Whole Food Living - Summer 2021

SUMMER 2021 VOL 2 • ISSUE 8

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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

I

FREE: eh, like a bird on a wire?

f you’re as old as me, or somewhere near close It all comes down to living in a “tethered” world. to it, you may recall the Leonard Chohen ballard, None of us is exempt from responsibilities towards Bird on the Wire, made famous by Joe Cocker, or each other, so the concept of freedom, as some Bird on a Wire by the Neville Brothers – whichever would have it, is a naïve and notional one at best. title you prefer, the lyrics are still the same.

For many, the concept of freedom becomes even Not to get too detailed about what inspired this murkier at the level of Government. The problem song, for all I know, Leonard could have been in is, in a democratic society anyway, we elect a KFC one day and saw something spinning on the government to rule over us. That, in itself, is a loss rotisserie and found himself particularly moved by of freedom – until we vote them out and then the the experience. Unlikely, because I don’t think KFC process repeats. had arrived on the Greek island of Hydra where all In the meantime, our only option is constructive the magic happened and he put pen to paper. Bear criticism through adequate representation, and with me here; I talk in riddles sometimes. even that is a flawed concept. In a free world, the Bird on a Wire is a song that ruminates on “the Peter Barclay, Editor so-called Fourth Estate was expected to fill in the impossibility of freedom in a world rife with tethers”. gap by keeping the politicians honest, that is, until I couldn’t have written those words better myself, and I didn’t; the Internet came along and everyone found they could write they were part of a music review by Jim Beviglia posted online their own news and believe whatever they wanted. two years ago. For my purpose here, though, the point he makes This may all sound a bit cynical, perhaps when you consider is perfectly moot. that millions have taken up the vaccine and, in New Zealand and Freedom is an intangible concept. It’s an accorded right. It Australia, at least, less than 15 per cent haven’t. The mainstream means something completely different in North Korea where a view is that freedom comes with vaccination. young student can be shot for showing his friends a movie that Irrespective of which side you stand on, however, it all comes the rest of the world is free to download on NetFlix. down to health, and on that score, we say you can only ignore the Many would say freedom in Afghanistan is non-existent for advice of people like Dr Jia Xu, (pages 38-39) at your peril. But the half the community. And, when it comes to climate change, only choice is still yours! now have some nations recognised the right for the younger Finally, we would like to leave the last word for 2021 to our generation (page 47) to a world with more hopeful prospects. good friend and distant mentor, Dr Scott Stoll. Dr Stoll runs a very As we close for another year, we wonder what kind of world worthy cause called The Plantrician Project, which offers a series we will wake up to in 2022. As I write, the news is full of details of major conferences and provides a healthy heap of excellent about the new Omicron Covid variant. Still early days at the time plant-based advice.

You can find out more about it online. of writing, but fear already abounds that we’re staring at our next Dr Stoll never fails to produce some fantastic think pieces, and worst nightmare - and a new wave of border closures as well. this year we believe he’s truly nailed it with an article he’s written This year the big debate, of course, has been to vaccinate or around Thanksgiving on The Importance of Cultivating Gratitude. not vaccinate. Those vaccinated can’t understand why anyone wouldn’t take the jab while a hard core group vehemently and Check out what he has to say on page 41. Happy holidays sometimes violently defends their ‘right’ not to. everyone.

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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Contact us

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: Are Media,NZ Post & Iclay Media Contributions & Assistance Contributions & assistance on this issue is gratefully acknowledged from the following: Nic Butterworth, Rebecca Stoner, Radha Sahar, Janice Carter, Gerald Haslinger, Dr Scott Stoll, Fiona Stewart, Het Conroy. Padman Sadasivam, Karen Crowley, Emma Roche

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CONTENTS 18 48 52

General Features 11. Fighting hot flashes

38. Fighting that virus

Dr Hana Kahleoveva and others take a look into how to deal with a vexing issue.

18. Health & microbiome

Dr Jia Xu discusses your first line of defence against that pesky virus.

41. Dr Scott Stoll

A detailed examination by Janice Carter on how to ensure your good health .

26. Rebecca Stonor Recovering from MS and finding a future.

30. Innes Hope A futuristic take on resourcefulness.

34. Summer roadie ideas Great tastes, great sounds you're all set for Summer.

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A reflection on cultivating gratitude and why it is so important to us.

50. Emulsifiers Dr Alan Desmond explains why you should avoid them.

47. A new human right Healthy environment is recognised as a right.

49. Alzheimers It's not an inevitable part of ageing; the right food helps.

52. Lecture series ends The Whole Food Solution lecture series has now concluded. We sum up.

65. Milked review Editor reviews Chris Huriwai's insightful movie and wonders about traditional media.

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-summer-2021/

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The inside goss If the world doesn’t act soon there will be catastrophic biodiversity loss and untold amounts of human misery.

- Dr Mike Joy. I wish they would stand up at the 1pm presso’s and say the other thing you can do is look after yourself and try and eat a healthy diet.

- Dr Mark Craig

37 17 Recipes 14. Vege tofu kebabs Janice Carter offers a great kebab idea for the Summer season ahead.

15. Eggplant on the BBQ A steak-like looking treat that comes with a yummy marinade .

16. Mexican rice A nice rice dish with a touch of sombrero.

17. Kale salad Super healthy and laced with suttle tastes.

20. Mighty mini quiches Really yummy and Catherine never cooks enough of them.

21. Stuffed cabbage rolls Worth the effort, look great on a plate and contain lots of healthy goodness.

26. Savoury tarte tatin The start of four pages of some truly special food ideas from Rebecca Stoner.

32. Runner bean hummus Innes Hope digs down to find some great hummus

36. Steve's Cookies We can't keep making enough of these, thanks Steve!

40. 'Cheese' cake special A great Summer treat that is bound to impress.

The catalyst of consistent generosity is gratitude.

- Dr Scott Stoll Poor nutrition is by far the biggest cause of preventable death in every single country, including New Zealand.

- Prof Boyd Swinburn Fear is an exceptionally good motivator for change.

- Rebecca Stoner If you're facing an intruder, your white blood cells display a higher killing power, like special forces, well-trained, so you're well-protected.

- Dr Jia Xu

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WFPB ADVOCATES International

Dr Scott Stoll

Dr Michael Klapper

Dr Kim A. Williams

Dr Shireen Kassam

Dr Joel Fuhrman

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.

A former worldclass figure skater, Dr Fuhrman is best known for his award winnng book Eat To Live. He is based between his practice in New Jersey and a retreat in San Diago.

An Australian doctor based at Loma Linda California. Passionate in empowering people to optimise their health through improving life-style 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 & 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

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Fighting hot flashes with a whole food diet The idea that food could be used to combat the effects of menopause might seem fanciful but a group of US researchers have proven that it can.

Their results have shown that soy can reduce the impact of moderate to severe hot flashes by up to 84 per cent.

I

n her opening address to a recent online webinar on hot flashes, Dr Hana Kahleoveva, explained that as ovarian activity slowed to a stop, a profound change occurred in the female body.

Driven by fluctuating hormone levels, these changes could lead to temporary mood changes, vaginal changes and a decrease in oestradiol and progesterone.

"Hot flashes occur because the blood vessels in the skin get much larger, and you feel much warmer. It's like turning up the heat when it's chilly outside, "she said.

"But hot flashes are not the same around the world. Women in different parts of the world may suffer to a different degree from hot flashes. In the 1980s, on the traditional Japanese diet (rice, soy foods, leafy green vegetables), only about 13% of perimenopausal and 15% of post-menopausal women suffered from hot flashes.

"A similar study was conducted in China in 1992-96. They took 156 women around menopause and asked them whether they had suffered from hot flashes in the last two weeks. Only 13.5% reported having any hot flashes in the previous two weeks.

"Why is it? Is there something magic about the soybeans and the tofu and all the soy foods? We know that soybeans contain isoflavones which are phytochemicals including Genistein, Daidzein and Glycitein. All of these have beneficial effects on hot flashes themselves, but Daidzein can also be converted by the gut microbiome to Equol, a more potent isoflavone than the original Daidzein.

"The traditional Japanese diet changed, unfortunately. When McDonald's arrived (2001-03), all of a sudden, the hot flashes went up. Forty-two per cent of post-menopausal women reported having hot flashes in the early 2000s. It seems like the dietary shifts can increase the frequency of hot flashes in the population pretty quickly.

Japanese soy intake

"Is it because these women were not consuming so many soybeans, or is it because of other dietary changes? When we look at the soy intake in Japan, it didn't change much between 1961 and 2001. However, when we look at soybeans as a percentage of total protein, we can see a decrease over time.

"That means these women started consuming other sources of protein over time. What were they? Fish, meat and dairy product consumption went up. It was not a decrease in the consumption of soybeans but rather an increase in animal sources of protein that led to an increase in hot flashes in Japan. At the same time, the consumption of starchy food went down."

"But do you have to consume soybeans in order to have a lower risk of hot flashes? A study conducted on Mayan women living on the Yucatan Penninsula in 2001 suggests not. The study was carried out on 118 post-menopausal women, and none of the women reported symptoms of hot flashes or could recall any

Fighting Hot Flashes with Food was the subject of a series of recent online webinars run by the US based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. In a group of four weekly meetings it was explained how food can be used to fight hot flashes (known as flushes down under) and contained detailed explanations on how to go about it. Information for the series was based on PCRM'S WAVS trial, the results of which were published by the North American Menopause Society in the journal Menopause. The article published here covers the first online event in the series which featured two women involved in the study, an explanation of the study itself by endocrinologist, Dr Hana Kahleoveva and a presentation by dietitian, Lee Crosby. history of significant symptoms associated with the menopausal transition.

"So what are these women doing that is different from western culture. Well, they eat a lot of tortillas and black beans. This time around, it's not the soybeans. This diet really works for hot flashes as well. And the plot thickens.

"We (PCRM) conducted a study for post-menopausal women with hot flashes, and we divided them into two groups. We randomly assigned them to the diet group or the control group.

The diet group consumed a low fat vegan diet that contained half a cup of cooked soybeans every day. And the control group stayed on their usual diet.

"The diet intervention consisted of eating half a cup of cooked soybeans daily, no animal products and we minimised the oils.

The upper intake for fat intake was 20 to 30 gms per day. The soybeans provided the isoflavones that may alleviate the hot flashes, and the low-fat vegan diet alters the gut microbiome, allowing isoflavone conversion.

"This is a hypothesis we're still testing. Some of the women helped collect the gut microbiome samples, so we are now analysing the outcome.

"The women in the vegan group lost weight while the women in the control group slightly gained weight, about 0.8 kg in 12 weeks.

The women in the diet group lost about 3.5kg. Some people may think this is a low number for weight loss, but I need to tell you that not all women needed to lose weight. Some women started off really slim, so this is a really good average. Some women lost 9kg – they needed to, but other women didn't need to lose much

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because they were slim to start with.

"The total number of hot flashes went down significantly in the diet or intervention group. Even the control group experienced some decrease in hot flashes. We may explain it by some seasonal changes potentially; we were going into colder weather.

Potentially this may have affected the findings, and there is also a placebo effect of just participating in the study and receiving some attention because the control group was also tracking their hot flashes to the same degree as the diet group.

"Moderate to severe hot flashes were reduced significantly in the diet group compared to the control group by 84 per cent.

When we look at the percentage of women reporting any moderate to severe hot flashes, this percentage went down from 100 to 41 per cent in the intervention group (by week 12) and it stayed about the same in the control group. So when we look at the women who experienced any moderate to severe hot flashes, there's a significant difference between the groups.

"Now, quality of life is also an important marker. You may be wondering, well, if I improve my hot flashes, but what about how I enjoy life? Isn't that important too? And absolutely, it's important.

We tracked the quality of life using the MENQOL questionnaire that tracks several different aspects of the quality of life.

"The first one is Vasomotor, that's the aspect connected with hot flashes – how often you experience hot flashes. The lower the number, the better the quality of life. The higher the number, the more annoyed by the symptoms these women were. Vasomotor quality improved significantly in the diet group. There was a trend toward improvement in the control group as well but much more in the diet group.

"For psychosocial the decrease and improvement in the quality of life were just phenomenal in the diet group, the same for physical and also sexual. That might be surprising for some – is diet connected to sexual health as well? We are just beginning to tackle this topic, and we're excited about the findings."

Study participant Margo LaMarsh said that before the study, her hot flashes were so bad she would get up and change her pyjamas, sometimes two or three times every night.

"So, I wasn't sleeping well obviously and those hot flashes would be all day long and I would be dripping in sweat. My mother continued to have hot flashes until she was almost 90!

So, that's a really long future to be thinking about. When I heard about this study I was very excited and, at that point, ready to try anything.

Following a vegan diet

"Interestingly, I was approaching a vegan diet. I was not perfect but the study pushed me to be really attentive and to be as perfect as I could be. In that sense, my diet content didn't change a whole lot but I found that the fat content in a lot of the foods that I was eating was pretty high. Guacamole, nuts, coconut milk – those things are added to a lot of vegan recipes.

"That was one of the big changes I had to make, and then, of course, adding the soybeans. But, three to four weeks into the study, I wasn't having any hot flashes. My energy increased, and I just felt so much better all way round.

"I was one of those on the higher end of weight loss - I lost almost 9kgs. I wouldn't say that I was all that heavy beforehand but I do feel so much better now that I am thinner and have done that. It was not my intention to lose that weight or to go low fat and be very strict on the vegan diet but the pounds just melted. It was a wonderful experience and has changed my life.

Cheryl Debrone, another study participant, had no idea of how many hot flashes she was having until she entered the study.

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"I was having about 15 on average a day, including really bad night sweats. I had to have the house cold like a meat locker with a fan on me. I had no idea it was that bad.

"Two weeks into the study, my hot flashes were almost gone.

As Margo said, I had maybe some warm flashes, but by the end of the study, they were completely gone. After the study, I ran out of soybeans and it took me about a month to get them back.

"I didn't get any hot flashes until about the third week. Then they started to come back, a little bit at a time, a little stronger, and then I got my soybeans back, so I was happy.

"To this day, I still do the vegan diet. I still do the half cup of soybeans a day, and it's amazing what you can do with soybeans.

Any recipe that has white beans in it you can substitute soybeans and I keep finding more and more new ways to do it.

"As far as quality of life is concerned, well, the energy is absolutely amazing! Before this, I was one of those low carb keto dieters, and I wasn't losing weight. I'm down 8kgs now. I lost weight slowly, but it was steady, maybe about .2kgs a week. I can eat anything vegan, as much as I want, pizza without cheese, pasta, all of my favourite comfort foods.

"But when I was on that low carb diet, I didn't lose weight, and I didn't have any energy. I felt like I had cement for feet, and I thought I was just getting old. But now I have so much energy that my husband and I just signed up for an ironman next July.

For the first time, I feel like I can do it because I've got the energy.

Dr Kahleoveva: Do you have any experience with falling off the wagon and experiencing the hot flashes again?

Margo: My daughter got married a month ago and being mother of the bride I was able to get a good vegan meal for the reception, but I wanted a piece of wedding cake. It was my daughter's wedding, and I wanted a piece of wedding cake.

"Of course that has egg, it has sugar, it has fat and no soybeans.

I had that piece of wedding cake and enjoyed it, but I paid the price for it two or three days afterwards. Not super bad, but I did have some hot flashes after that. I can't come up with anything else. I had been doing everything else right. I really think it was just that trifecta of everything that was in that cake.

"You can go off it, enjoy that little piece of cake, but know that you are going to suffer a little bit, and then you've got to get right back on and do it right, and you'll be ok.

Dr Kahleoveva: Some people wonder whether edamame and soybeans are the same things.

Cheryl: Well, from being in the study, I know that edamame are just young soybeans. I put them in a dip, and I just found a gravy recipe too. I put vegetable broth, miso paste a little bit of soy sauce and then garlic and onion powder. I just wing it, then put the soybeans in with it. I get fresh rosemary and sage from my garden, and it becomes a wonderful gravy. You can put it on

mashed potatoes and vegetables. That's one of my favourites now.

Margo: Soybeans themselves don't really have a whole lot of flavour so I put them in soup, in stew and salad. I put them in my oatmeal in the morning as more of a texture thing, and I put fruit on top; I don't really taste the soybeans. I put them in whatever I'm having that day. I don't cook them in my soup. I cook my soup and then add my soybeans to it, but they go in everything.

Dietician, Lee Crosby, said the diet centred around four groups of foods.

"The power plate is the basis of the diet we have for hot flashes.

We have fruits, vegetables, grains and I would like to make a mention here, we mean whole grains and we have legumes.

"Legumes are beans, peas, lentils, split peas and soybeans.

This is the basis of the diet. What is not on the plate is animal products. We don't have any meat, eggs, dairy – all those things are out. Also not on the plate - oils. Nuts and seeds? Also not on the plate for the moment with some minor exceptions because they are pretty high in fat. Also, to change the gut flora, we're keeping the fat quantity in the diet very low.

"That's the basis of the diet, but one thing you need to know if you are on a plant-based diet is to use a supplement of vitamin B12. This is made by bacteria in the soil and also in the guts of animals. If we're not eating animal products, you still need small amounts. The safest way is to take a supplement, and in the study, we used Solgar brand."

Plate off limits

In response to a comment (in chat) from someone saying the top half of the plate was off-limits because they were prediabetic, Lee said this was not true.

"Actually, it is within limits for you because a whole food plantbased diet is excellent for blood-sugar management. This is a great way to eat if you are pre-diabetic and keep you from being diabetic. You don't need much B12; take it with or without food.

Just 100 micrograms is all you need.

"Someone asked if soy milk was the same as soybeans. The answer in terms of isoflavones is not really. To get the same isoflavones as you would get in a half cup of soybeans, you would have to drink eight and a half cups – probably not what you would want to do to get those isoflavones.

"This is why we're using half a cup of mature soybeans. The other thing you'll note is that the edamame doesn't have as many isoflavones either. You really need the mature beans to have the right isoflavones and it's a lot easier if you have a pressure cooker to prepare them in. If you haven't got one, think about getting one, it's a lot easier. You don't have to babysit the stove; you just put them in and walk away.

"How do you prepare them? Well, you rinse your soybeans, and you might want to have a little look in there to check if there are little stones. It's a natural product, so there could be some stones in there. Just cover your beans with two inches of water and pressure cook them for 40 minutes. You can then store it in convenient portions, so you don't have to cook every day.

"You can eat them plain on the side, or you can have them seasoned, in salad or soups or roasted. To roast then, just cook in the pressure cooker and then spread on a parchment coated baking sheet. Bake at 180C for 45 to 60 minutes, then season as desired. If they are very crunchy, you can store them at room temperature almost indefinitely, but if you like them not so crunchy, then you would need to keep them in the fridge. You can season with a pinch of salt, cayenne, garlic powder, basil and oregano.

"Sometimes you will hear a lot about soy in online chat, people saying it causes breast cancer. But it's a myth, and it turns a lot of women away from soy when soy, as it turns out, is beneficial when it comes to reducing the risk of breast cancer. A 2008

Your whole food power plate meta-analysis found that a high soy intake had about a 29 per cent lower risk of breast cancer.

"But what do you do if you want to get onto this diet? Let's start with breakfast."

Cheryl: Well, I take tofu. You can actually make tofu taste like scrambled eggs. You have your healthy potato; crisp them up in an air fryer, and you have scrambled eggs and hash browns.

Margo: I like my oatmeal in the morning, and I put my soybeans in there. I take my half-cup portion, put about half of those in there, and save the other half for lunch or dinner. I make my oatmeal, then I put fruit on top, stir it all up, and you don't taste the soybeans.

"A lot of people don't like that extra protein at breakfast, but with it I'm fine until lunch. In fact I run three or four miles in the morning, and I'm still fine until lunch."

"Because we're in the Fall, I think it's a great time to eat vegan; it's really easy, especially at lunch and dinner. Think vegetable soup, minestrone, and curries – all kinds of soups make quick and easy dinners. I always save some and have it for lunch the next day. Or, I'll make a big pot of vegetable soup at the beginning of the week then eat it throughout the week.

"I put my soybeans in the bottom of the bowl, and I pour my hot soup or stew or curry on top. I pre-prep my soybeans, and then I know I've got the right amount of soybeans as opposed to adding the soybeans to your soup. Then you don't know how many soybeans you've personally got.

Whole grain oats

Cheryl: I do the same. I put my soybeans in a bag and put them on the bottom of the bowl. Someone mentioned oak groats (whole grain oats) because you can either make it savoury or sweet. You can actually use the oat groats like rice. I've done it quite often and made it like a stir fry with some teriyaki sauce.

"Another favourite is Raman. I put my soybeans in there with some broccoli and whatever fat-free Asian sauce that you like.

I put soybeans in the blender with a cheese sauce. It's not real sauce, and you can always throw your beans in with that as well.

Other ideas for lunch and dinner included pizza, spaghetti and pasta - with pizza; the recommendation is to load it up with vegetables and sprinkle on herb and nutritional yeast. At Mexican restaurants, bean and rice burritos were another favourite.

Something to be cautious about was crispy taco shells because they are fried in oil. In some locations, it may be necessary to prewarn about using too much oil.

Most vegetable and tofu dishes were classed as acceptable at Chinese restaurants, but the suggestion was to ask for food to be steamed rather than cooked in oil. At Thai restaurants, it paid to be wary of curries cooked in coconut milk. They can be high in saturated fat.

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Invited to a BBQ? Here's what to bring.

Vegetable Tofu Kebabs Here are just some ideas on what could be included in a vegetable kebab for summer BBQs, The marinade makes the vegetables sing when left to absorb correctly.

by Janice Carter | makes 16 MARINADE INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 tsp 1 tsp 1 Tbsp

zest and juice of one lemon lrge garlic clove or 2 sml cloves sweet or smoked paprika italian herbs honey or maple syrup

VEGETABLES AND TOFU IDEAS FOR SKEWERS 300g firm tofu, cut into 2.5 cm cubes 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, red and yellow capsicum, red onion, eggplant, sml potatoes, carrots, yellow squash zucchini.

METHOD 1. Soak 16 bamboo skewers in water for 20 mins.

This helps them not to burn while under the grill.

2. Place all marinade ingredients above n a blender and blend until smooth.

3. Chop all vegetables into bite-sized pieces. If using carrot or potatoes, precook them until just done.

4. Place blended marinade ingredients in a large zip lock bag. Add in veges and tofu and marinate for 4 hours pr longer, turning occasionally.

5. Thread the veges and tofu onto the skewers.

6. Preheat the grill to medium and grill until coloured well and cooked. You may need to turn the skewers partway through the grill.

Marinated Grilled Eggplant Strong flavours work into this eggplant 'steak'. It's a fantastic addition to any BBQ.

by Catherine Barclay | makes 8 EGGPLANT MARINADE INGREDIENTS 1 tsp 1 Tbsp 1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp 1 tsp 2 sprigs 1 Tbsp 4 1 Tbsp 3 Tbsp 1/4 cup 2 2 Tbsp 1

ground cinnamon ground coriander allspice cayenne pepper smoked paprika fresh rosemary fresh sage cloves garlic, minced fresh ginger, grated lemon juice tamari spring onion, diced maple syrup large eggplant

METHOD 1. Add all ingredients except the eggplant into a mixing bowl and stir to combine.

2. Slice the eggplant lengthways (from top to bottom, not across) Make the around 1 1/2 cm thick.

3. Place eggplants and marinade into a large snaplock bag and allow them to sit for at least an hour, rotating the bag occasionally, so the eggplant absorbs the marinade.

4. Preheat the bbq grill. Once hot, turn down to medium heat. Add eggplant and grill both sides for around 3-5 minutes or until the eggplant is nice and soft.

5. Serve immediately.

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Mexican Rice A quick dish full of flavour, makes a large amount which is great for sharing at a group BBQ.

by Catherine Barclay INGREDIENTS 1 3 1 tsp 3 tsp 1/2 tsp 1 300g 350 ml 2 cups 400g 400g 2 Tbsp

METHOD onion, finely diced garlic cloves, crushed cumin smoked paprika chilli flakes, or for the authentic touch 1 jalapeno, seeded & diced red capsicum brown basmati rice passata (or a can of tomatoes) vegetable stock can of no salt corn can of no salt black beans, rinsed fresh coriander, chopped (optional)

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1. With a deep frying pan or a dutch oven, cook the onion in a little water until softened. Add the garlic, jalapeno or chilli flakes and spices and fry for 2 mins, add small amounts of water if needed.

2. Add the rice, passata, stock, and some pepper.

Mix through and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer covered for 10 mins.

3. Add corn and black beans, stir through, then simmer for a further 2-3 mins, still with lid on.

4. Add water if needed if the dish seems too dry.

5. Add chopped coriander or parsley (optional) before serving.

Kale Salad Crisp salad with a strong citrus flavour, great to take to BBQs

by Catherine Barclay SALAD INGREDIENTS 175 grm 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 1/2

baby kale dried cranberries almond slivered apple, cubed Zest from one orange

DRESSING INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 tsp 1 Tbsp 1 tsp 1 1/2 tsp

apple cider vinegar dijon mustard whole grain mustard maple syrup

METHOD 1. Break Kale down into small pieces and place in a large salad bowl.

2. Mix through the dried cranberry, almond and apple, adding more if needed.

3. Sprinkle over the orange zest mixing it through.

4. Combine all dressing ingredients and mix with a fork. Add to the salad and gently stir through.

Health benefits of Kale Kale is a member of the cabbage family and is one of the more nutrient-dense foods you can eat. High in nutrients yet low in calories. It is loaded with Antioxidants, a powerful heart-protective, blood pressure-lowering, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-depressant and anti-cancer. It is an excellent source of Vitamin C, nearly five times more than spinach. It is also one of the best sources of Vitamin K, which helps prevent osteoporosis.

Kale is high in lutein and zeaxanthin, nutrients that have been linked to a drastically reduced risk of macular degeneration and cataracts.

Uses: add to smoothies, salad, stirfry, pesto or Kale chips. Throw it in the freezer when fresh for later use. wholefoodliving.life | Summer 2021

17

Janice Carter

Gut health & your microbiome M

Happy gut - Happy body ore than 2000 years ago Hippocrates said, it all starts in your gut. We're only now coming to understand just

how right he was.

Research over the past two decades has revealed that gut health is critical to overall health, and an unhealthy gut can contribute to a wide range of diseases including diabetes, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, autism spectrum disorder, depression, and chronic fatigue syndrome, to name a few.

Research in this field is ever evolving. This is by no means a complete list of conditions attributable to poor gut health. In fact, many researchers - such as Felice Jackman - who studies nutritional psychiatry and the link between anxiety and depression and gut health, believe that supporting intestinal health and restoring the integrity of the gut barrier will be one of the most important goals of medicine in the 21st century.

According to Chris Kresser, "there are two closely related variables that determine our gut health: the intestinal microbiota, or “gut flora”, and the “gut barrier". Someone with problems with their gut barrier would experience leaky gut, a condition where the permeability of their gut lining is compromised.

What is gut flora?

Essentially, the gut flora can be explained with the following analogy. A healthy garden needs healthy soil. Our gut is home to approximately 100,000,000,000,000 (100 trillion) microorganisms.

Essentially our bodies are more bacteria than anything else!

If they aren't working towards our health then we really are in trouble, we are at a disadvantage from the basic building blocks of our body.

The human gut contains 10 times more bacteria than all the human cells in the entire body, with over 1,000 known diverse bacterial species.

We’ve only recently begun to understand the extent of the gut flora’s role in human health and disease.

Among other things, the gut flora promotes normal digestive function, accounts for approximately 80 percent of our body’s immune response, and helps to regulate our metabolism.

Dysregulated gut flora has been linked to diseases ranging from autism and depression to autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s, inflammatory bowel disease, and metabolic conditions like type 2 diabetes.

What comprises our gut flora?

Several features of modern living directly contribute to unhealthy gut flora: •

Antibiotics and other medications like birth control and NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

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•

Diets high in refined carbohydrates, sugar and processed foods.

• Diets low in fermentable fibres, aka not enough veggies • Foods known to cause leaky gut, gluten, oils and refined sugar.

• Chronic stress.

• Chronic infections.

Antibiotics are undoubtedly necessary in some circumstances.

I don’t have an issue with them when used correctly. They do however have huge implications on gut health.

Doctor Natasha Campbell-McBride is a gut health specialist and founder/author of the GAPS diet. She says it can take up to four years to restore and rebuild the gut biome following a course of antibiotics.

If you do require antibiotics, make sure you follow with a course of probiotics and have plenty of whole foods high in fibre – vegetables, fruit, grains and legumes. The diversity of your gut flora following antibiotic use is not recoverable without these interventions.

Research also suggests infants that aren’t breastfed, are born by caesarean section or are born to mothers with bad gut flora are more likely to develop unhealthy gut bacteria, and that these early differences in gut flora may predict a person’s chances of being overweight, developing diabetes, eczema/psoriasis, depression and other health problems in the future.

We can’t change our own births or how we were fed as infants.

Similarly, breastfeeding isn’t always possible for many women and c-sections have their place in ensuring the safety of mothers and babies during childbirth. In these instances, it is helpful to understand gut health can be compromised but equally there are many things you can do to account for these situations.

Leaky gut

The gut barrier is your gatekeeper that decides what gets in and what stays out.

When you think about it, our gut is a system that operates entirely on its own. It is a sealed passageway from our mouths to our bottom. Technically, the scope with which it interacts with other organs in our body is somewhat limited.

Anything goes in the mouth and isn’t digested will pass right out the other end. This is, in fact, one of the most important functions of the gut: to prevent foreign substances from entering the body.

When the intestinal barrier becomes permeable i.e. leaky gut syndrome, large protein molecules ‘leak’ into the bloodstream.

Since these proteins don’t belong outside of the gut, the body mounts an immune response and attacks them.

The link between leaky gut and autoimmune conditions is huge.

Removing gluten for these people and healing their gut has made symptom management and disease reversal possible in almost every single case.

Experts in mucosal biology, like Dr. Alessio Fasano, now believe leaky gut is a precondition to developing autoimmunity: "There is growing evidence that increased intestinal permeability plays a pathogenic role in various autoimmune diseases including celiac disease and type 1 diabetes. Therefore, we hypothesise that besides genetic and environmental factors, loss of intestinal barrier function is necessary to develop autoimmunity."

The phrase “leaky gut” used to be confined to the outer fringes of medicine, employed by alternative practitioners. Conventional researchers and doctors originally scoffed at the idea that a leaky gut contributes to autoimmune problems, but slowly it is becoming part of the mainstream approach to wellness.

The breach of the intestinal barrier - which is only possible with a leaky gut - by food toxins like gluten and chemicals like arsenic or BPA causes an immune response which affects not only the gut itself, but also other vital organs such as your skeletal system, the pancreas, the kidney, the liver, and the brain.

Leaky gut and your brain

Part of the reason micronutrient deficiencies affect mental health is because of compromised gut function. Even if a person with mental illness did have access to appropriate nutrition or levels of micronutrients, leaky gut will mean they are unable to absorb them.

The inner workings of your digestive system don’t just help you digest food, but also guide your emotions.

What’s more, the function of these neurons — and the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin — is highly influenced by the billions of “good” bacteria that make up your intestinal microbiome.

"We know that serotonin production is increased when subjects take a quality probiotic," Jackman says..

These bacteria play an essential role in your health. They protect the lining of your intestines and ensure they provide a strong barrier against toxins and “bad” bacteria; they limit inflammation; they improve how well you absorb nutrients from your food; and

they activate neural pathways that travel directly between the gut and the brain.

Leaky gut and bad gut flora are common because of our modern lifestyle. If you have a leaky gut, you probably have bad gut flora, and vice versa. And when your gut flora and gut barrier are impaired, you will feel less than 100 per cent.

This systemic inflammatory response then leads to the development of autoimmunity. And while leaky gut and bad gut flora may manifest as digestive trouble, in many people it does not. Instead it shows up as problems as diverse as heart failure, depression, brain fog, eczema/psoriasis and other skin conditions, metabolic problems like obesity and diabetes and allergies such as asthma.

To adequately address these conditions, you must rebuild healthy gut flora and restore the integrity of your intestinal barrier. This is especially true if you have any kind of autoimmune disease, whether you experience digestive issues or not.

Improving your gut health

The most obvious first step in maintaining a healthy gut is to avoid all of the things listed above that destroy gut flora and damage the intestinal barrier.

But of course that’s not always possible, especially in the case of chronic stress and infections. Nor did we have any control over whether we were breast-fed or whether our mothers had healthy guts when they gave birth to us.

If you’ve been exposed to some of these factors, there are still steps you can take to restore your gut flora: • •

• • • • •

Avoid foods and chemicals that irritate the gut.

Eat plenty of fermentable fibres (starches like kumara, pumpkin, resistant starch from cooked and cooled potatoes or whole grains, etc.).

Eat a high fibre whole food plant-based diet.

Consider taking a probiotic and/or a prebiotic supplement.

Treat any intestinal pathogens (such as parasites) that may be present.

Manage your stress.

Test your gut health – try an elimination process starting with removing gluten.

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Herb and Vegetable Mini Quiches Fabulous lunch box idea, moist and light with great flavour

by Janice Carter | makes 12 INGREDIENTS 1 3 1 2 1 1 1/2 cups 1 tsp 1 1/2 cups 1/2 cup 2 tsp 1/2 cup 3 tsp

METHOD onion, finely diced garlic cloves, crushed carrot, grated handfuls baby spinach red capsicum, chopped into 1-2 cm cubes chickpea flour (besan flour) baking powder water chopped fresh herbs of your choice (I like chives and parsley) dried oregano nutritional yeast tamari

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1. Preheat oven to 180°C and use a silicone muffin tray 2. In a little water, stir fry the onion, garlic and grated carrot until softened.

3. Add the capsicum and spinach and cook for another 2 minutes.

4. Place the flour, baking powder and water in a bowl and whisk until smooth.

5. Add the cooked vegetables, fresh herbs, oregano, nutritional yeast and tamari and mix gently to combine.

6. Divide the mixture among the holes in the muffin tray and bake for 30 minutes. When cooked, the top should spring back slightly when pressed with your finger.

7. Once cooked, remove from the oven and let rest for 20 minutes to firm up. Gently loosen the sides with a knife and then remove quiches from the muffin tray onto a cooling rack.

Chinese Stuffed Cabbage Rolls A very filling meal - a mix of Chinese flavours all wrapped in nice tight bundle.

by Catherine Barclay | makes 8 INGREDIENTS 12 100 grams 2 1 Tbsp 1 Tbsp 2 tsp 1 Tbsp 2 tsp 1 1 2 8

METHOD shiitake mushrooms vermicelli noodles garlic cloves, diced fresh ginger, grated soy sauce or tamari sriracha sauce rice vinegar cornflour red capsicum, julienned carrot, julienned celery sticks, julienned large chinese cabbage leaves

Try serving the rolls with sweet chilli sauce mixed with lemon or lime juice.

1. Soak the noodles in water for about 10 mins or until softened. Drain and chop the noodles in half.

2. While the noodles are soaking in a small bowl, mix the garlic, ginger with the sauces and the cornflour.

3. Heat a large saucepan and add a small amount of water, dry-fry the mushroom, capsicum, celery and noodles for around a minute.

4. Add in the sauce and heat for 3 mins, stirring occasionally.

5. Steam or microwave the cabbage leaves until bendable. Rinse under cold water.

6. Hold each leaf on the palm of your hand, underside up, add 1/8th of the mix into the centre and fold in the sides, then roll up tightly from the stem to the tip of the leaf.

7. Place leaves in a bamboo steamer as you go with the open fold of the leaf facing downwards, pack tightly.

8. Steam for 15 mins in vege stock or water.

Serve immediately.

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Rebecca Stonor

Her journey from traditional eating to whole food plant-based nutrition nerd For people like Rebecca Stonor, the decision to go plant-based was much more than a flight-of-fancy. Whole Food Living caught up with her shortly before October's Adelaide Vegan festival and discovered why.

I

WFL: We understand that you were a traditional eater (westernstyle food) for many years. What motivated you to change and, in the early stages, did you ever doubt it would be right for you?

always thought I was a healthy eater and followed the Australian healthy eating guidelines. I consumed dairy for strong bones and lean chicken breast for protein. I had very little carbohydrates in my diet because I thought that promoted weight gain. I was perpetually on a "diet" and was always 5 to 10 kilos overweight.

After I had my second child I'd gained over 20 kilos, no longer had time for exercise and ate very poorly.

My motivation for changing my diet was fear. I woke up one morning in late winter, 2015, and I had lost vision in my right eye.

I was slurring my words, I couldn't string a sentence together and I felt like I might fall over or collapse. I felt very unwell. After

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numerous medical appointments trying to work out what was wrong I found myself sitting in a neurologist's office. She was looking at my MRI images of my brain, showing several lesions, and said to me "it looks like you have Multiple Sclerosis". My world literally fell apart at that moment. I had two small children, I worked part time and I didn't want to become a burden to my partner.

My only knowledge of MS was an Aunt who progressed to a wheelchair in her 30s and is still alive, currently living in a quadriplegic care facility. She can only speak and swallow and relies on full time care for all of her daily needs. I wanted to do everything I could to avoid that outcome so used my skills in research to look into the science behind diet and the progression of MS.

I soon found much evidence that a high saturated fat diet heavy in animal products and inflammatory processed foods leads to disability and potentially death of MS patients. So I changed quickly to a whole food, plant-based diet. I had the common concerns around nutritional adequacy of plant foods but after looking into the science and following this way of eating for six years I have no doubt that we can thrive by eating whole plant foods.

based nutritional research and had the pleasure of presenting alongside Dr Michael Klaper at a nutrition symposium in Adelaide.

I have close ties with and been involved in several events promoted by Doctors for Nutrition (doctorsfornutrition.org), a non for profit organisation aiming to educate medical professionals in plant based nutrition. They are currently run by doctors in Australia and New Zealand and were founded by Dr Heleen Roex and Lucy Stegley.

WFL: In the early part of your move to become plant-based, was this a step that everyone (friends, family, medical advisers etc.) accepted as the right thing to do?

WFL: Some WFPB advocates say the first step in becoming soundly plant-based involves educating yourself, to what extent has your ‘knowledge upgrade’ made the journey easier for you.

My neurologist was nervous, and still is. He says that I'm "too young" to not be on any medication and to be using only lifestyle interventions to keep myself well. His professional opinion is that the earlier people start on medication the likely they will progress to disability over the course of their lives. I did use medication in the beginning but it had terrible side effects for me. In the end I felt stable enough to give diet and other lifestyle modifications to manage MS. I also meditate daily to reduce stress, get regular exercise, keep my vitamin D levels high and prioritize sleep.

My family were skeptical but eventually came around to the idea when I showed them that the science was solid and they eventually began eating the way I did. Now our household eats a whole food, plant based diet and are all thriving. When my kids started eating exclusively plant-based I received some criticism from relatives and well-meaning friends but as time goes on they can see that my children are healthy and not lacking in anything.

They have both had blood tests and the doctor said to me “you must be doing something right with your diet to have such good results”.

I've definitely become a nutrition nerd since learning about the benefits of a WFPB diet. I have since become certified in plantbased nutrition through eCornell University. Having a background in science - I worked in plant science for nearly 20 years – I already had the skills to read scientific articles and cut through the misinformation in the media around diet. I just wish I knew this valuable information 20 years earlier, who knows, I may not have been diagnosed with MS if I'd eaten this way since I was a child! Chronic illness takes years to develop, perhaps I could have avoided my diagnosis.

WFL: All of us who have come from a background of eating traditional western food often have something that was hardest to give up. Was this true for you?

Fear is an exceptionally good motivator for change. I didn't miss any particular foods but it did take me some time to adjust to cooking in a different way. I had to learn how to create substitutes for eggs in a recipe for example or to cook without using oils. All of these things have become second nature to me now and I don't miss anything. I think my background in working in laboratories gave me WFL: MS, as we understand it confidence to experiment in the currently, isn’t something people kitchen. Cooking is a bit like science, can be cured of, but changing your sometimes things go according to plan diet can make a big difference to its and other times are epic failures. I now management. How has it worked for love creating delicious plant-based you? meals and sharing them with others.

I never say I've been cured of MS. It I'm motivated to stay on track and eat would no doubt come back to haunt this way for life. It's not a "diet" in the me if I went back to my old ways of sense that you eat it for a while and eating fat laden animal products. then go off the path. It's a lifestyle Rebecca's ebook Just Eat Plants is I also never tell people not to use choice. only $12.95 and available at conventional MS therapies. There are I have to say that I’m now at the justeatplants.com.au/shop many medications on the market these point where I feel deep gratitude for days, many of which have been of enormous benefit to those with my diagnosis. Without it I wouldn’t have changed. My children MS. I just wanted to do more than just take medication to keep would have been brought up on the standard Australian diet and myself well. who knows what their fate might have been? That’s why I do what Six years since my diagnosis I've lost 22 kg, I'm fitter and I do. It gives those with a life shattering diagnosis that there is healthier than I have ever been. I've also had no further relapses hope. and no progression of the disease. I currently live symptom free. I WFL: Broadly speaking, how has your change of eating affected couldn’t ask for more than that. other areas of your life? For instance, we see you run a business that WFL: What / who inspired you to follow the path you are now on? involves food. Was this the result of going plant-based, or had you I originally came across the work of Prof. George Jelinek. He always wanted to do something like this? was diagnosed with MS himself and being a medical doctor he Once I learnt how powerful whole plant foods can be I felt looked into the evidence behind diet and other lifestyle factors compelled to share this information with others. I share many and how these influenced MS. He developed the Overcoming MS plant-based recipes through my social media platforms. I also program which has helped many people worldwide. conduct cooking classes, cooking demonstrations and workplace What I do differs as I don't eat seafood, eggs or added oils, wellbeing seminars in Adelaide and online to an international which the OMS protocol allows. I prefer to eat whole plant foods audience. If you’d told me six years ago that I’d be speaking to that are anti-inflammatory as there is some evidence that even audiences about a deeply personal story I would have thought fish and egg white can promote inflammation. I follow some of the you were crazy. But now I seek out opportunities to share this amazing doctors in the US who are at the cutting edge of plant- information with others.

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WFL: When you deal with corporate clients, what is their reaction?

What is the reaction of workers to eating healthier food? Is it important to dress the food up (ie visual presentation) in these circumstances?

It depends on the audience. I find most women, particularly those that have weight or health issues themselves, are very receptive to hearing the information about the benefits of a plant-based diet.

They are often looking for ways to take care of their health and make their lives better in many ways.

Men however can be quite defensive and they don’t want anyone telling them to give up their steak. They will often sit in the audience with their arms crossed and not make eye contact with me. So I just let them know what could be possible for them if they did make changes to their diet and leave it at that (and I try to mention that erectile dysfunction issues may be an early indicator of heart disease, that usually sparks their attention).

I feel that if I've just planted the seed of knowledge then if they have a health crisis in the future they have that to fall back on if they need it. I try to deliver my story and evidence based information in a way that is not forceful, I give them the facts and let them make up their own minds if it's for them. And yes it's important for the food to not only taste amazing but it needs to look visually pleasing too.

WFL: Do you think many people are aware of the extent to which dietary change can impact the management of MS? Unfortunately many neurologists have not been educated in nutrition and therefore don't pass the information on to their patients. Although there is a growing body of evidence that diet, along with other environmental factors, affects the progression of MS, they still say there isn't enough data.

Knowing that I'm an anecdote, I'm "n of one" (a statistics term to say that my story does not carry enough scientific weight) I'm not likely to change their minds. But more and more of us are living well with MS using diet and lifestyle interventions and eventually it will be common knowledge that we can all take positive steps to help our bodies prevent or reverse chronic illness.

Although my story about reversing MS might not resonate with everyone, many of us have the genetic potential to develop a chronic illness. Mine was MS, for someone else it may be diabetes or heart disease. There is no denying that there is an epidemic of

"Our love of animal products and processed foods is killing us."

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these illnesses in the Western world and it's the food! Our love of animal products and processed foods is killing us.

WFL: What about the myths surrounding MS? For example, that MS is contagious, that everyone experiences MS somehow, or that drugs are the only way to treat it. Have you ever run into this kind of thinking, and how do you deal with it?

Yes I come across this all the time. MS hardly existed in developing nations until the introduction of western foods and proliferation in meat and dairy consumption. In World War 2, when people were rationed and meat was in short supply there were very few hospitalisations due to MS. MS is unique to everyone. One person may experience minor symptoms while others can’t walk. One woman I met had hundreds of lesions in her brain and spinal cord and although she could walk, she had the intellect of a child. It affects everyone differently and it’s amazing that there are medications to help people live close to normal lives.

However we all have the choice as to what we put on our plates. Even if diet and lifestyle had little or no impact on MS, it’s widely accepted that western diets high in fat can lead to other chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

So at the very least we can keep our bodies in the best health to avoid these illnesses. Along with good health, a whole food, plant-based diet reduces our impact on climate change and is good for the animals. Once you make this connection there is no going back to a standard diet.

Follow Rebecca Online Instagram

www.instagram.com/just_eat_plants/

Facebook

www.facebook.com/justeatplants/

Website

www.justeatplants.com.au She is also the plant-based nutrition expert for SheSapiens, an online platform that empowers women with knowledge. www.shesapiens.com

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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SAVOURY TARTE TATIN with a walnut ricotta

INGREDIENTS TART FILLING

CRUST

2 large red onions, finely sliced

1 1/2 cups besan flour

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup almond flour

2 dates, pitted and chopped

1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 punnet of cherry tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon black salt*

2 tablespoons pomegranate

300 g silken tofu

molasses

1 cup soy milk

WALNUT RICOTTA 1 1/2 cups walnuts 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast 3 teaspoons apple cider

TO SERVE Fresh basil leaves Green salad

vinegar 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 3/4 teaspoon sea salt

PREP TI E Prep | 40 m Cook | 20 m Ready in | 60 m Serves 8

www.justeatplants.com.au 26 wholefoodliving.life | Summer 2021

SAVOURY TARTE TAT with a walnut ricotta

PROCEDURE TART FILLING: Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line the bottom of a non-stick, 20 cm tart tin with

01

baking paper. In a large stainless steel or cast iron frying pan, fry the onions until they begin to caramelise. Add a dash of water and continue to fry until they are softened and browned. Add the balsamic vinegar, dates, salt and pepper. Stir and cook until the moisture has evaporated and the onions are soft.

CRUST: In a large bowl, mix the besan flour, almond flour, nutritional yeast flakes, baking powder

0 0 0 0

and salts. Add the soy milk and silken tofu. Mix until a thick batter forms (the silken tofu will break up easily with a whisk).

TO ASSEMBLE: Halve the cherry tomatoes and scatter them in the bottom of the tart tin. Layer the caramelised onion and drizzle over the pomegranate molasses. Pour over the crust batter and place into the oven for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

WALNUT RICOTTA: Blend the walnuts, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder and salt with half a cup of water. Taste and adjust seasoning if required.

TO SERVE: Remove the tart from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Place a serving plate over the top of the tin and invert to release the tart. The baking paper should stick to top of the tart, holding all of the cherry tomatoes in place. Gently remove the baking paper.

Garnish the tart with fresh basil leaves and serve with a side of a green salad.

*Black salt adds an 'eggy' flavour to this dish. This can be found at most health food stores or online.

www.justeatplants.com.au wholefoodliving.life | Summer 2021

27

MANGO PASSION FRUIT TRIFLE A healthy plant-based dessert for sharing

INGREDIENTS CAKE BITES

CUSTARD

2 cups gluten free flour

500ml soy milk

1/2 cup almond meal

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup corn flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 1/4 cups soy milk 1/4 cup maple syrup 2 tablespoons flaxseeds, ground 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder* 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

VANILLA CREAM 1 cup cashews 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder*

MANGO JELLY 300ml mango nectar 2 passion fruit, pulp removed 1/2 teaspoon agar agar powder

PREP TIME

TO SERVE 2 ripe mangoes, flesh removed and diced

Prep | 40 m

3 passion fruit, pulp removed

Cook | 20 m

1 cup soy yoghurt

Ready in | 60 m Serves 8

www.justeatplants.com.au 28 wholefoodliving.life | Summer 2021

MANGO & PASSION FRUIT TRIFLE A healthy plant-based dessert for sharing

PROCEDURE 01

CAKE BITES: Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line a 20x20cm square cake tin with baking paper. In a large bowl, mix the flour, almond meal, baking powder and baking soda together. Place the soy milk, maple syrup, flaxseed meal, vanilla and apple cider vinegar into a small bowl and mix well. Add this wet mix to the dry ingredients. Mix until the batter just comes together (don’t over mix as you will knock out the air bubbles). Pour into the cake tin and bake for 20 minutes until the top is lightly golden and springy to touch.

0 0

CUSTARD: Whisk together the soy milk, maple syrup, cornflour and turmeric in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat and stir constantly until it begins to thicken. Set aside in the fridge to cool.

MANGO JELLY: Mix the mango nectar with the passion fruit pulp and agar agar powder in a medium saucepan. Simmer on a low heat, stirring continuously for 5 minutes. Set aside in the fridge to set.

0!

VANILLA CREAM: In a high speed blender blend the cashews, maple syrup and vanilla powder with

0"

TO ASSEMBLE: When the cake is cooled, dice into 2 cm cubes. Place a layer of the cake bites onto

half a cup of water until very smooth.

the bottom of a glass serving dish (up to 2L in size).

Cover this cake layer with mango pieces and dollops of custard, soy yoghurt and mango jelly.

Alternate layers until all of the components of the trifle are used or the dish is full.

Finish the top with the vanilla cream, pieces of mango and fresh passion fruit pulp. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

*Vanilla powder only contains whole vanilla beans, no other additives. This can be found at most good health food stores or online.

www.justeatplants.com.au wholefoodliving.life | Summer 2021

29

Voices in the Pantry Part II

by Innes Hope

L

ast spring I took a peep into pantries past. None of my ancestors knew about climate change, but all were aware of the optimum use of food. Cooks were creative with the few basic ingredients they had. Times were hard.

How different pantries are today, full of highly refined foods that store for months without spoiling. Many new wholefood items are available too.

But out-of-stock signs and empty supermarket shelves now greet us. Prices are rocketing. Global food prices rose nearly 33 percent in the past year alone.¹ We’ve other worries too. People can’t afford a roof over their heads let alone good food. Covid 19 is disrupting supply chains.

Powerful vested interests cunningly fight back against IPCC recommendations and Cop26 resolutions.

Another wave of grief washes over me.

“We’re all nuts!” I mutter, and my mind floats into a kind of dreamy coping mode as I gaze at the pantry. “Cashews, almonds, peanuts - what do you reckon?” I murmur.

“Humans are crazy,” a cashew pipes up.

I’m imagining voices! Am I really going nuts? No … just letting my mind wander ...

“Real nuts can help undo the damage humans have done,“ the little nut continues. “We cashews are leading the plant-based revolution, y’know. We melt. Other nuts don’t. We make the best wholefood cheeses, cream, cheesecakes and aioli.”

“Who needs those in hard times?” a brazil nut chips in. “Just one of me provides a nutrient your soil is low on – selenium. The future is health, not luxury.”

“Affordability,” the peanuts nod. “Justice. Everyone can afford peanut butter. Tasty, healthy wholefood protein for everyone is where it’s at. We provide it.”

“Humph,” mutters Ms Almond. “We have the most protein.

Besides, you peanuts aren’t nuts. You are legumes,” she reminds her cousins. “We’re tree nuts. Trees can save the world. Those climate change activist humans should plant nut and fruit trees

30 wholefoodliving.life | Summer 2021

all over the neighbourhood!”

“We’re the ideal climate crisis crop,” the hemp seeds assert.

“We handle drought and poor soil. Plus we provide fibre for clothing. We’re the future. No doubt about it. And we’ve far more protein than you, posh Ms Almond.”

Everyone is silent for a few moments.

“You both sound most important,” says a quiet voice. “My name is Hazel, and my friend here is Mr Walnut. We’re sustainable and easy to grow locally. Plus we’re affordable and nutritious.

Mr Walnut is exclusive too. He provides an essential nutrient – omega 3.”

“We do too,” say the linseeds and chia. “We’re essentialnutrient royalty – ah-hem, along with the hemps,” they respectfully add. “And before you speak all high and mighty Ms Almond, the difference between nuts and seeds is irrelevant.

You nuts are seeds too, remember. In our big family, sunflower seeds cheer everyone up as well as being affordable. We grow in this part of the world too – fewer food miles. That’s important.”

Just then, the doorbell rings. Our friend, Alaistair, has arrived to join me and my husband, Charles, for a cuppa. He places a sweet little pack of macadamias in my hands. It’s amazing how he tunes into what’s current.

“I’ve just been ruminating on the optimum use of nuts,” I grin.

“What did you decide?” he enquires.

“Gosh – it’s complicated!”

“Such is all life,” he agrees, philosophically.

“Indeed! So everyone would need to sus their own, ongoing optimum food use. Mine for the C-shaped nut will be cashew cheese and cream. I can make cheesecakes and other treats from more affordable, local ingredients. Other cashew dishes can be a luxury when we’re eating out.”

“And the rest of the nut family?” he asks, eyeing the macadamias somewhat anxiously.

“All nuts are treats - great gifts!”

He relaxes.

“Our optimum protein is beans, tofu, edamame, lentils and so on. Not nuts. But in the nut and seed realm it’s peanuts and sunflower seeds until hemp can join them budget wise. We eat a brazil nut or two most days for selenium and I use almonds in the occasional gluten free cake. They’re good for whitening homemade oat milk.”

Alaistair asks for the recipe. He’s a long-term vegan, animal advocate, and a superb cook. He’ll quickly master the oat milk.

“Are walnuts an optimum-use nut?” he asks.

“Reckon so,” I reply. “And linseed optimum for omegas.”

“We’ve grown chia and sunflower seeds at home, but they’re too fiddly to shell.” Charles says. “I might try some pumpkin-seed squashes in the vege patch.”

Sounds exciting. Optimum use. I love this futuristic take on

resourcefulness and look forward to sussing our optimum use of grains, fruits, vegetables, and new wholefood plant-based products becoming available.

We open the macadamias and savour the taste. With my waistline a bit too wide, I don’t eat too many. Again, Alaistair reads my mind.

“I hear nuts are high in fat,” he smiles. “Delicious! You said you’re not keen on coconut oil and other refined oils. But I know you like a nutty treat now and then.”

He sums up our shared outlook beautifully as he leaves. “What we humans do and eat each day is who we are. Can we cool the planet and change the system? I don’t know. But at least we plant eaters are giving it our best three times a day.”

FOOD FOR THOUGHT from Thoughts Before Forks by Innes Hope Some people love how peanut butter Sticks to the roof of the mouth.

Others can’t stand it.

That’s food for thought …

Most people don’t have enough money To know what peanut butter tastes like.

That’s food for a fight …

May none be too rich, none too poor, Taming greed, no cause for war.

May empathy spread, apathy cease.

We live in thanks And dine in peace.

Innes Hope works in the arts, crafting thoughts into words, verses and recipes for a better world.

Action Tip:

Grow your own hummus

O

ur ultimate optimum use staple ingredient has got to be homegrown butter beans and scarlet runners.

These super-beans score many brownie points.

1. No garden? No worry! Very little space is needed to grow climbing beans. This vertical crop can grow against a wall or fence, or in a tub.

2. Stringy beans going to waste?

Not yours! Leave them on the vine to dry in their pods then pick, shell, dry and store them to re-hydrate when needed.

3. Imported canned beans clocking

up food miles? No longer! Your hummus, with zero food miles and no food waste, lowers your carbon footprint.

4. Kids fussy about food? These are impressive Giants that kids can devour!

5. Want good protein, not highly processed mock meats? Use your beans! … on toast, in soups, casseroles, chilli bean dishes, etc.

Canned beans will tide you over until your crop is ready. By next summer you could have several kilos of homegrown beans in the pantry. Free hummus all year round.

wholefoodliving.life | Summer 2021

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Runner Bean Hummus Delicious taste, awesome colour!

Scarlet Runners have been a home-garden staple for decades. Their dramatic pinkish-purple & black colours, when dry, turn a rich brown when cooked. Blended, they look like a soft pâté. by Innes Hope INGREDIENTS 2 1/2 - 3 cups 1/3 cup 1 heaped tsp 1 tsp 2 dessert spoons

METHOD soft-cooked scarlet runner beans lemon juice ground cumin salt (optional) smooth almond or peanut butter, or tahini

1. Drain and rinse the beans. Juice some lemon to make approximately 1/3 cup.

2. Whiz the beans, lemon juice, salt and spices in a food processor until smooth. Add a little water if the mix is stiff, then the nut butter or tahini, then blend again.

Tips - for Bean Hummus in general If cooking beans from scratch, 1 cup of dried beans, soaked overnight, yields the right amount of cooked beans for this recipe. If using canned beans, use two cans.

Make half the amount of hummus if desired and use the spare beans in other recipes. Or soak and cook a larger amount of beans for spares. Both options save time and energy.

Vary the amount of lemon juice to suit your taste. Replace with water if using less.

Explore other great ways to use hummus - adding bulk to a salad dressing, dressing potatoes instead of butter or margarine, including it in a cheesy sauce, etc.

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Butterbean Hummus Looks like regular hummus and tastes awesome. Hummus is an everyday food in a wholefood plant-based household, and this version costs almost nothing!

Pressure-cooked beans give the creamiest results, especially when you blend them in a food processor.

Replacing garlic with cumin = no gut gas! Cummin also gives it a slightly cheesy taste when heated in a toasted sandwich. by Innes Hope

INGREDIENTS 2 1/2 - 3 cups 1/3 cup 1 heaped tsp 1 tsp 2 dessert spoons

METHOD soft-cooked butter beans (or 2 cans) lemon juice ground cumin salt (optional) unhulled tahini

1. Drain and rinse the beans. Juice some lemon to make approximately 1/3 cup.

2. Whiz the beans, lemon juice, salt and spices in a food processor until smooth. Add a little water if the mix is very stiff.

3. Add the tahini & blend again. That’s it!

wholefoodliving.life | Summer 2021

33

Travel essentials for the summer roadie

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E

ating healthy when travelling has been the bain of many who are transiting to a whole food plant-based diet - all it takes is a little forward thinking.

Preperation is the key to making a trip stress-free and enjoyable.

Whether you are heading out locally for a one day roadie or taking off for a few days, we hope these ideas will help make your trip that much more enjoyable.

Trail Mix A mix of nuts, seeds and dried fruits to keep your energy up. The mix is full of fibre, be sure to add in some chia or flax seed for your omega 3 and sunflower seeds for its anti-inflamatory properties.

Music Download your music for the trip, this saves losing access in remote areas. It also stops you having to think while driving about what to listen to. Our now adult children loved listening to the audio of "War of the Worlds" on our family roadies, but they will deny it if asked.

Fresh Fruit I am sure this doesn't need much explaining. Fresh fruit is a great roadie snack. Go seasonal to save, in summer there is no end of fresh fruit to select from.

Cold Potato & Kumara Yes, seriously, cooked, cold potatoes and Kumara. A great source of carbohydrate for energy and incrediably delicious!

Popcorn

Sometimes going simple is the best option, quick and easy to put together, Place them into a snap-lock bag with some nutritional yeast, shake and your away.

Roasted Chickpea A great way to get your dietary fibre and boast your mental health. A healthy snack for the road.

wholefoodliving.life | Summer 2021

35

Steve's Carrot Cake Cookies A new favourite in our household, thanks to Fiona and Steve, very filling and very delicious.

by Fiona Stewart of abundantlyclear.nz | makes 20-25 DRY INGREDIENTS 4 cups 1 cup 2/3 cup 2 tsp 1 1/2 cup

rolled oats walnut pieces dark chocolate chips or drops ground cinnamon medium carrot, grated raisens, sultanas or dried apricots

WET INGREDIENTS 4 very ripe bananas 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

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METHOD 1. Heat the oven to 180°C (170° C fan-forced) 2. Measure the raisins/sultanas/apricots into a small bowl. Cover with boiling water. This allows the fruit to rehydrate, preventing them from drying out the cookie mixture during cooking.

3. Measure the dry mix ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

4. On a large plate, mash the bananas and mix with the vanilla extract. Add to the bowl.

5. Strain the raisins/sultanas/apricots. Add to the bowl. Mix together until well combined. If the mix seems too dry, add more mashed bananas.

6. Line 2x baking trays with baking paper or silicone baking mats. Form cookies into balls and flatten them onto trays. They do not change shape in the oven, so make them the size you want them to end up.

7. Bake until the cookies start to brown on the outside. About 20-25 minutes. Swap trays between top and bottom halfway through the cook. Once cooked, remove from oven and let cool on wire racks.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Quick Food Fixes for Lazy Summer Days

by Innes Hope Slumping over the salad, too lazy to make a dressing? Feel like a nice, light burger but not the stodgy bun?

Want something sweet after dinner but too tired to make dessert? Don’t worry.

These sassy, instant eats solve the problem. They’re full of healthy, wholefood goodness too!

RELISH DRESSING Tangy relish, just as it comes out of the bottle, is a delicious salad dressing. Think about it …

1. Relish is vinegar, perfectly thickened to hold a salad together.

2. It’s an instant adornment kit of zingy, finely chopped vegetables to add colour to a pale salad, and a variety of nutrients to restore your mojo.

3. Relish is always oil-free, and often sugar-free especially when it’s homemade.

4. If you want a mayo look, add some plant-based plain, low-fat yogurt. Enjoy!

ICEBURGERS Crisp, fresh, iceberg lettuce leaves make a much healthier burger-holder than white bread buns. Pop a burger patty inside a large, curled-up iceberg lettuce leaf or two, add your favourite extras, wrap it up, (maybe adding another leaf around from the top for strength) … and enjoy the crunch!

CHIA PUDDING The easiest dessert to make, ever! It is super healthy, anti-inflammatory and high in omegas. It takes a while to set, so make it a few hours ahead of time for after-dinner instant joy. For each person …

1. Mix 1 tablespoon, (or more to taste), of maple syrup, (or sweetener of your choice), into half a cup of your favourite plant milk, then pour it into a widemouthed glass.

2. Using a fork, quickly and gently stir two tablespoons of chia into the milk and leave it to set – preferably chilled - over the day, (or overnight is good for a breakfast hit).

3. Before serving, decorate with nuts or fruit, or coulis etc. wholefoodliving.life | Summer 2021

37

Dr Jia Xu

Plant-based diet a powerful defence against Covid 19

I

People with pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, heart issues and weight problems, face a 10 fold mortality risk from Covid-19.

f you eat it right, a plant-based diet is a powerful tool that will protect you from underlying health conditions and future infections like Covid-19. That was the message from nutrition specialist Dr Jia Xu to November's online Plant-Based Asian Summit, which drew hundreds of attendees from around the region.

Using data published by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control, Dr Xu showed that the impact of Covid-19 on people with underlying health conditions was clear, severe and undeniable.

"Basically, what they found at the beginning of the pandemic was that if you are hospitalized because of Covid-19 and have an underlying condition, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, et cetera, your likelihood of dying from Corona virus will be much, much higher, compared to those who have no pre-existing conditions. The difference could be as much as 10-fold in terms of mortality," he said.

Dr Xu said the statistics posted a clear warning to anyone with underlying health conditions.

"If you have underlying conditions already, such as those with what we call modern or chronic diseases, you should start to think about changing your diet. These are lifestyle diseases caused by bad eating habits and bad health habits. They are situations created by your self-choice, and they actually undermine your health reserves for future incoming health issues, for example, attacks from nature such as Covid-19.

"Most of these Covid-19 patients die from a situation called acute respiratory distress syndrome or what we call ARDS. Let me explain this because it's important to understand why people die and the reason for dying. Our respiratory system looks like an inverted tree, and the alveoli where the air exchange occurs is like the leaves of the tree."

Under normal circumstances, he said oxygen and C02 flowed easily between our capillary tubes and the air sack (alveoli), and the result was refreshed oxygenated blood. But, when Covid is present in advanced cases, acute respiratory distress occurs. The alveoli no longer function normally, and inflammation develops from dead cells caused by the immune system's attack on our lung tissue in response to the infection.

38 wholefoodliving.life | Summer 2021

Dr Jia Xu is a nutrition specialist based with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in the United States. He received his bachelor’s degree in Biophysics at Peking University and his doctorate in Physiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

He has served as a nutrition specialist with the Physician’s Committee since 2010, playing a role in clinical research efforts in helping to launch a Mandarin version of the 21-day Vegan Kickstart. He is also the author of a best selling book in mainland China titled, Healing Without Medicine.

What makes his recent address to the Asian PlantBased Summit so topical is because it centred on the critical need for healthy eating in the battle against Covid-19. Dr Xu is very clear; he sees nutrition as the first line of defence against this frustrating enemy.

"Inflammation causes hyperemia, or swelling of the tissue, and eventually causes exudation or oozing out of liquids such as mucus into the interstitial space between the air sac and the capillary tubes, and also into the air sac itself.

"This liquid prevents a normal exchange of air between your air sac and the capillary tubes so the patient could, in this situation, breathe very hard, but the oxygen pressure in his blood remains very low. The patient usually dies from a condition called respiratory failure, when you don't have an adequate exchange of oxygen into your blood.

"Because of all these liquids in your lung, and actually, on your x-ray where you will see a condition that looks like ground-glass opacity. Basically, all these white areas of the lung represent liquid in the blood, resulting from the inflammation process. The key here is inflammation because, if there's no inflammation, there will be no hyperemia or exudation or, in the end, respiratory failure.

generates a series of short-chain fatty acids, such as acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid. These short-chain fatty Diabetes Cancer acids have anti-inflammatory and anti1.05 8% obese activities. They increase your 1 cholesterol synthesis and inhibit intestinal 6% 0.95 tumours.

4% 0.9 "These are very, very healthy situations 0.85 2% and only develop when you eat the right 0.8 diet. You are what you eat; that's actually 0% 0.75 Vgn Veg Pesc Semi Non Vgn Veg Pesc Semi Non the truth."

Dr Xu said some people were often Body Mass Index High Blood Pressure puzzled about why vegetarians or vegans 30 1.2 had a lower white blood cell count. As 1 28 a result, it was commonly interpreted 0.8 that vegans and vegetarians had lower 26 0.6 immunity or lower immune capability, but 24 0.4 this was a misunderstanding.

22 0.2 "What really is happening here is that 20 0 you have low systemic inflammation.

Vgn Veg Pesc Semi Non Vgn Veg Pesc/Semi Non Because the inflammation is low, you have a low need for many white blood "Inflammation is the key. But why do people with underlying conditions have more inflammation? It is because they already cells. It's like having a peaceful society; you don't need a lot of have underlying inflammation. This underlying inflammation is army or police officers to maintain it. A low white blood cell count is a good indication. It's a good sign of a healthy individual. The superimposed by Covid-19 induced inflammation.

"You reach a situation where you have an inflammatory results of a German study make this clear.

"What happened is that they asked some healthy vegetarian cytokine storm. This cytokine storm becomes uncontrollable, and males and matched them with omnivores. They drew their blood next, you have cell tissue damage. After that, you develop a series of events in your lung, which results in acute respiratory distress and then tested the white cell, in particular the NK cell cytotoxicity. syndrome. Underlying inflammation already exists in people with This tests the killing power of each unit of these white blood cells.

"The results showed that the vegetarian blood had twice the pre-existing conditions. Healthy individuals have much weaker NK cell cytotoxicity, not because they had more NK cells, but underlying inflammation.

"There are many, many aspects that could contribute to this rather each NK cell from a vegetarian had two times more toxicity underlying inflammation, but one very important one is leaky or killing power.

"The result of this experiment shows us that a vegetarian or gut. Leaky gut is basically damage to the intestinal barrier of our digestive tract. The normal barrier function of the gut disappears, vegan diet actually gives us the best of both worlds. You have a and then whatever substance is not ordinarily able to enter your low inflammatory situation, so you have a low white blood cell count. On the other hand, if you're facing an intruder, your white bloodstream can now enter, causing systemic inflammation.

"In our gut, we have two types of bacteria - beneficial bacteria blood cells display a higher killing power, like special forces, welland harmful bacteria. One type of harmful bacteria is Bilophila trained, so you're well-protected.

In reference to a 2014 study carried out by Loma Linda Wadsworthia which responds to bile. Bile is excreted into the digestive system because we take in a lot of fat, especially saturated University (diagram top left) Dr Xu explained the participants fat. When we eat a lot of saturated fat, our gallbladder will excrete were divided into five different groups. The groups were vegan, more bile, especially those saturated fats of animal origin, causing vegetarian, pescatarian, semi-vegetarians, and non-vegetarian, who ate everything. They then set a risk factor for diabetes, us to excrete a type of bile called taurine conjugated bile.

"This taurine conjugated bile basically will release taurine, an weight, cancer and high blood pressure.

"You can see as you go across the spectrum of these different amino acid that only exists in animal protein. When you eat food with animal protein, which is also characterized by saturated fat, dietary patterns, from a plant-based diet into a more animal-based it releases taurine. The bile will stimulate the growth of Bilophila diet, and then your diabetes, your cancer, your obesity, and high Wadsworthia. These bacteria will act on taurine and release an blood pressure risk, all increase. Basically, that means if you have a healthy dietary structure like a plant-based diet, you'll reduce end product, hydrogen sulfide.

"Hydrogen sulfide, when it occurs in our intestine, causes your chance of having underlying conditions. This will reduce intestinal inflammation. It damages the intestine barrier, which your Covid-19 infection severity if you are infected. All these is only one single layer of enterocytes. This damage eventually experiments show the benefit of being a vegetarian and vegan in causes a leak between the enterocytes of the intestinal cells and the current situation with a worldwide pandemic.

"Some people will ask, 'is a plant-based diet nutrition really results in a situation called leaky gut. Leaky gut enables substances adequate?' There are many studies, but this position statement that won't normally penetrate the gut barrier to enter our blood.

"Leaky gut creates a situation where bacteria such as endotoxin from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics of the United States crosses over into our bloodstream and travels to other parts of our regarding the vegetarian diet clarifies it. It states: It is the position of body, causing systemic inflammation. Systematic inflammation the Academy of Nutrition of Dietetics that appropriately planned will increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, hyper diabetes, vegetarian including vegan diets are healthful, nutritionally alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, hypertension et cetera, et adequate, and may provide health benefits for prevention and cetera. All these are underlying conditions. To prevent or even treatment of certain diseases.

"I think that summarises everything. If you eat it right, the reverse leaky gut syndrome, we should not eat a lot of food plant-based diet is a powerful tool to protect us, not only from containing saturated fat and animal proteins.

"On the other hand, if you eat healthy meals fueled with fibre underlying conditions but also future infections by this potentially and low fat, then it will stimulate your beneficial bacteria. This infectious disease."

Dietary structure and underlying conditions

Am J Clin Nutr, July 2014, Suppl 1:353S-85

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39

Plant-Based 'Cheese' Cake One of those special occasion sweet treats great for a Christmas gathering.

by Catherine Barclay CRUST INGREDIENTS 1 cup 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 1 Tbsp 1/2 tsp

raw almonds dates raisins flaxmeal ground cinnamon

FILLING INGREDIENTS 4 cups 1 cup 1/4 cup 1 tsp 2 cups 2 Tbsp

raw unsalted cashew nuts medijool dates lemon juice vanilla extract plant-based milk agar agar powder

RADHA'S LEMON GLAZE INGREDIENTS 1 Tbsp marmalade, or rice syrup 1 Tbsp lemon juice extra lemon juice (optional)

40 wholefoodliving.life | Summer 2021

METHOD 1. Add the crust ingredient to a blender, mix until fine and starts sticking together.

2. Press into a cheesecake tin with detachable sides.

3. Now, add the filling to the blender and mix until smooth.

4. Pour over the top of the crust and freeze for four hours 5. To remove from the tin, gently slide a sharp knife around the edges before releasing the spring for the sides.

6. Go to town, adding a pile of fresh berries to the top of the cheesecake.

7. Mix the glaze and pour over the berries.

Cultivating the practice of gratitude

F

by Dr Scott Stoll www.plantricianproject.org

or millennia philosophers and spiritual leaders have written about the importance of gratitude, but only within the last 20 years have scientists delved into the neurobiology to decipher this powerful mindset.

While it may appear to be self-evident, gratitude is defined as the state of being thankful. It is not merely an episodic or punctuated recognition, like a Thanksgiving Day, of something good or beneficial. Instead, a “state of being” implies a more constant posture of being grateful. It is a cultivated mindset that recognizes when we have received a benefit that was not deserved or earned; essentially, we are actively watching for the surprise.

An attitude of gratitude is not the natural state of our culture and thus must be carefully “farmed” in the soil of our minds.

Like a farmer planting and tending a field to produce a harvest, we too must diligently and consistently plant the seeds of practiced gratitude. Then, the seeds are watered with habits like a daily gratitude journal/lists, thank you notes, ending a meeting with appreciation, and pausing before a meal with thanks to recognize the blessing of a full plate of healthy food.

Importantly, the seed bed must constantly be monitored for the weeds of negativity, entitlement, and myopic self-focus that compete with the new gratitude sprouts. In time, practiced gratitude develops a “state of being” that produces a daily harvest that blesses others and multiplies through seeds planted in the lives around us. Gratitude tangibly improves our lives and according to research, increases our likelihood of being thankful.

Cultivated gratitude produces a harvest both internally and externally. Research has demonstrated that gratitude: • Activates the reward centers of the brain and increases the release of dopamine and serotonin improving the neural coupling in the bliss centers of the brain.

• Enhances cognitive restructuring and

evokes positive thoughts, reducing fear and anxiety.

• Mitigates the effects of stress reducing cortisol by 23%.

• Lowers blood pressure, inflammation (CRP), and lifetime risk of depression.

• Facilitates improved sleep patterns.

• Improves heart rate variability.

• Enables people to be more likely to exercise, eat healthier diets, less likely to smoke, and have higher adherence rates to medications and healthy lifestyles.

• Improves relational trust, loyalty, and sustainability.

• Increases neural modulation in the prefrontal cortex resulting in reduced guilt, shame, and violence.

The benefits of gratitude ripple far beyond the cellular and personal benefits. And we catch a glimpse of this important realization in the second half of the name of the Thanksgiving holiday; giving. The scientific reality is that when we are grateful, we give.

Researchers have shown that people who are grateful, give twenty percent more of their time and money to charities and are more likely to take only what is needed.

Taking this one step further, Christina Karns, PhD, of the University of Oregon found that people who are more grateful, were more likely to have increased activity in the reward regions of the brain, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and respond more to charitable giving than getting money for themselves.

The practice of gratitude rewired their neural reward centers to respond more to charitable giving than personal gain. It really is better to give than receive, but the catalyst of consistent generosity is gratitude.

The Thanksgiving holiday serves as a calendar cue to press pause and gratefully remember the blessings of the past year. And we want to thank you for your friendship, support, and passionate partnership and wish you and your families a bountiful and beautiful celebration of all that is good. On behalf of the entire Plantrician Project staff and our families Happy Thanksgiving!

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Newsbites

See wholefoodliving.life/ref-summer2021 to review references cited below

Doctor warning over the use of emulsifiers

D

ietary emulsifiers are junk food additives with profound negative impacts on gut microbial health, warns gastroenterologist and best-selling author, Dr Alan Desmond.

In a recent online Tweet the renowned gut biome expert said although emulsifiers were still classed as ‘safe for human consumption’ they were clearly among the key components of the standard western diet (SAD) that contribute to a constant state of dysbiosis.

“If you’re grabbing a treat and see “emulsifier” on the list of ingredients, think about giving it a miss. Choose healthier and less processed snacks. Make whole foods your first choice. Your gut microbes will thank you,” he said.

“Carboxymethylcellulose, carrageenan, polysorbates, lecithins, sophorolipids, and rhamnolipids are all types of emulsifiers, chemicals added to manufactured food.

In short, they help make processed foods taste more like something you might want to eat.”

Research published on BioMed Central (BMC) confirms the point Dr Desmond makes.

The study2 says "epidemiological evidence and animal studies implicate dietary emulsifiers in contributing to the increased prevalence of diseases associated with intestinal inflammation, including inflammatory bowel diseases and metabolic syndrome.

"Two synthetic emulsifiers in particular, carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate 80, profoundly impact intestinal microbiota in a manner that promotes gut inflammation and associated disease states."

The study concluded that most, but not all, emulsifiers tested impacted human microbiota. Importantly, various food additives were often used in combination, and it remains important to investigate their effects in combination. The study authors recommended that clinical trials were needed to reduce the usage of the most detrimental compounds and to favour the use of emulsifying agents with no or low impact on the microbiota.

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Warning: Oximeters may not read correctly on darker coloured skin. Follow breath guidelins below.

Pulse oximeter recommended to monitor Covid symptoms at home A

US study published earlier this year found that two easily measured determinants of health, respiration and blood-oxygen saturation, were distinctly predictive of higher mortality for Covid-19 patients.

Co-researcher Dr Neal Chatterjee, of the University of Washington School of Medicine, said the findings applied "to the lived experience of the majority of patients with Covid-19: being at home, feeling anxious, wondering how to know whether their illness will progress and wondering when it makes sense to go to the hospital," He and fellow cardiologist researcher, Dr Nona Sotoodehnia, were co-lead authors of the paper which was published in Journal of Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses.1 It found that by the time some people felt bad enough to visit hospital, a window for early intervention may have passed.

"Initially, most patients don't have difficulty breathing. They can have quite low oxygen saturation People need a plan for when and still be asymptomatic," Dr Sotoodehnia said.

Covid finds them says Dr Pete "Patients may not get short of breath until their Watson, Chief Medical Officer at blood oxygen is quite low." While patients frequently Auckland's Counties Manukau had hypoxemia (low blood-oxygen saturation; 91% DHB. He said vaccination or below for this study) or tachypnea (fast, shallow would help most from becoming breathing; 23 breaths per minute for this study), critically unwell "but it doesn't few reported feeling short of breath or coughing mean you won't contract the regardless of blood oxygen. disease and be off work or school Compared to those admitted with normal blood for a period." He said if you test oxygen, hypoxemic patients had a mortality risk of positive, monitor your systems 1.8 to 4 times greater, depending on the patient's and if they change, like becoming blood oxygen levels. Similarly, compared to patients breathless walking one room to admitted with normal respiratory rates, those with another, then call to seek medical tachypnea had 1.9 to 3.2 times greater mortality risk. assistance.

Some baseline characteristics of those involved in the study group included: age range 41-75yrs, males 62%, BMI 32 ± 9, hypertension 54%, diabetes 33%, heart / arterial issues 30%, chronic kidney disease 17%, stroke 9%, liver failure 4%. A total of 1095 patients were involved.

Dr Sotoodehnia recommended that people with positive Covid-19 test results, particularly those at higher risk of adverse outcomes (age or obesity), buy or borrow a pulse oximeter and monitor for blood oxygen below 92%.

She said a simpler measure is respiratory rate. Ask a family member or friend to monitor you for a minute while you're not paying attention to your breathing. If you hit 23 breaths per minute, you should contact your physician.

Get a plan, DHB health chief warns

See wholefoodliving.life/ref-summer2021 to review references cited below

Newsbites

Research reveals it's the type of fat that could be the most harmful F

at in our diets has long been linked to stroke risk, but new research presented to the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in November, suggests that it’s the type of fat, not the amount, that may be the most important factor.

The study found that eating more animal fat was linked to a higher risk of stroke, while getting more fat from vegetable sources was linked to a lower risk.

The results come from 27 years of data from more than 117,000 health care professionals and was extrapolated from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.

The study, which has not yet been peerreviewed, found people who ate the most vegetable-based fats were 12% less likely to experience a stroke compared to those who ate the least.

On the flip side, people who ate the highest levels of animal-based saturated fat were 16% more likely to experience a stroke than those who ate the least fat of that kind.

"Our findings indicate the type of fat and different food sources of fat are more important than the total amount of dietary fat in the prevention of cardiovascular disease including stroke," said lead author Fenglei Wang, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of nutrition at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in a statement.

The study is observational, so the results cannot establish a cause-and-effect link between fat consumption and stroke risk, only an association. Other limitations include a predominately white population (97%) and the fact that people selfreported their dietary habits every four years.

Still, the results fall in line with prior research showing the benefits of plantversus animal-based diets.

Curiously however, dairy fat, including cheese, butter, milk, ice cream and cream, was not associated with a higher risk of stroke, the study found.

Lancet issues Code Red on impact of climate change A

Lancet medical journal report released in October warns of the severe impact of climate change on human health and says the prognosis is only getting worse.

Droughts will damage food production, rising temperatures will encourage the spread of dangerous pathogens, and current climate trends indicate a "code red" for future health, the report predicts.

The annual Countdown report (tracks 44 metrics of the health impacts of climate change, including the impact of climate change on infectious disease transmission and food production, as researched by experts affiliated with more than 40 UN groups and educational institutions.

The report said during a six month period in 2020, 51.6 million people were impacted by 84 disasters from floods, droughts, and storms in countries already struggling with the coronavirus pandemic.

"The report finds a world overwhelmed by an ongoing global health crisis, which has made little progress to protect its

population from the simultaneously aggravated health impacts of climate change," the report authors wrote.

Climate impacts on health identified in the report included increased droughts hurting food production, more violent natural disasters placing burdens on health care systems, and rising temperatures encouraging the spread of infectious pathogens such as malaria and cholera.

It noted that climate change contributed to a record-breaking heatwave in the US Pacific Northwest that caused more than 1,000 deaths.

Looking ahead, people older than 65 years or younger than 1 year, along with people facing social disadvantages, were the most affected by the record-breaking temperatures of over 40°C in the Pacific Northwest areas of the USA and Canada in June, 2021— an event that would have been almost impossible without humancaused climate change, the authors wrote.

Food investment conversation about nutrition & environment U

K based AgFunder News editor, Louisa Burwood-Taylor, sees big things happening in the e-grocery space and farm production generally over coming years.

In a recent interview on the Future of Food she said commercial investors were continuing to focus on the e-grocery space particularly, where big advances were still to be made.

"I think there is a lot to be done in the e-grocery space to improve it," she said.

"For example, efficiencies to make sure there is a breadth of product available and obviously it's been such a vital service during the pandemic.

"What's been exciting to see though, in the wake of pandemic, is a big trend in investment figures towards upstream innovation. Anything that is related closest to the farmer, anything related to upstream production, and I include all types of protein and innovative foods there."

She said the financial talk had changed.

Money was now being channeled into biotechnologies, supply chain technologies, innovative food, indoor farms with robotics and farm robotics generally.

"A lot of those are incredibly exciting.

Even within biotech you're looking at gene editing, farm alternatives to pesticides and synthetic fertilisers.”

She saw a big future for aquatic plants which could be used to replace soy in plant-based foods and animal feeds.

"There's all this talk about replacing animal agriculture but I think it's highly unrealistic that is going to happen in the next 10 years or even longer."

She said finding new types of feed for animals and the way it is now being produced will reduce soy feed for animals and create a new commodity market.

"The conversation now is all about growing better; nutritionally better and environmentally better."

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Wholemeal Scones served with Jam Inspired by Emma Roche's recipe from Plantplate.com, I have bent and tweaked it slightly to the recipe you see below.

by Emma Roche & Catherine Barclay | makes 8 - 10 METHOD

INGREDIENTS 1 cup 1/2 cup 3 cups 2 1/2 tsp 3/4 tsp 1 tsp 1/2 cup

plant milk (Emma uses aqua faba) unsweetened apple sauce* wholemeal flour baking powder baking soda cinnamon raisins or chopped dates * I use two small cans of 'Watties for baby' apple puree -120g cans

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1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking powder or silicon sheet.

2. In a medium bowl, add all ingredients and gently stir until combined.

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press out mix so that it is 3cm thick, 4. Using a round scone cutter, cut the scones out of the dough, place each piece onto the baking tray. Recombine leftover dough until all is used.

5. Bake the scones for 13-15 minutes until risen and golden brown on top. To test, tap the top of a scone, if it sounds hollow, then they're ready.

6. Remove the tray from the oven and cover the scones with a clean, dry towel. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, serve with jam.

Stuffed Potatoes Similar to the concept of deviled eggs, these are a great party snack and are incredibly tasty.

by Het Conroy MAYO INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cup 1/4 cup 1 tsp

small packet of silken tofu apple cider vinegar maple syrup mustard powder

INGREDIENTS FOR POTATO MASH 12 1/2 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp

small potatoes black salt turmeric powder curry powder black pepper mayo

METHOD 1. Pre-cook potato till it is soft to scoop but doesn't lose its shape.

2. Add all mayo ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth. Set aside.

3. Scoop out the centre of the potato and mix with all ingredients, including the mayo.

4. Place or pipe the mixture back into the potato.

5. Sprinkle parsley, chilli flakes, or celery seeds on top - or any other decorative ideas that take your fancy.

6. Chill until served.

If you don’t make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness.

The science is now abundantly clear. For most of us good health is not a matter of good luck, it is something we must constantly work towards. Eat food that truly nourishes your body, exercise regularly, get a good night's sleep, make friends and enjoy their company.

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By academic lawyer and Assoc Prof, Nathan Cooper, Waikato University

New human right to a healthy environment could accelerate NZ's action on climate change

R

ecent recognition by the United Nations Human Rights Council that the right to a healthy environment is an essential human right has been heralded as a historic victory for environmental protection and an important step forward for the world's most vulnerable people.

On the other hand, UN recognition doesn't make the right to a healthy environment legally binding. No New Zealander can now claim a remedy from the courts because our environment doesn't meet the standard of being clean, healthy and sustainable.

So, what does a human right to a healthy environment really mean? Is it largely rhetorical, or will its adoption have tangible consequences both internationally and in Aotearoa New Zealand?

Better global standards

Despite its limitations, this new human right is certainly not useless. It's the first time a right to a healthy environment has been explicitly recognised at the global level.

The right obliges states to protect against environmental harm, to provide equal access to environmental benefits and to ensure a minimum standard of environmental quality for everyone to enjoy.

Arguably, this paves the way for better global standards, bolder climate litigation, and even for more equitable sharing of the burdens and benefits of climate change.

It also creates a Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change, focused on tackling the effects of climate change on people's enjoyment of their human rights.

And it's likely other global and regional bodies, including the UN General Assembly and the Council of Europe, will soon acknowledge the right to a healthy environment.

Developments like this would make the right more credible and more visible, transforming it into an effective tool for challenging states and corporations to do more on environmental protection.

Enshrining the right in law

Overall, the right to a healthy environment reflects a new urgency to push environmental issues back up the international agenda. For example, plans to adopt a "Global Pact for the Environment" next year are gaining momentum.

Proponents are describing the pact as the most comprehensive international text ever on environmental rights, essential for protecting everyone and everything from the "triple planetary emergency" of climate change, pollution and nature loss.

Already, in places where a right to a healthy environment is part of domestic law, court decisions are resulting in stronger climate action.

The Colombian Supreme Court, for example, recently decided that deforestation of the Amazon violated a right to a healthy

environment for present and future generations and required the government to put protections in place.

Meanwhile, the Nepalese Supreme Court has held that the government must take action on climate change as part of its citizens' constitutional right to a clean environment.

From these and many more national examples, we can be confident that recognising a right to a healthy environment will help improve the implementation of environmental laws, help fill gaps in legislation and support respect for human rights generally.

Implications for New Zealand

New Zealand's courts and policymakers look to international human rights for guidance and standards. As recognition of the right to a healthy environment grows internationally, we can expect to see greater reliance on it here.

But there is one specific area where I anticipate this right may provide a new approach: climate-change mitigation.

When it comes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and New Zealand, the elephant in the room – or the cow in the field – is the dairy industry. Between 1990 and 2018 New Zealand's GHG emissions rose by 24%. The increase was driven largely by methane from livestock and nitrous oxide from fertilisers.

Both of these GHGs are many times more potent than carbon dioxide. Continuing to operate with this level of GHG emissions will make it extremely difficult for New Zealand to do its fair share of climate change mitigation or meet its international climate change obligations.

Protecting people and nature

The right to a healthy environment, then, could become a new lever for achieving big changes in a small window of time.

A rights-based approach to the environment will encourage a conversation around what a healthy environment means and who should enjoy it. It may even provide a fresh vocabulary for discussing broader issues, such as land use, transport and power.

As we battle COVID-19 at home, it's tempting to take our eye off the grave environmental challenges ahead. To do that would be a mistake.

The full potential of a human right to a healthy environment remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that a healthy environment is essential for human health and well-being – and that protecting people and protecting nature are always interconnected.

This article is republished from theconversation.com under the Creative Commons Licence.

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SHOPPING LIST

T

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

48 wholefoodliving.life | Summer 2021

Looking at

Alzhiemers

Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.

Dr Caldwell Esselstyn Australia

The exact number of people with dementia in Australia is currently not known. It is estimated that in 2020 there are between 400,000 and 459,000 Australians with dementia (AIHW 2018; DA 2020), with Alzheimer’s disease accounting for up to 70% of diagnosed cases (DA 2018) More than 900,000 Australians will be living with dementia by 2050.

About 572,000 prescriptions for anti-dementia medicines were dispensed to 60,900 people aged 30 and over with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in 2017–18 As expected, the dementia burden was also higher among people aged 65 and over, for whom it was the second leading cause of total burden of disease and injury.

New Zealand

The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of cases of dementia in New Zealand. The second most common cause is vascular dementia.

Almost 70,000 Kiwis are living with dementia today. More than 170,000 New Zealanders will be living with dementia by 2050.

Dementia costs the New Zealand public health system $2.5b and will reach around $5.9b by 2050.

Dementia numbers are increasing at a faster rate among Māori, Pasifika and Asian populations than those of European descent.

Plant-based foods are beneficial to the brain, may help prevent Alzheimer’s A decline in brain health is not an inevitable part of aging.

But how we eat and live can help us protect our memory and stay sharp into old age.

Research shows that saturated and trans fats found in dairy products, meats, pastries, and fried foods can increase the risk for cognitive decline. Instead, eat a plant-based diet, which helps protect brain health. Berries and foods rich in vitamin E, including nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and whole grains are especially beneficial.

Take a B12 supplement to preserve nerve function. But avoid supplements with iron and copper. These metals can harm brain health. Consume iron supplements only when directed by your physician. You’ll also want to choose

aluminum-free products including cookware and baking powder.

But diet isn’t your only line of defense. Make sure to lace up those sneakers and exercise regularly and get plenty of sleep for optimal brain health.

“Everyone knows good nutrition supports your overall health, but few realise that certain foods, power foods, can protect your brain and optimise its function, and even dramatically reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Neal Barnard, MD, www.pcrm.org

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Nice Cream Wonderfully cold for the hot summer days. Not only is it dairy-free, but the colours you can get by adding a variety of fruit is incredible. If you haven't already, you must try it, it's so easy to prepare.

by Catherine Barclay

INGREDIENTS 2 ripe bananas (peeled and frozen) 2 tsp vanilla extract water

METHOD 1. Add the frozen bananas and vanilla to a blender. Blend on high speed, scraping down the sides until smooth.

2. If the blender is not getting through the mix, add small amounts of water to help it along.

Now, this is when the imagination starts. You can leave it as a vanilla nice cream, or you can start adding your own flavours.

In the pic below, I have created the following, the extra ingredients are added when blending: Strawberry nice cream - add half a punnet of fresh strawberries.

Blueberry nice cream - add a cup full of frozen blueberries.

Mango nice cream - add 2 cups of frozen mango chunks.

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Summer Smoothies A homemade summer smoothie is a refreshing treat. Not strictly whole food but much healthier than store-bought, sugar-infested (I wanna barf) yuk juice. Here's three of our favourites,

by Catherine Barclay KIWIFRUIT GREEN SMOOTHIE 1 3 1 handful 1 1 handful 1 sml knob 1/2 cup

frozen banana kiwifruit, peeled baby spinach or kale apple frozen mango fresh ginger water

FRESH ORANGE SMOOTHIE 1 4 1 tsp 3 1 cup

STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

frozen banana oranges, peeled vanilla essence dates plant milk

1 1 punnet 1 cup 1 cup 1/4 cup

frozen banana fresh strawberries soy yogurt ice linseed (flaxseed)

METHOD For each recipe, add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Add a small amount of water if too thick.

Hibiscus Ice Tea Very quick to make each morning a cooling and refreshing drink.

by Het Conroy INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup dried hibiscus flowers, hot water

METHOD 1. In a large drinks jug, place the dried hibiscus tea, then cover the dried tea with hot water.

2. Set aside for at least 30 mins for the tea to brew.

3. Pour the liquid through a

sieve into a bowl. Wash out the jug, pour the liquid back into the jug and fill the jug with cold water.

4. Place into the fridge for use throughout the day.

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EBE 2020 lecture series concludes at Parliament I n late October, a hard-hitting delivery by ecologist Dr Mike Joy rounded off Evidence Based Eating’s 2021 public lecture series in Parliament’s Grand Hall. Speaking alongside Doctors Cristina Cleghorn and Luke Wilson, the avid environmental advocate pulled no punches on the problems Kiwi’s face from intensive food production.

“We hear a lot about climate change and we talk a lot about climate change but it is just a symptom of the way that we live and the way that we eat and the things that we consume,” Dr Joy said.

“We have extreme changes happening in almost everything; life in the oceans, temperature, population, depletion of all kinds of resources. It’s all about our extreme lifestyles, especially in the affluent part of the world.

“The take home message from the world’s scientists is that if the world doesn’t act soon there will be catastrophic biodiversity loss and untold amounts of human misery. That is right on our doorstep, but it seems to get lost when we concentrate on single outcomes. It’s really important to think about how changes can have multiple outcomes or impacts.”

Dr Joy’s address centred on how to feed a burgeoning human population while maintaining the life supporting capacity of the planet - given all of the following.

“We have declining amount in the quality of land. We have declining energy return on investment, water quality, biodiversity and fisheries. Increasing impacts of climate change, antibiotic resistance, plus 80 million more mouths to feed, an increasing animal products and fossil fuels derived in diets and increasing food wastage.

“So, we have this perfect storm and it’s not a shock. It was

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predicted 40 years ago. More recent studies , including one completed last year, show that we’re right on target. The tipping point is now.”

Focusing down on New Zealand Dr Joy says the scale of harm done is considerable.

“New Zealand is a pretty good microcosm of what is happening globally. Three quarters of our native fish are on the threatened or at risk list. Plus, our only crayfish and also mussel are on that list.

Nearly all of our lowland lakes are officially polluted.

“About 85 per cent of the waterways that are in pasture catchments, exceed nitrate guideline limits. The issue with nitrate is not the nitrate itself. Farmers put the nitrate on the paddocks to grow grass, but the nitrate ends up in the rivers and it grows algae. That’s where you get the secondary effect of algal blooms that alter the oxygen levels and you get dead zones in oceans etc.

Nitrogen toxicity “It’s not the toxicity of the nitrogen, and David Parker (NZ Environment Minister) needs to be reminded of this for the nine-hundredth and ninety ninth time, it’s the ecosystem effects that happen at very low levels in fresh water. And there’s also pathogens from animals which makes it unsafe to swim in about 62 percent of the rivers that are monitored in New Zealand.”

Dr Joy says the greatest negative impact on river water quality in New Zealand in recent decades has been high producing pastures that require large amounts of fertiliser to support high densities of livestock.

“I want to make it clear that there will be no way this country will transition to a much healthier form of farming, and all of those

gains that would come from that, unless we level the playing field.

We have to stop subsidising harm.

“You know, New Zealand farmers say ‘oh everyone else in the world is subsidised but we aren’t’ – they are. We don’t hand money over to them directly, we just allow them to do all this harm and don’t charge them for it.

“We must immediately stop subsidising harm. Make polluters pay or buy them out. And, we must de-industrialise (remove fossil fuels) agriculture and horticulture.”

Vegetable production The problem also impacted vegetable production in New Zealand, he said.

“Vegetable production in New Zealand, the way we do it, is incredibly harmful. We have really intensive vegetable production.

The nitrate loss from vegetable production in Horwhenua is almost higher than any dairy farm in New Zealand. We pour fertiliser onto that land and industrialise the whole process. It’s not just dairy farming, we have to change all of our food production.”

Dr Cristina Cleghorn focussed on food policies and helping people to shift to a more sustainable diet.

“There are so many things to consider when we talk about the environmental impact of food production and food consumption,” she said.

Dr Joy

Dr Wilson

Dr Cleghorn

She presented a list of planetary boundaries which included issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, atmospheric pollution, ozone depletion, ocean acidification, freshwater use, nitrogen cycle, phosphorous cycle, land use change and more.

“They represent systems for regulating and maintaining the stability of the planet. About a quarter of the average greenhouse gas emissions come from an animal diet and it goes up to about a third if you add in processed meats.

“About 25 per cent of greenhouse gases in the New Zealand diet are coming from highly processed foods. Vegetables, fruit and plant protein makes up about 15% and there’s about 10% from milk products and grains.

“In terms of preventing long term health conditions, a diet that is high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and low in processed food, including processed meat, is what you would consider a healthy diet.

“There’s not much happening at the moment looking at policies to switch to healthy, sustainable diets. That’s quite a new area.

But we’ve been working in the area of nutrition for quite a long time so there’s a lot of ideas we can get from nutrition policy because there’s a lot of overlap between the two.

She said possible policies that could affect the food environment include subsidies on fruits and vegetables, taxes targeting less sustainable food, sustainable food policies in schools, hospitals and prisons and limiting fast food outlets near schools.

“Policies that encourage behaviour change around eating include incorporating sustainability into dietary guidelines, labels on the environmental impact of food, media campaigns, advertising limits on less sustainable foods, and expansion of the

Enviroschools programme.

“Policies that could affect the food system included, urban community gardens or fruit forests, regenerative agriculture, food import/export controls and supporting local food production and sale.

“If we had food policy that reduces the number of people getting a disease, there would be less people living with the disease and dying with the disease which equals an increase in quality adjusted life years.”

Her key takeaway messages were that New Zealand diets need to move more towards plant-based and less processed foods to be both healthier and more sustainable. Policies that shift consumption towards dietary guidelines and plant-based foods are likely to result in health and climate co-benefits.

Increasing the price of unhealthy and high greenhouse gas emitting foods is one mechanism to shift consumption towards these diets, she said.

Dr Luke Wilson focussed the theme of his address on how to eat for a healthy heart and there was an easy way to do this.

“All we actually need to do in order to have a healthy heart and a healthy life is to eat like the people who have the healthiest hearts,” he said.

“First off we have the Okinawans. The Okinawans have a long and healthy life. Okinawan women are more likely to live past

Fuchsia Goldsmith

Dr Craig

Prof Swinburn

the age of 100 than women anywhere else in the world. The Okinawans have very low rates of chronic disease than what we have in New Zealand.

“Historically its been really hard to find anyone with cardiovascular disease or coronary artery disease, particularly in this population. As recently as the 1990s a study found that for Okinawan men, they were only one sixth as likely as the average American man to die of coronary artery disease. Okinawan women did even better, they were only one twelfth as likely to die of coronary artery disease as the average American woman.

“The Okinawan’s eat lots and lots of sweet potatoes. If the Okinawan’s had a motto it would be eat food, not too much and mostly sweet potatoes. An incredible 85 per cent of their diet comes from carbohydrate and of that 85 per cent, seven tenths comes from the Okinawan sweet potato. They do have some beans and rice for variety as well.

Raramui people He next cited the Raramuri people of northern Mexico, a group renowned for their feats of physical endurance.

“Deaths from cardiac and circulatory complications are unknown in this population. Ninety per cent of their calories come from corn and beans. The vast majority of the rest of their calories come from vegetables like squash. These three food crops are known in native American tradition as the three sisters, beans, corn and squash. That’s because they grow particularly well together and because they have sustained their population over long periods of time.

“The last group I’d like to talk about are the Chimane people

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53

of Bolivia. The Chimane were studied relatively recently, and the conclusion of that research was that this was a population of people who had the lowest rates of cardiovascular disease ever recorded. “ Seventy-two per cent of the Chimane diet comes from carbohydrates. They are also fond of rice, plantains and corn.

Overall, the groups of people Dr Wilson reviewed, all base their food intake around three sources.

“The majority of their calories come from beans or legumes, whole grains and starchy vegetables. A really basic way to remember that is to think of the three sisters of the Raramuri people – beans, corn and squash, which represents starchy vegetables.

“When we look at the macronutrient content of their diets, 80 per cent of their calories come from carbohydrate, 10 per cent from protein and 10 per cent from fat. What we see is their diet is very high in unprocessed carbohydrate.”

Overall, Dr Wilson said, it was enough to enable all three groups to live long and healthy lives with a total cholesterol count of well less than 4.0.

EBE Auckland event

Meanwhile, EBE’s Auckland event was the first to feel the wrath of Covid’s return with several postponements and an eventual decision to go live on Zoom on October 9.

The Auckland event featured an in depth review of plant-based evidence by Dr Mark Craig, a punchy presentation from Professor Boyd Swinburn and a clarifying interpretation of the meaning and value of plant-based eating by registered dietician, Fuchsia Goldsmith.

Professor Swinburn, a long term and ardent advocate for food reform, hit international headlines when, in early 2019 as chair on the Lancet Commission on Obesity, he produced a report which referred to a “global syndemic of obesity, undernutrition, and climate change.”

In his wide ranging address he hit out at our use of ultraprocessed foods, a concern touched on in previous addresses in this series by Professors Julia Rucklidge in Christchurch and Jim Mann in Dunedin.

“Probably 35 to 40% of our diet comes from ultra-processed foods which are industrialised foods which have come from corn and sugar and wheat and rice but they’ve been extracted,” he said.

“They’ve been commodified, they’ve lost all their structure.

They get industrially produced with a lot of additives and turned into products which have a long shelf life, are ultra-palatable, heavily marketed and very profitable. That whole constellation of things around these ultra-processed foods means that they are increasingly dominant in our food supply and take up more than a third of our diet.

“In relation to ultra-processed foods, if you look at the data around the world, these are the things that relate to noncommunicable disease outcomes. If you are worried about health, these are the things we need to get out of our diet. If you are worried about the planet and how we are going to reduce the impact of diet on our planet then these are things you would be worried about, particularly beef and dairy. And if you are worried about our food systems and the state of food and depletion of resources, then fish is also a big issue.”

Professor Swinburn has had a long-term concern about food systems.

“What we want to get out of our food systems are these four things: • Human health and wellbeing • Social equity • Economic prosperity • Ecological health and wellbeing

54 wholefoodliving.life | Summer 2021

“Unfortunately our current food systems are not delivering on those. For New Zealand it might be delivering on economic prosperity and for some it is delivering on health and wellbeing but it is ruining our environment, has big socio-economic gradients and is ruining the health of many people as well.

“What we’re saying is that this obesity thing we’re focused on is joined up with undernutrition and it’s joined up with climate change. We call this the global syndemic.”

A syndemic is where two or more diseases/epidemics/ pandemics, co-occur in time and place, negatively interact with each other and have common underlying societal drivers.

Professor Swinburn is a strong advocate for collective pressure to change the current food system and says “we need to link arms with those trying to change food insecurity in this country, food poverty, and environments for climate change.

“Poor nutrition is by far the biggest cause of preventable death in every single country, including New Zealand.

Prof Swinburn says New Zealand’s current food system isn’t ‘broken’ as such because it is delivering exactly the way it had been designed. But, he believes, we need to repurpose our future food systems by redesigning them around promoting environmental sustainability, human health, social equity and economic prosperity.

He said there were now a huge array of documents covering the problem but there was policy inertia on implementing the solutions they covered.

“We know what to do – WHO, IPCC, FAO, authoritative bodies within governments are all saying similar things, but they’re not happening. And why aren’t they happening? There are three reasons: • Industry opposition • Government reluctance to regulate / tax • Lack of public demand In an effort to take some practical steps forward Prof Swinburn, in association with others, have established Health Coalition Aotearoa. Evidence Based Eating New Zealand is a member of this group.

The group advocates: • The regulation of all unhealthy food marketing to children • It supports schools and early childhood education services to develop food policies which ensure healthy foods are available and promoted.

• Seeks the introduction of a substantial (20%) soft drink industry levy on sugar sweetened drinks to reduce consumption.

Plant-based terminology In her address, dietician Fucshia Goldsmith, said there is “no strict definition of a plant-based diet which can be a bit confusing.

It is quite a loose term and has been used to describe any diet from a plant exclusive or strict vegan diet through to a diet where someone is trying to include more plants. That could be as simple as trying out a Meat Free Monday.

“A plant-based diet, if we are talking about a healthy plant based diet, will be focused on whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables and a small amount of nuts and seeds.

“It’s also really important to consider the quality of a plantbased diet. Following a plant-based diet that is not of good quality, maybe it includes a lot of plant-based junk foods or hyper processed foods is actually not going to give you the same benefit.

“Historically it would not be difficult to follow a plant-based diet that is not nutritious and balanced but over the last 10 years, especially in New Zealand, I think the food industry has absolutely latched onto this term of plant-based. We’ve seen a huge explosion in the number of foods available on our shelves

that are plant-based or vegan but are really not that nutritionally valuable.

“When considering a plant-based diet I think it is best to use a traffic light approach. Focus on what you want to eat most of which will be those whole plant-based foods like your fruits, vegetables, grains, plant protein, nuts and seeds. That’s what we want to focus our efforts on.

“Then you might want to have some oils if that is what you want to include and then you might want to eat less of your meats and your more processed proteins as well.

Don't vilify foods “I think it’s really important not to completely vilify foods and keep a pragmatic approach in terms of what is going to work for you every day. Often, I see people being too strict on themselves and then tripping and falling and then finding it really hard to get back on the wagon again. It’s important to sought out what is going to work for you and your lifestyle.

“Including 85 per cent plants will give you a lot of the benefits of a plant-based diet. There is growing research to support a much stricter approach but most of the benefits can be had by having 85 per cent plants. There’s a huge amount of power in that.”

Dr Mark Craig says people are dying longer rather than living longer.

“Life expectancy at birth for both sexes, is 81.7yrs but the combined healthy life expectancy is 70.2years The key risk factors for death and disability in New Zealand include: tobacco, overweight and obesity, high blood pressure, dietary risks, high fasting glucose, alcohol use and high LDL cholesterol.”

He said plant-based diets have been termed anti-inflammatory diets because • They lower levels of inflammatory markers in the blood.

• There is less evidence of oxidative stress.

• They promote a healthier gut biome with higher levels of SCFA and reduced gut permeability.

• People are less likely be overweight, obese or accumulate fat within tissue cells.

“Being vegan is great for the planet and obviously for animal welfare but you can’t get away with drinking Coke and eating chips and Oreos.”

He pointed to two major health studies, the Adventist Health Study and the EPIC-Oxford study, showing that vegetarian diets (including vegan) were associated with significantly healthier

outcomes. The EPIC-Oxford study showed 22 per cent lower rates of ischemic heart disease, 37 per cent less diabetes plus at least 18 per cent less overall cancer rates.

Part of his presentation referred to the blue zones and longevity.

These zone include Ikaria in Greece, Loma Linda in California the Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica, Okinawa, Japan and Sardinia in Italy. All these areas consume very low levels of animal product and experience considerable benefits to their health.

• “Loma Linda has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world.

• Residents there are 10 times more likely to live to 100 than typical Americans."

The average male in Loma Linda lives to 89, the average woman to 91 – ie, ten years longer than the national average.

He said there was connection between diet quality and the impact of Covid-19.

Reserchers analysed data from nearly 600,000 ZOE Covid study app contributors, making it the longest study in this space.

They found people with the highest quality diet were around 10 per cent less likely to develop COVID-19 than those with the lowest quality diet, and 40 per cent less likely to become severely ill.

Lowering Covid risk This is the first longitudinal study of diet and covid-19 and the first to show that a healthy diet is associated with lower risk of contracting Covid-19.

"I wish they would stand up at the 1pm presso’s they have and say well, the other thing you can do is look after yourself and try and eat a healthy diet if you are really worried about this. As well as getting rid of smoking and alcohol.

"These are things people can actively do rather than sit at home and worry about getting sick."

Dr Craig warned against trendy low-carb diets saying there were concerning long-term affects with a low carb diet. One study had shown an 18% mortality increase when carb was exchanged for animal derived fat or protein but there was a corresponding 18 per cent decrease when substitutions were plant-based. In conclusion, he said there is a large body of evidence to support plant-based diets for the prevention and treatment of chronic disease.

For more informaton on Evidenc Based Eating NZ go to: www.ebe.nz wholefoodliving.life | Summer 2021

55

WHITE LIES IN DAIRY LAND REVIEW

Facing up to our doubts about dairy

O

ne of the problems with being next in line to see a pre-release version of a movie, doco or book of any kind is that you get to read what other reviewers have to say about it first. That was the situation I found myself in when I came to consider ‘Milked’, Chris Huriwai’s doco on the New Zealand Dairy industry.

By this stage, Newshub’s Daniel Rutledge had already dismissed it as “brave but flawed”, and the New Zealand Listener seemed to skirt around the edges of saying anything sensible about it altogether. I had to sit back for a few days before I wrote this because I kept coming up with a nagging question: who's missing the point?

Being a little overly self-sensitive when it comes to criticism, I gave myself some space to examine the next logical step in this line of thinking because, one obvious question was still to be asked: is it me? Criticism is one of those funny words – it’s the ‘ism’ bit at the end that gets me - the I See Me part.

Those last three letters have often reminded me that a reviewer should make it a point of declaring their selfinterest when critiquing anyone's work. I can’t speak for Daniel Rutledge, of course, but as many readers of this publication know, I don’t eat animals. So, on that basis, and probably in the eyes of many, I’m already biased.

For me, the key question here is how does this work stand in its class - not of all docos ever made, but in the genre of ‘wake up’ pieces produced since, say, Forks over Knives, Cowspriacy, or The Game Changers? Well, on a scale of one to ten, with Forks over Knives being a 10, I think Milked deserves a solid six.

There’s a lot of detail here and some shocking facts that deserve deeper consideration. Don’t be discouraged by the

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Activist, Chris Huriwai, takes on the giants of New Zealand’s most powerful industry, and reveals how this sacred cash-cow has milked us dry. He exposes the sustainability crisis and our dangerous denial of impending agricultural disruption. For future viewing info go to: www.milked.film

backhand flip that much of the traditional media seems to have accorded this doco because it’s far from “flawed”, as Rutledge would have us believe.

New Zealand’s traditional media still seems aeons away from understanding the level of change needed to save our waterways and encourage the consumption of truly lifesaving food. Essentially, it does nothing but pay lip service to the whole idea. That, to me, is flawed.

Milked sits in a category alongside The Big FAT Lie

by Grant Dixon, but I trust it won’t suffer a similar fate.

For Dixon, the fond hope he expressed to LiveKindly’s Charlotte Pointing a couple of years ago was that his movie would “generate enough interest to spark a public debate which will lead to real change in official medical policy.”

Fingers crossed on that but it's a work in progress.

Huriwai’s contribution adds valuable ‘grist to the mill’ in a debate that farmers are now riding tractors into town over - but should we bother about that? Maybe the alternative protein battle will be won before they realise. Isn’t that what disruptive change is all about? It has a nasty way of sneaking up from behind when you're about to change your undies. - Peter Barclay

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wholefoodliving.life | Summer 2021

57

Frozen Traffic Light Ice Blocks Though the colours should be more even, I have artistically represented how much I would like to see NZ in our new traffic light COVID world. More green freedom and very little red lockdowns, please.

by Catherine Barclay | makes 6 blocks INGREDIENTS 10 oz 10 oz 10 oz 1 Tbsp

METHOD kiwifruit, peeled frozen mango frozen raspberry maple syrup water

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1. Puree in a blender all the kiwifruit. If the mixture is too thick, add small amounts of water to help blend.

2. Fill the iceblock moulds one third with the kiwifruit puree and freeze for 1 hour.

3. While the kiwifruit is freezing, blend the frozen mango add water to help puree the mix.

4. After one hour, add the mango evenly 1/3 over all the moulds and freeze for 20 minutes.

5. Insert the sticks and freeze for a further 2 hours.

6. Puree the frozen raspberry adding in the maple syrup to reduce the tart, and add water to help puree the mix.

7. Add the raspberry puree to the last 1/3 of the moulds and freeze overnight.

Gingerbread Men Christmas is a time to be with family and enjoy some treats.

What better way than creating traditional gingerbread men the WFPB way

by Het Conroy METHOD

INGREDIENTS 200g cooked mashed kumara (sweet potato) 200g wholemeal flour 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp vanilla paste 100g date paste 1 Tbsp maple syrup

1. Mix flour into the kumara in small batches till you get a dough 2. Add spices and sweeteners.

3. Roll out, and cookie cut out the gingerbread men.

4. Optional, add currents for eyes and buttons, goji berries for the mouth.

5. Bake at 200°C till cooked.

Optional Icing added after cooking METHOD

INGREDIENTS 100g 8 1 tsp 2 tsp

silken tofu whole dates vanilla paste lemon juice

1. Add all ingredients to a blender and mix thoroughly 2. If colouring, split up the mix, add small drops of Queen food colouring, and mix through.

3. Pipe mixture onto the gingerbread men and then place in fridge till serving.

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Get to know your veges by smell and taste

T

he sweet juiciness of a ripe tomato or the crisp freshness of a lettuce can be a wonderful taste experience, filling you with joy and satisfaction. What a disappointment if the tomato is bland and tasteless, or the lettuce is chewy and bitter!

Whether you want to eat more vegetables for your health or are a parent of fussy eaters, having good-tasting vegetables makes them more enjoyable and you’re likely to eat more. Carrots, celery, peas and any vegetables grown and cooked well can be just as exciting as processed, artificially flavoured food, and more satisfying.

Vegetables are not homogeneous products like processed foods; they come from living plants that someone has grown.

But how they were grown and how long ago they were harvested makes a big difference to their flavour. Generally, the better the flavour, the more nutritious a vegetable is, so eating good-tasting vegetables helps keep you healthy.

You can take charge of your family’s meal enjoyment and health by growing or buying good-tasting vegetables. This guide will help you develop your taste and appreciation of the incredible variety of vegetable shapes, colours and characters, so you can cook and eat the best vegetables for your individual needs. Good chefs seek out well-grown, fresh vegetables to cook with because they know it makes a difference to the flavours of their dishes.

Do you actually taste the vegetables you eat, or do you smother them with sauces which mask the taste? Many of us seek recipes for sauces or different cooking methods to disguise or improve their flavour. Maybe the vegetables you’re using don’t, in fact, have a good flavour or perhaps some of the family just don’t like the taste of them.

Taste preferences and sensitivity

We all have different tastes. If you don’t like the taste of some vegetables, have you ever wondered why? Many people have only ever eaten poorly grown vegetables of that type, or associate them with negative experiences when they were first introduced to them as a child. Some are more sensitive to tastes than others: young children are generally more taste sensitive than adults.

Researchers have found that some of us have a gene that makes us more sensitive to flavours such as bitterness.

Vegetables like broccoli contain nutrients that taste bitter, making it harder for these people to enjoy them. It’s possible your body is telling you not to eat that type of vegetable. Some people experience health issues when they eat fruit or vegetables containing salicylates. They need to avoid vegetables such as capsicums, tomatoes, courgettes and many fruits.

Others with irritable bowel syndrome find they need to avoid fruit and vegetables such as artichokes, onions and peaches that contain fermentable carbohydrates. There will be other fruit and vegetables they can eat. The majority of us without those issues benefit from eating a wide variety of fruit and vegetable types.

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Coromandal based author and researcher, Gill Bacchus, recently completed a new book, an excerpt from which she shares with us here. 'Love Your Veges' is a guide to choosing vegetables that taste good and keep you healthy. Gill did her M.Sc. at Massey University and facilitated organic growing programmes for several years.

Her book is available from some bookstores or emailing: gillbacchus@gmail.com You and your family are more likely to enjoy vegetables if they really do have good flavours.

What influences the taste of a vegetable? Each vegetable type has its own unique taste but this can vary a lot for several reasons.

How fresh is it? The sooner after harvest you eat a vegetable, the more life, taste and nutrients it contains. Harvesting fresh from your own garden is best.

How was it grown?

Each vegetable has an optimum growth time. If grown too fast, using a lot of nitrogen fertiliser, it could well taste bland and watery, or sometimes bitter. This is because it’s had insufficient time to absorb sunlight. A plant needs time to build complex nutrients such as proteins and oils that improve the taste. But if it’s grown too slowly, it is tough and fibrous, with strong, earthy tastes.

What variety?

Often the old, open-pollinated varieties taste better and are more nutritious than modern varieties that have been bred for quick growth, large size and resistance to pests and disease. A few modern varieties, particularly of fruit, are now bred for good taste.

If not eaten raw, how it was stored, processed and cooked?

Storage, processing and cooking all affect the taste. Careful cooking can enhance it, but high temperatures and overcooking can spoil it.

Recognising taste

Winegrowers take a lot of trouble to grow grapes that will makegood-flavoured wine. They process their grapes with care and employ tasters to produce wine with a good, distinctive taste.

They can recognise variations in taste according to grape variety, ripeness and the soil it was grown in. Why do we not take similar care to grow and select good-tasting vegetables?

Maybe we could learn to appreciate the different flavours of vegetables, their ‘terroir’1, according to attributes such as variety, and how and where they were grown. Taste and other senses, such as smell, are your best guide to obtaining nutritious vegetables to keep you healthy.

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 blueberry and some good advice on gut and brain from Dr Scott Stoll

The future of food: Dr Mike Joy

Secret to Weight Loss: Calorie Density

Dr Mike Joy, speaking at the final of four symposium's for The Whole Food Solution in Wellington. http://tiny.cc/koyluz

Dr Anthony Lim on the calorie density of foods that prevent you losing weight. http://tiny.cc/eoyluz

Greens - answering your questions

Gut and Brain Health, Dr Stoll

Jane and Ann Esselstyn pull in Dr Caldwell Esselstyn to explain why dark leafy greens are so important. http://tiny.cc/xoyluz

Dr Scott Stoll discusses the role WFPB nutrition in the treatment and optimisation of gut and brain health. http://tiny.cc/2pyluz

Change Your Breath, Change Your Life

COVID & Cancer Protection with Diet

Lucas Rockwood explores Three Breathing Practices you should use every day. http://tiny.cc/5pyluz

Dr Fuhrman talks about eating the right food to build up your immune protection. http://tiny.cc/hpyluz

The Obesity Crisis - How to stop it

How to grow Blueberries

Dr Gareth Davies relays some of his experiences as a bariatric surgeon, an intesting address http://tiny.cc/boyluz

Ever wanted to grow bluberries in a container? We tried and failed. Should have looked here first. http://tiny.cc/3oyluz

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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 life-threatening 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 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 starch-rich 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 help you live longer, reduce the need for medications, and improve your health. 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 plant-based 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.

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Take a break

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Healthy crossword

Across 3. Embellishes (6) 7. ... medical journal pg.43 (6) 10. Sacred song (5) 13. Dr ... Xu pg.38 (3) 14. Middle East dip pg.32 (6) 15. NSW town pg.25 (6) 16. Nourishing (6) 17. A legume pg.10 (7) 21. Lance, pierce (6) 23. Common gas pg.52 (8) 24. ... Goldsmith pg.52 (7) 25. Researcher, Gill ... pg.60 (7) 27. Chris ... pg.56 (7) 28. .... gases pg.53 (10) 31. Rebecca ... pg.22 (6) 33. Court excuse (5) 35. Oxygen measuring (8) 37. Cultivation place (7) 38. Mischievous child (3)

Down 1. Unit of length (4) 2. Capable of being fermented (11) 4. Brain reward release pg.41 (8) 5. Tear (3) 6. Ocean (3) 7. ... gut pg.19 (5) 8. Army food tent (4) 9. Young deer (4) 11. Multiple ... pg.22 (9) 12. NZ Movie pg.56 (6) 18. Unfertilised egg (4) 19. Christian celebtration (6) 20. Hot ... pg.10 (7) 22. Group of microorganisms pg.11 (10) 26. Audition for (6) 29. Incoming flight info (3) 30. Innocent (5) 32. Belonging to us (3) 34. Good judgement (6) 36. Large jug (4)

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

wholefoodliving.life | Summer 2021

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Recipe index 14

36

50

21

40 SAUCES | CONDIMENTS

MAINS

SWEETS | DESSERTS

Runner Bean Hummus...............................32 Butter Bean Hummus.................................33

Vegetable Tofu Kebabs...............................14 Marinated Gilled Eggplant.........................15 Mexican Rice................................................16 Kale Salad......................................................17 Chinese Stuffed Cabbage Rolls.................21 Savoury Tarte Tatin......................................26

Mango Passion Fruit Trifle.........................37 Steve's Carrot Cake Cookies.....................48 Plant-based Cheese Cake..........................40 Wholemeal Scones........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,...............44 Nice Cream........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.............................50 Traffic Light Ice Blocks,,,.............................58 Gingerbread Men..........,,,,,,,,,,.....................59

STARTERS | IDEAS Herb and Vegetable Mini Quiches...........20 Quick Food Fixes ........................................37 Stuffed Potatoes...........................................45

COLD DRINKS Summer Smoothies.....................................51 Hibiscus Tea..................................................51



Tried our Recipes? Show us your creation!

Mention @wholefoodliving.life and tag #wholefoodliving.life

66 wholefoodliving.life | Summer 2021

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

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