. Squeeze the oranges until you have half a cup of juice then add it to the blender. 6. Scrape the persimmon pulp into the measuring cups, then into the blender. Blend. 7. When the oven is hot, mix the chopped persimmon into the dry ingredients, then fold the blended persimmon mix into the dry ingredients, working quickly, stirring just enough to ensure the mixture is even. Bake 30 mins. 8. Cool at least 15 mins before taking it out of the pan. Cover with topping, then cut when cold. Store chilled, and warm slightly before serving. Makes 12 -14 blondies. * Dark sweeteners like coconut sugar spoil the flavour and appearance. Sugar substitutes are usually white, but highly refined. The best of these is a stevia & erythritol blend. It tends to not give people gas like many sugar substitutes do. Your call, but I prefer to use raw sugar for light-coloured cakes and squares.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

Article authors

Michael Grose: His research focuses on climate projections and communication for southeast Australia, as well as climate model evaluation and making climate projections for Pacific Island nations.

Malte Meinshausen is Director of the Australian-German College of Climate & Energy Transitions at The University of Melbourne, and Senior Researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact.

Zebedee Nicholls is a PhD Researcher at the University of Melbourne's Climate & Energy College. His work has focussed on the development and evaluation of reducedcomplexity climate models.

Pep Canadell: Chief research scientist in CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, he heads up the Global Carbon Project, which reviews interactions between the carbon cycle, climate, and human activities.

IPCC says Earth will reach 0 temperature rise of about 1.5 C in around a decade But limiting any global warming is what matters most!

f all the troubling news in the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, one warning will surely generate the most headlines: under all scenarios examined, Earth is likely to reach the crucial 1.50C warming limit in the early 2030s. As the report makes clear, global warming of 1.50C, and then 0 2 C, will be exceeded this century unless we make deep cuts to CO² and other greenhouse gas emissions in coming decades. Climate change and its consequences are already being felt. Beyond 1.50C, the situation is likely to rapidly deteriorate. We are among the climate scientists who contributed to the latest IPCC report, including on the question of 1.5C0C warming. Here, we go beyond the headlines to explain how the 1.50C rise is measured – and why maintaining the lowest global warming possible is what really matters.

The most important goal

Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, nations agreed to hold global warming to well below 20C, and preferably limit it to 1.50C, compared to pre-industrial levels. The first global stocktake of that agreement will be held in 2023, to assess the world’s progress towards achieving its goals. That’s one of the reasons global warming levels are being so keenly watched right now. The IPCC’s latest findings say 1.50C warming will be reached or exceeded in the early 2030s in all emissions scenarios considered – except the highest emissions scenario, for which the crossing could occur even earlier. But not all hope is lost. In the very low emissions scenario considered in the report – known officially as “SSP1-1.9” – Earth reaches 1.50C warming for a few decades, but drops back below it by the end of the century.

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This point is important. It’s still possible for Earth to keep below 1.50C global warming this century, if we rapidly cut emissions to net-zero. All other scenarios lead to further global warming once 1.50C is reached. However, if maintaining 1.50C is not possible, the next goal should be to limit global warming to 1.60C, then 1.70C and so on. Limiting warming to the lowest possible level is the most important goal. Every bit of warming we avoid will reduce the climate risks we face.

How 1.50C warming is measured The declaration that Earth has reached 1.50C warming since the pre-industrial era will not be made after a single year, or a single location, passes that threshold. The warming is measured as a global average over 20 years, to account for natural variability in the system. Before global average temperatures officially reach 1.50C warming, we can expect quite a few years will exceed that limit. In fact, global temperatures exceeded 1.50C warming during individual months at the peak of the 2015-16 El Niño. The industrial era – and associated greenhouse gas emissions – started in the 1700s. But there is almost no observed climate data on land outside Europe before the mid-19th century. So, the period of 1850-1900 is used to approximate preindustrial conditions. The IPCC estimates there was a likely temperature change of between -0.1 to +0.30C for the century or so before this where climate data is lacking. According to the latest IPCC findings, Earth’s average temperature in the last decade was 1.090C warmer than the preindustrial baseline. Obviously, this goes most of the way to 1.50C of warming. The IPCC says this warming is unequivocally the result of human influence.

The new science

Several innovations have helped inform the IPCC’s latest assessment. For the first time, the IPCC’s estimate of future global temperature change is based on three factors. First are projections using new scenarios “Shared Socioeconomic Pathways” or SSPs. Each pathway refers to different trajectories the world’s society and economy could take, and the emissions that would result. A range of climate models – the result of much global scientific effort – is used to simulate climate change in response to each pathway. Second, climate models are verified against observed climate data. Climate models are essential tools, but should always be used carefully. This grounding in observations was particularly needed with the latest round of climate models, to bring their results in line with other types of evidence. Third, the IPCC used an assessment of “climate sensititivty” – how sensitive Earth’s temperature is to a doubling of global CO² concentrations. The IPCC’s assessment of the evidence puts climate sensitivity at likely between 2.50C and 40C, with lowlikelihood possibilities of less than 20Cor more than 50C. If humanity is lucky, and actual climate sensitivity is in the lowest plausible range, Earth may not reach the 1.50C warming limit under the lowest emissions scenarios (but still will under the medium or high ones). If we are unlucky and climate sensitivity is in the high range, the need to quickly reach net-zero emissions becomes even greater.

Where does this leave us?

The latest IPCC findings confirm Earth will be in the ballpark of 1.50C warming in the early 2030s. What happens after that depends on the decisions we make today. With deep and sustained reductions in CO² and other greenhouse gas emissions in coming decades, we could keep warming around the 1.50C mark and then bring it below that threshold by the end of the century. The IPCC findings are worrying, but should not be a distraction from our global climate efforts. Staying below 1.50C warming is important. But maintaining the lowest global warming we can – whether or not we exceed the 1.50C goal – is what really matters.

Article republished with permission from theconversation.com under the Creative Commons Licence.

German floods up to 9 times more likely because of climate change R

ecord rainfall that triggered deadly floods in Western Europe in July was made between 1.2 and 9 times more likely by human-caused climate change, according to a new study. At least 220 people were killed between July 12 and 15 -- mostly in Germany, though dozens also died in Belgium -- and homes and other buildings were destroyed in flash flooding that followed heavy rainfall. Some parts of the region experienced more rain in a single day than they would typically expect in a whole month. The study, conducted by 39 scientists and researchers with the World Weather Attribution (WWA) project, also found that the most extreme rain was a once-in-400-year event, and that climate change increased the intensity of daily extreme rainfall by 3% to 19%. "These floods have shown us that even developed countries are not safe from severe impacts of extreme weather that we have seen and known to get worse with climate change," Friederike Otto, the associate director of the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford, said in a statement. "This is an urgent global challenge and we need to step up to it. The science is clear and has been for years." The one-in-400-year frequency only refers to the particular region studied and does not mean it will be another 400 years until other parts of Europe, or the world, will see a similar weather event, explained Maarten van Aalst, a professor of climate and disaster resilience from the University of Twente in the Netherlands. "In this case, [the projection for next year is] possibly worse because, year by year, if the trend so far is that the climate is increasing, the risk will continue to grow. "So, if anything, we're expecting a higher chance of this happening next year than this year. But it's basically a one-over-400 chance every single year," van he said at a news conference. Although the projection is wide, scientists say it was not possible to be more specific because of a narrow data range.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

ecently returned from a world-renowned water fasting centre in California, Katherine Matthews has come a long way from the Matamata dairy farm she grew up on. Back then she spent her time helping her Dad on the farm and playing with rescued orphan lambs. Now she is busy running her naturopathic practice in Auckland, passionately educating and supporting individuals on their wellness journeys. “My past health challenges have been a big driver of why I do what I do now, and allows me to better empathise and support my clients with what they are going through,” she says. Shortly before her 16th birthday, Katherine began having a drastic health decline which led her on a journey of discovering how food affected her body. For about three months she would make continuous return trips to doctors and the accident and emergency department to be put on IV fluids, then to face a myriad of tests only for the doctors to find nothing. “I finally saw a specialist and was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, which essentially was a diagnosis of exclusion of other things, and there was no treatment available through the medical system,” she said. “They recommended B12 shots which I received. “What really supported me was changing my diet. My Mum took me to see a practitioner at that time who suggested I start juicing. That day my Dad went and bought a juicer, and within a week, I was back at school. It was just a matter of adding in one 750ml vegetable juice every day.” She then went through another six years of becoming increasingly interested in the way food affected her body. She started researching and going to different seminars. Then, in 2012, she was living in Japan teaching English. “There, I came across fasting as a method of treating health concerns. I was still struggling with some symptoms around fatigue, skin issues, cognitive fog (brain fog), then I found True North Health. I emailed Dr Goldhamer, and he said it would be a good idea if I came and did a fast there. I was 22 at the time. Everybody that contacts True North, Dr Goldhamer screens himself. He sets up a video call with you, and he checks that you are a proper candidate for fasting.”

True North experience So, now booked in for a fast, Katherine flew from Japan to California and stayed at True North, completing a 24 day water fast. It was a journey that gave her sound knowledge of how the centre functioned and further confirmed her interest in the journey she was already on. She followed up by training to become a Naturopath and returning to work at the centre where a key part of her journey began. On returning to New Zealand and working in other fields, Katherine found she was “really passionate about this area of wellness. “I looked into courses, and at that time, the one that resonated most was Naturopathic Medicine and Nutrition. I decided to start studying again and spent the next three years doing Naturopathic Medicine. After graduating, I wondered if I could return to True North and work there. I contacted them and they accepted my application. Six months later I flew to San Francisco.” Now working as a Naturopath in Auckland, Katherine’s clients have a variety of different health concerns. She works with clients at all stages of life, from young kids with headaches to supporting women with fertility and pregnancy. Many women she sees have hormonal complaints and conditions like endometriosis, PCOS, and dysmenorrhea (painful periods). Her work centres on supporting them to reach their health goals. “I also work with a lot of people with digestive complaints like IBS, anxiety and cancer. I see a lot of people with burnout symptoms. This is really common at the moment, especially with the last year of uncertainty and stress from the pandemic. I also

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A glass of

diving into t work with men with cardiovascular concerns, diabetes and weight concerns. “I walk alongside people in their journey. I want to empower them with knowledge so they can take health into their own hands, and they can lengthen their health span.” Supporting people with water fasting is something Katherine has become very familiar with, and she now makes her own decisions on whether someone will be a good candidate to do a water fast. “In the States, I learned about the many questions you need to ask and how to screen someone. There are many types of fasting and sometimes water fasting is not appropriate for an individual. There is broth fasting, for example, juice fasting and ‘fasting mimicking’, very low calorie fasting. So, depending on their health goal, I support people in finding the right type of fasting for them. “For example, if someone is on a certain type of medication, they possibly can’t water fast. Fasting changes the metabolism of those drugs in their bodies. Instead, we can look at other forms of fasting that would be suitable for them, like time-restricted feeding (TRE) or the fasting-mimicking protocol—those types of fasting may be suitable for them. “There are many things that change when we water fast. One of them is that instead of using predominantly glucose from the food we eat as fuel, we instead use ketone bodies and free fatty acids as energy sources. The body continues to make some glucose from adipose tissue (fat) through a process called gluconeogenesis. “Due to this metabolic shift people find they lose weight. Depending on the person's body weight and gender there is 0.51 kg of body weight lost per day. Most people experience that weight returning after finishing the water fast and going back to their previous lifestyle. “However if an individual changes their lifestyle especially the food they eat after the water fast this isn't necessarily the case. From research being performed at True North Health they have found that the weight that comes back post water fasting is mainly water and muscle glycogen stores, with one catch, these people participating in the study are eating a whole food plant-based diet. In fact people continue to lose fat 5 weeks after a 2 week water fast.

Targets visceral fat “Your body selectively chooses the visceral fat around your organs to use for fuel first. This kind of fat is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.” “It's incredible that the body intelligently chooses to use the types of tissue that we have in our body that put us at risk for health concerns. We’ve seen this in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. We’ve had quite a lot of success with this type of cancer, where the enlarged lymph nodes reduce in size and the patient recovers through water fasting and a plant-based diet. They have published the results in the British Medical Journal so that others can start to utilize these clinical tools with their patients. “It’s really interesting; during a water fast, you are having certain benefits. But what we’re learning more about is that, post the fast, is when a lot of these positive effects of a fasting programme

water is all you need

the benefits of water fasting In this article we delve into the benefits of water fasting with Auckland based nutritionist and naturopath clinician, Katherine Matthews. You can discover more about Katherine's work at www.katherinematthews.co.nz happen. One of these is that the body learns to continue to burn this kind of fat from around the organs that is linked to inflammation and disease. It’s a beautiful mechanism to protect us through our lifespan.” The length of a water fast can vary per individual, and Katherine is very much a practitioner that focuses on an individualised approach.

Watching for signs

“People get an idea of how long they want to fast for, and I’m always here to remind them to take each day at a time. Each day, on a supervised fast, we’re looking for signs that the body is ok and not under stress and that it's safe to continue to fast. But if there are signs of stress, and if these increase, then these are signs that the body is ready to stop the fast for now.” Katherine creates fasting protocols that are safe to do at home without supervision. She also does supervised protocols. “The fasting protocols are designed with supportive tools that make them safe. So, people can do the fast at home and they can do it without my daily supervision. I initially set them up and check in with them post the fast to support them with the refeeding regime. I also do group fasting programmes in person but these are not regular at the moment because I am really busy with my clinics, usually once a year.” Refeeding after a water fast is something that requires care. “During the fast our stomach gets smaller, and our bowel motions stop because we don’t have the fibre going through that promotes peristalsis and tells us that we need to go to the bathroom. The gift for a person fasting is that usually, after day three, you lose your appetite and don't feel hungry. However, when we start eating again, hunger quickly returns. It’s very easy for people to overeat or eat the wrong things. “This can cause a lot of unwanted side effects like bloating, constipation, pain, headaches and nausea. So, when you end a fast it is a really important time to have support and know what to eat as you refeed.” “Overall, fasting is really protective. Through fasting the cells adapt to reduce inflammation, optimising energy production and increasing cellular protection for healthy cells. In humans it is shown to reduce obesity, asthma, hypertension, and rheumatoid arthritis.” Feeling tired, in pain or overwhelmed is not our natural state. Katherine strongly believes everyone can feel better - given the right environment, the body has an innate ability to resolve disease. “Fasting may have the potential to prevent many diseases and delay aging, supporting us to increase our health span.”

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

THE WONDERS OF LINSEED 54 wholefoodliving.life | Spring 2021

his tiny power seed packs a punch. Linseed, also known as Flaxseed, is already an amazing plant source of omega-3 fatty acids. But did you know that it is also the highest plant source of Lignans? What's Lignan? I hear you ask. Lignan is a dietary fibre found in many plant families, including grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, tea and coffee. The benefit of this fibre is that it is found to reduce blood pressure and high cholesterol, making it good for your heart. But that is not all for a menopausal women; it reduces hot flushes and mimics the role of oestrogen in your bloodstream, not only making up for an oestrogen deficiency, but when oestrogen is too high, it can reduce the activity of natural oestrogen. Perhaps the biggest benefit was revealed though trials on breast and prostate cancer. Studies found that eating 25 grams a day can reduce tumour growth. With it also reducing the body's production of oestrogen, then this would help with breast cancer prevention. Though flaxseed is often added to cereals, bread and crackers, it can be better absorbed if you grind the whole seed or buy the powdered form. If kept in a dark, dry place, whole or ground linseed can last or months.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

Lemon Mint Fruit Salad Spring is a time for delicious deserts. It doesn't need to be complicated though | Serves 4

A good quality fruit salad can be a powerhouse of fibre, vitamins and antioxidants. Regularly having a rainbow of colours in the form of a fruit salad gives you a boost of phytonutrients to fill you with anti-inflammatory immunity.

INGREDIENTS rockmelon watermelon honeydew kiwifruit passionfruit grapes handful of mint 1 lemon

METHOD 1. Nothing too complicated here; cube up all melons into bite-size cubes. 2. Place them into a large serving dish and then pile around whole grapes, halved kiwifruit and passionfruit. 3. Squeeze across the salad half a lemon. 4. Finely chop a handful of fresh mint and generously sprinkle it over the salad. 5. Chill in fridge before serving.

The fruit selections are endless: banana, apple, orange, mango, berries of all colours, especially blueberries that are high in potassium and vitamin C, pineapple, pear, peach, apricot, nectarine, pomegranate, to name a few. You can also look at sprinkling them with nuts like chopped peanuts or halved walnuts.

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Aloo and Beans Aloo, the Indian name for potato, is used often in Indian dishes. This recipe is a no oil version of a traditional Punjabi side dish | Serves 4 INGREDIENTS 8 2 cups 1 tsp 1 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/2 Tbsp

gourmet baby potatoes, halved beans, ends and strings removed cumin seeds, blend to powder* red chilli powder garam masala powder turmeric powder dry mango powder (optional) lemon juice ground black pepper

METHOD 1. Pre roast the potatoes for 30 mins or air fry for 15 mins until they are soft but still hold their shape. 2. Heat a nonstick frying pan. Add in the potato and beans with a little water or stock. Add all the spices and lemon juice. Gently stir through. 3. Grind over black pepper for taste and to enhance the health properties of turmeric. 4. Cook over medium heat until the beans are well cooked. 5. This dish can be served warm or hot.

* A tip from an Indian friend is to use a coffee grinder to grind the cumin seed. This is a more robust flavour than the store-bought cumin powder. This rule applies to all spices in seed form and also for cinnamon sticks.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

Getting started on your who By Janice Carter

1 Educate yourself Before you can approach a plant-based lifestyle with full confidence and the best chances for success, it’s a great idea to educate yourself on why you’re considering taking up this lifestyle. Don’t do it in the name of a fad, but instead, learn the benefits behind the lifestyle and how others out there have done it too. Watch some of my favourite inspirational movies that show the benefits of a plant-based diet and the reality of what eating animals actually entails. My favorite films include Forks Over Knives, What The Health, The Game Changers, The Sugar Film, Vegucated, Food Inc, and Kick Start Your Health. These will open your eyes, motivate you to change, and get you excited about a plant-based lifestyle. Knowledge is key to your success here. The following books will help you off to a good start: Raw & Free, Sophie Stevens, The Revive Cafe Cookbook/s, Jeremy Dixon, The Pleasure Trap, Lisle & Goldhamer. For many others check out the book list on page 62.

2 Look for quality replacements

As Spring and Summer develop we are spoilt for choice with the range of fruit and vegetables available to us, and with whole food plant-based there's no limit to how much we can eat.

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The next step is one of the most important to take when learning how to transition to a plant-based lifestyle. Focus on replacing, not cutting out. If I were to tell you to go to the store and not buy meat, eggs, and dairy, you’d likely just feel defeated and deprived. But if I were to tell you what to buy instead, such as quinoa, kale, spinach, sweet potatoes, bananas, tomatoes, mushrooms, linseed (flaxseeds), soy milk, almonds, and berries, you’d have a much better idea of what to shop for. When you approach a plant-based lifestyle, it’s best to crowd out animal products with tons of delicious, filling plant-based foods. Choose non-dairy milk, fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes to start. When starting out, you may tempted to keep certain 'treats" but be careful about this because probably the things you desire most will be highly processed, and contain too much sugar or salt.

ole food plant-based lifestyle

Go shopping

Take it one day at a time

Now it’s time to go to the store and buy all the plant-based food you can get your hands on! It’s best to stock up on as much produce as possible and purchase healthy grains like quinoa, brown rice, and oats. These make wonderful bases for breakfast dishes or for a filling lunch and dinner. Then consider buying some quality soy milk such as Vitasoy in place of dairy milk along with some chia, walnuts, or Linseed (flaxseeds) for healthy fats. Legumes like lentils, chickpeas, and any types of beans you want to try are also great staples to round out your meals as well. Just try to stay away from foods with hidden salt and sugar for optimal blood sugar levels and overall health. Have fun at the shop but remember to read ingredient labels and embrace simple foods as much as possible. Lastly, don’t forget the herbs, spices, and condiments like stevia, tamari, tahini, and lemons. They’ll be key to making your meals taste flavourful, zesty, and decadent!

When you’re learning to transition to a plant-based lifestyle, remember not to overwhelm yourself or feel like every meal has to be complicated or cooked gourmet style. Just take it day by day and even better, meal by meal. There’s no need to be stressed or intimidated by going plant based. In fact, the simpler your meals, the better they are for you. Don't try and be a contestant on Master Chef in your own kitchen at home. There is a transition involved but it's only as complicated as you make it. Keep it simple, I say. It can also be helpful to avoid recipe books that contain inflammatory products. As item No 2 points out, you can find replacements for many of the products you have previously used.

4 Focus on the basics Remember that eating plant-based doesn’t have to be hard. Just start with the basics when it comes to your first few batches of meals. As an example, for breakfast you could have porridge with some almond milk, cinnamon, and chopped fruit. For lunch, I suggest picking several meals you can make and keep in the fridge to grab and go like soups, wraps and salads. Great snack ideas include dates, raw almonds or walnuts, along with sliced fruits and vegetables. Dinner could be a pan of roasted root veggies with seasonings, alongside a batch of quinoa, mushrooms, garlic, and kale. Remember that sometimes the basic ingredients end up tasting the best so don’t get too fancy unless you just want to. When in doubt, you can always make a smoothie and keep things interesting. They’re a great way to fill in the gaps and keep things creative, not to mention delicious!

6 Eat whole foods most of the time It’s easy to go plant-based and buy processed plant-based foods, but that’s not the best way to approach a plant-based lifestyle. It is expensive to do it this way. Instead of buying processed foods, choose whole foods as much as possible and keep your diet balanced by consuming a variety of plant-based foods, not just a small handful. This will ensure you get the highest amount of nutrition and that you’re more satisfied at your meals. Don’t worry, you can have a couple of special indulgences and enjoy them without abandon – just not all the time. Have one indulgence a week and make it a reward. Just have it on a weekend when you have more time to exercise to work it off. My favourite indulgence is dried apricots and froze balls. You’ll experience more than just health benefits on a plant-based lifestyle, such as a greater appreciation for the earth and animals, a stronger connection to yourself and others, and even better hair, skin, nails, sleep, and digestion. Outside of your diet, you will need to take a Vitamin B12 sublingual tablet and a Vitamin D supplement for optimal energy and health and consider a vegan multivitamin.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

Alphabet Soup This soup is always a favourite with children and adults alike – who don't like digging around in your soup to see if you can spell your name on the side of your soup bowl! There are times when it is OK to play with your food – this is your opportunity! Serves 4 | by Janice Carter

INGREDIENTS 1 litre 4 tsp 1 Tbsp 3 Tbsps 1 med 1 1 1 1 2 Tbsp

hot water vegetable stock honey alphabet pasta shapes (or animals is all I could find) onion, diced small celery stick, diced small carrot, peeled and grated potato, peeled or scrubbed & diced small - about 1 cm cubes tomato, diced small chopped parsley

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METHOD 1. Put the hot water in a large pot (2-litre capacity). 2. Add vegetable stock and honey. 3. Put a lid on and bring to boil. 4. Once the water has started to boil, add your alphabet pasta and cook for 5 minutes. 5. Add vegetables and cook 5 minutes more or until the potatoes are tender. 6. Be careful the pasta does not cook too long and go out of shape 7. Turn off heat, and stir in parsley and serve with crusty wholegrain bread.

Buckwheat Bread Toasted or freshly baked, this bread is a winner. Buckwheat bread has a lot of advantages over other gluten-free bread. It's made from the whole grain, rather than flours which go rancid quickly, is fermented and therefore more digestible | by Cathy Duffield

INGREDIENTS 4 cups 2 cups 3/4 cup 3/4 cup

whole buckwheat water sunflower seeds linseed (flaxseeds) small amount of ground seaweed, such as kelp or wakame powder

METHOD 1. Add buckwheat into a bowl and cover with water and soak overnight. 2. Strain buckwheat but do not rinse. 3. Blend with water until smooth 4. Add seeds and ground seaweed. 5. Mix well and pour into a greased glass or terracotta loaf pan or non-greased silicone loaf pan, cover and leave in a warm place for 24 hours. NB. it will rise and ferment more quickly in winter weather. For sourer bread, leave longer. 6. Next morning: Heat oven to 200°C and bake for approx one hour. 7. Wait until cooled down, then remove from pan.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

Books to Consider

From the groundbreaking results of his twenty-year nutritional study, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn illustrates that a plantbased, oil-free diet not only prevents the progression of heart disease but can also reverse its effects.

Lisle and Goldhamer offer unique insights into the factors that make us susceptible to dietary and lifestyle excesses and present ways to restore the biological processes designed by nature to keep us running at maximum efficiency and vitality.

T. Colin Campbell and his team at Cornell University, in partnership with teams in China and England, embarked upon the most comprehensive study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease. Their results still astound.

Why rely on drugs and surgery to cure you of lifethreatening disease when the right decisions prevent you from falling ill to begin with? How Not to Die gives effective, scientifically proven nutritional advice to prevent our biggest killers.

Suzy Amis Cameron environmental advocate, former actor, and mom of five, presents an easy guide for you to improve your health and shrink your personal carbon footprint. Just swap one meat- and dairy-based meal for a plant-based one every day.

John A. McDougall, MD, and kitchen savvy wife, Mary, prove that a starchrich diet can help us lose weight, prevent a variety of ills, and even cure common diseases by fueling the body primarily with carbohydrates rather than proteins and fats.

The film's companion cookbook, The PlantPure Nation Cookbook brings a powerful, science-based approach to nutrition from the big screen to your kitchen with some of the same mouthwatering recipes that kick-started a revolution.

Dr Dean Ornish's research has proven that lifestyle changes can reverse undo! The progression of many of the most common and costly chronic diseases and even begin reversing ageing at a cellular level. Several insurance companies cover his programme.

Neal Barnard, MD, a leading authority on nutrition and health, offers insight into how dietary changes can alleviate years of stress, pain, and illness. What's more, he also includes delicious and easyto-make hormone-balancing recipes.

Sophie Steven's stunning cookbook is packed with over 100 delicious, vibrant plant-based, gluten-free and refined-sugar-free recipes. Some great recipes and taste sensations to try. A book that will benefit the whole family.

This is a book that will let you live longer, reduce your need for medications, and improve your health dramatically. It is a book that will change the way you want to eat. Follow the Eat to Live diet, and you will lose weight faster than you ever thought possible

Colin T Campell's Whole is an absolutely eye-opening, paradigm-changing journey through some cutting-edge thinking on nutrition. It is a scientific tour de force, that has powerful implications for our health and for the future of our world.

Want to eat healthily, but worried it will cost too much? Looking to save on grocery bills, without compromising on nutrition value or flavour? This book will answer all your questions. Great if you need to keep the food bill tight. Great inspiration here.

Before Dr Barnard's scientific breakthrough, most health professionals believed that once you developed diabetes, you were stuck with it. We know now that this is simply not true. Barnard has shown it is possible to tackle type 2 diabetes.

Rip Esselstyn arms readers with the knowledge they need to win any argument with those who doubt the health benefits of a plantbased diet and to convince any number of curious carnivores to change their diets once and for all.

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Movies to Watch The Big FAT Lie Produced by Kiwi documentary filmmaker, Grant Dixon, this movie traces his efforts to discover why he wasn't told about problems with meat and dairy. If he'd known he could have saved himself a heart attack. He asks why he wasn't told about WFPB. On iTunes

What The Health A 2017 documentary film which critiques the health impact of meat, fish, eggs and dairy product consumption, and questions the practices of leading health and pharmaceutical organisations. Is there a conspiracy here? Check it out on Netflix.

The Game Changers A documentary film that follows several elite vegan athletes. It gives a broad overview of the benefits of plant-based eating and contains great personality interviews with people that have made the change. A must for all sports coaches. Available on Netflix

Forks over Knives The seminal film of the WFPB movement that has impacted millions the world over. Forks over Knives examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the chronic diseases that afflict us, can be controlled or even reversed by rejecting animal-based and processed foods. Available on Amazon & iTunes.

TakeOut This movie highlights how corporate greed, global food consumption, and political corruption create conditions that are irreparably harming earth's ecosystem. Created by Emmy nominated filmmaker, Michal Siewieski, TakeOut is available on Amazon and from iTunes.

Diet Fiction This film calls to attention the most popular diets on the planet and draws together several misconceptions about weight loss and nutrition. Filmmaker Michal Siewierski presents a punchy case and followed it up TakeOut. Bottom line message, go WFPB. View on Amazon.

Code Blue Code Blue reveals lapses in the current state of medicine and provides a common sense solution by featuring the practise of lifestyle medicine to prevent, manage and reverse chronic diseases. It covers hurdles to such a change and looks at the barriers. View on Amazon.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

Take a break

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Healthy crossword

Across 5. Brain part (8) 6. Inflammatory bowel disease (6) 9. Regain health (7) 11. Dr Michael ... p.15 (6) 13. Regard as the same (6) 15. A pair (3) 16. Lasting a long time (7) 17. Something obvious (6) 19. Stove (4) 20. Set of letters (8) 21. Distinctive smell (5) 22. Confirmed habit p.26 (9) 23. Taught (7) 25. Chronic dermatitis (6) 27. Polyphenols in plants p.54 (6) 28. To this time (3) 30. Going without food p,52 (7) 31. In the midst of (4) 33. ... retreat p.10 (9) 34. Chemist purchase (4)

Down 1. A large class of plant compounds (9) 2. A small gaseous molecule p.47(6,5) 3. Grain ground into flour p.61 (9) 4. Middle of apple (4) 6. Substance that produces cancer (10) 7. Pathology of the peripheral nerves (10) 8. Able to be believed (8) 9. Starchy grain (4) 10. To heal (3) 12. Polite interruption (6) 14. Main heart artery (5) 18. Dr ... Williamson p.38 (6) 22. Tennis serve (3) 24. Turn bad (3) 26. Bronchial problem p.44 (6) 27. Flaxseed p.54 (7) 29. Physically healthy (3) 31. ... Vera (4) 32. Magazine edition (5)

Go to the link below for solutions Click or scan QR image for references. wholefoodliving.life/references-spring-2021/

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

Recipe index

BREADS

MAINS

SAUCES | CONDIMENTS

KumaraChapatis..............................................40 BuckwheatBread.............................................61

PotatoPancake..................................................12 SobaNoodleSalad............................................13 Plant-Based Macaroni Cheese....................18 CreamyMushroom Risotto..........................19 Broccoli and Smoked Almond Salad.........24 Roasted Garlic Mashed Potato...................25 Polenta and vegetable stack........................29 StirFrySans Fry................................................32 SkinnyJacks........................................................33 Fajita......................................................................36 Alooandbeans..................................................57

Kumara and Cumin Hummus.......................23 Oil-FreePesto...................................................29 Dukkah..................................................................41

SOUPS AlphabetSoup,,,,,,.............................................60



SWEETS | DESSERTS Pineapple, Mandarin and Sultana Cake...37 Lemon Poppyseed Cake.................................48 Orange & Persimmon Blondies...................49 Lemon Mint Fruit Salad..,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,..............56

Tried our Recipes? Show us your creation! Mention @wholefoodliving.life and tag #wholefoodliving.life

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WFPB's Food Groups Based on the guide developed by PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) in 1991

LEGUMES

FRUIT

2 or more servings a day

3 or more servings a day Full of vitamin C and beta carotene, fruit is also rich in fibre. You should include at least one serving of fruit per day. Fruits are full of flavour, make a welcome afternoon filler and are great as a night time desert. They're best eaten whole because your gut benefits from their soft fibre. Serving sizes: 1 medium piece of fruit, 1/2 cup cooked fruit, 4 ounces juice.

Beans, peas and lentils are your key source for good fibre, protein, iron, calcium, zinc and B vitamins. In this group you can also include items such as chickpeas, baked and refined beans, soy milk, tempeh and vegetable protein. Serving sizes: 1/2 cups cooked beans, 4 ounces tofu or tempeh, 8 ounces Soy Milk.

NUTS AND SEEDS 1

or more servings

Serving: 1/4 cup nuts or seeds

WHOLE GRAINS 5 or more servings a day

The wholegrain list is large. Here is a sample: barley, freekeh, whole rye, brown rice, oats, wheat, buckwheat, bulgur, quinoa, whole wheat couscous, corn, millet. Build meals around hearty grain dishes. They’re rich in essential fibre, complex carbohydrates, protein, B Vitamins and zinc. Great for breakfast. Serving sizes: 1/2 cup hot cereal, 1/4 cup dry cereal, 1 slice bread

VEGETABLES

4 or more servings a day Vegetables are your essential nutrient injection. Dark green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, collards, kale, mustard and turnip greens, chicory or bok choy are all good sources of important nutrients. They provide vitamin C, beta-carotene, riboflavin, iron, calcium, fibre and more. Extra beta-carotene comes from dark yellow and orange vegetables such as carrot, squash, sweet potatoes and pumpkin. Don’t be afraid to eat generous amounts. Load up your plate! Serving sizes: 1 cup raw vegetables, 1/2 cup cooked vegetables

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2021

Buyers eager & ready to purchase

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If I could bring you an outstanding offer from one of my pre-approved buyers, would you sell? There is proven demand for homes all over Christchurch and Canterbury.

If you are contemplating selling, the Holmwood team and I have genuine qualified buyers in most price ranges registered with us now. If you can help me, please give me a call and I can schedule your free no obligation property appraisal or help you with any other real estate advice. Contact me today on 021 130 3997!

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PADMAN SADASIVAM 021 130 3997 padman.sadasivam@harcourts.co.nz

holmwood.co.nz Licensed Agent REAA 2008

Whole Food Living - Spring 2021

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Growing your own