WINTER 2022 VOL 3 • ISSUE 10
Let's get fancy!
Rising food costs - how to beat them
& GET HEALTHY!
Plant-based recipes All About Gout
& the uric acid issue
Cost saving multi-meals & healthy comfort foods
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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
EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS
he 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.
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
T
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- Editorial -
W
Coming down to the crunch
ith a new government elected in in popularity.” Australia and New Zealand, with a Cafe market analyst Sean Edwards said plant milk Labour Government already wellwas on track to capture half the cafe drinks market in the next few years. "Two years ago, oat milk was ensconced, the scene looks set for a right-old0.2 per cent, now it's 20 per cent of the market," Mr rare-up on climate change. In fact, I get the feeling Edwards said. we’re finally coming down to the crunch. For New Zealand, though, the more immediate Our key interest, of course, is in the subject of confrontation may come over electric cars. Check food, and our solution is simple; don’t eat animals, out Dr Jen Purdie’s views on page (42). Her and you’ll massively reduce agricultural emissions impression is that Kiwis are still a long way from and save billions on the health budget to boot. giving up their big car obsession. And while the Strangely though, it’s not that simple for everyone, Government is offering some attractive incentives, and sadly, it seems, not even for most. they’re not currently enough to entice many Kiwis Kiwi environmentalists faced a gob-smacking who prefer driving cheap used cars, she says. Peter Barclay, Editor moment on June 3 with the release of a TV One But how does all this come back to the food we News poll which questioned how we feel about cow put on our plates? Well, if you consider the points raised by Innes numbers - we don’t want them reduced, the results said. That Hope on page (28) it becomes clear that we’ve come to a fork in suddenly puts into question all the education efforts ever made the road – in more ways than one. While we can delay ourselves by people like Dr Mike Joy (page 53), who have been banging on over the intricacies of some aspects of the ideal WFPB diet, we for years that cow numbers must be reduced if we’re ever to save can also lose sight of the bigger picture. our waterways. The message isn’t making it to the masses – either Janice Carter, on page (24), seems to sum it up. Kiwis are only that or the poll was faulty. one supermarket aisle away from sheer panic, mortgage rates and But don’t get me wrong, and before I move ahead here, I’d petrol prices are rising, house prices falling, the grocery trolley is should point out that we’re not opposed to a reduction in cow exploding, and the EV is drifting off into the wind. numbers – it might be the only way to improve our waterways, But wait, there’s more! It seems few of us can comprehend especially in places like Canterbury. I just can’t see that New that we get the same amount of protein from 100gms of beef Zealanders will stop gobbling animal products any more than as 100gms of beans (and the beans come with significant health they're willing stop smoking. benefits) because most of us are still confused about where the New Zealand exports 95 per cent of its dairy production so, protein comes from anyway. even if we significantly reduce animal product consumption If that's not enough, uncertainty still reigns over which type overall, farmers will still be laughing all the way to the bank on the of protein is better because, if its plants, out go the overseas export receipts from milk powder, butter, cheese, infant formula receipts, farmers won't be buying electric utes and the whole and the “grass fed” mantra - or at least until China wakes up. thing is becoming too hard to handle. Not long before we went to press, one of the more interesting What more can I say? Oh yes, the recession is coming, Elon announcements on the food front came from Australia where, Musk worries we're not making enough babies, so we’re heading according to ABC News, plant-based milk is set to overtake cows’ for extinction anyway, and New Zealand diplomats scrubbed the milk in local cafes. Apparently, dairy alternatives are “skyrocketing term 'plant-based' from the IPCC report summary. How bizarre!
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 Direct, NZ Post & Iclay Media Contributions & Assistance Contributions & assistance on this issue is gratefully acknowledged from the following: Innes Hope, Janice Carter, Padman Sadasivam, Karen Crowley, Dr Mark Craig, Dr Martyn Williamson, Gemma Newman, Grant Dixon, Penny Garrick, Nicole Moran
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CONTENTS 10 23
28
30
General Features 10. Drop acid Dr David Perlmutter offers fascinating insights on Gout and the issue of uric acid.
16. Letters Editor gets taken to task over those oil articles and a matter of fair play.
20. Near death discoveries Grant Dixon reviews his near death eperience & its lessons.
24. Oh, that food bill! Janice Carter gasps for air as she reviews food costs.
28. Forks in the road
Innes Hope considers market trends and the new highway.
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34. A plant-based journey Dr Gemma Newman explains why she went WFPB and stopped cutting carbs.
38. New plant discoveries Science is still finding new plant varieties and potential crops for a warmer world.
42. Big car obsessions Dr Jen Purdie takes a hard look at Kiwi car quirks.
48. Watching the waste Five ideas on eating 'waste' that is actually healthy.
51. Hypertension How food can help you change your BP reading.
52. Newsbites If you're looking for a new power source, gravity won't let you down.
59. Plant-based tips Stop potatoes sprouting in the pantry and lots of other terrific tips.
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-winter-2022
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The inside goss It took that final personal experience to tip me into action. I realised I had some control over my genetic destiny. - Dr Gemma Newman
44 15 Recipes 15. Making food fancy It may be mushroom and mash but this easy whole food entree will impress.
17. Jackfruit pot roast A conversion of the usual pot roast but this time with healthy ingredients instead.
30. Much more to kale Innes Hope checks out three types of kale and explains how to nail it nicely.
36. A smokey delight So easy to put together and oh so nice to eat! Smokey portobello steaks.
19. Thai eggplant red curry 54. Banana-rama Two dishes that bring the taste of Asia to the table.
22. Chocolate mousse Only three easy ingredients to this delightful dessert.
26. Whole wheat bread Cracked it! Finally a whole wheat bread and NO oil.
Reward yourself. A delightful low-emission, simple treat.
55. Bread pudding Who would have thought! Bread pudding without butter.
57. Lo Hon Jai Traditional Buddhist dish popular in Chinese cuisine.
It is easy and very possible to eat a whole food plantbased lifestyle without fearing cardiac arrest at the check-out. And, all the benefits that come with that are just so exciting! - Janice Carter I credit most of my success to what I eat - my whole food plant-based diet. I very much doubt I could do any of this without it. In fact I think I'd be dead by now. - Grant Dixon Despite the fact that an exploitative view of nature has deep roots in our society, most people today would agree that we have no moral right to obliterate a species – even if it has no immediate benefit to us. - Prof Alexandre Antonelli
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WFPB ADVOCATES International
Dr Scott Stoll
Dr Gemma Newman
Dr Kim A. Williams
Dr Shireen Kassam
Dr Michael Klapper
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.
Has a special interest in holistic health, plant based nutrition and lifestyle medicine. Is a senior partner in a UK family medical practice where she worked for 12 years.
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.
Gifted speaker on plant-based nutrition. Teaches other health care professions on the importance of nutrition in clinical practice and integrative medicine
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 Thomas Joseph
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.
Based in Invercargill Dr Joseph is possibly the world's most southern WFPB GP. He regularly conducts plant-based retreats for people in his local area and has joined the EBE exec.
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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Dr David Perlmutter
Drop Acid doctor warns of evolutionary mismatch
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"We can't effectively change our genome but we sure as heck can change factors in our environment that will take us back and rekindle a better relationship with the gift or our inheritance."
obbins: David, your new book is titled 'Drop Acid' but it has nothing to do with taking LSD.1 It's about the importance, the really critical importance, it turns out, of reducing our uric acid levels. Now, most people have never heard of uric acid. In Western medicine, it's widely recognized that when there is too much uric acid in our bodies, crystals of uric acid can form, and then these crystals can settle in our joints and cause gout or settle in our kidneys and form kidney stones. But other than those two conditions, gout and kidney stones, the medical profession as a whole tends to think of uric acid as a harmless waste product that's normally excreted in the urine. What I hear you saying in your book, though, is that this view is wrong. Because high uric acid levels, in fact, contribute substantially to a host of problems as diverse as obesity and diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease. The list is very long. In fact, you call uric acid 'the hidden connection' linking our modern ailments. This is a huge topic, what do you hope that your book accomplishes? Dr Perlmutter: Let me first take a step back and look at the notion that the number one cause of death on planet earth right now is not some virus we might catch. The number one category of issues that threaten us is what we call chronic degenerative conditions. Things like, coronary artery disease, Alzheimer's, various forms of cancer, type 2 diabetes. These are the most threatening to us. What is important about these issues, and others, is that they are at their core the manifestation of metabolic mayhem, metabolic disturbances. When we talk about metabolism, we often talk about something called metabolic syndrome. I'd like to open up that term a little because it is strictly defined as being characterized by five things: elevated blood sugar, elevated body fat (BMI), dyslipidemia, problems with high blood pressure, and elevated triglycerides. So each of those is a problem in and of itself. In the aggregate, they form something called metabolic syndrome. To indicate how pervasive these issues are here in America: 88% of adults have at least one of these components, meaning that only one in eight American adults is metabolically intact.2 Being metabolically compromised, as in seven of eight American adults, sets the stage for those chronic degenerative conditions — the number one cause of death on our planet.
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This article is a partly abridged account of an indepth interview conducted by Ocean Robins and podcast on The Food Revolution Summit, 2022. Dr David Perlmutter discusses the dangers we face from high uric acid levels and explains why, unlike humming birds, we're no longer genetically equiped to cope with them. Dr Perlmutter is a board certified neurologist and six-time New York Times best selling author whose books have been translated into 32 languages. In 2016, a study came out which was titled, “Uric Acid in Metabolic Syndrome: From an Innocent Bystander to a Central Player.”3 What it describes is the fact that for many years, we've seen that patients with diabetes, with obesity, with hypertension, have, in addition, interestingly, high uric acid. Until fairly recently, we've looked upon that and said, “Well, isn't that interesting? Maybe they have an increased risk for gout. No big deal.” But we've come to understand that uric acid which we are seeing elevated in these and other problems, is actually playing a role in their genesis. It's playing a mechanistic role. One very large study came out in 2009 and looked at 90,000 people — 42,000 men, 49,000 women — and it followed them for eight years.4 What they found was that in people who had a uric acid level that was elevated, meaning in their case above seven milligrams per deciliter, in these people who originally at the beginning of the eight-year study had an elevated uric acid — their risk of death after the study was completed, of having died during those eight years for any reason whatsoever (we call that all-cause mortality) was increased by 16 percent. The risk of death from cardiovascular disease was increased by close to 40 percent. The risk of death from stroke increased 35 percent. And even more fascinating was the finding that for every one-point elevation of the uric acid level above seven, there was an increased risk of 8–13 percent of dying from any cause whatsoever, and that was additive with every point above seven.
So does it become an issue that we should pay attention to? You bet it does. When we understand what elevation of uric acid tells the body, we begin to understand why it would be associated with as much as a, 55 percent increased risk of Alzheimer's, an 80 percent increased risk of dementia and an incredible 166 percent increased risk of what is called vascular, or mixed, dementia. Elevation of uric acid increases inflammation, damages the function of the energy production in our cells called the mitochondria, and leads to increased activity of what are called free radicals or more technically, oxidative stress. All of those things threaten our health momentarily, threaten our longevity overall, and certainly also in the long run threaten our health span. We've got to pay attention to uric acid. That's for sure.
Brain function and dementia
Robbins: We've known for some time that there are certain conditions that are strongly correlated with increased risk for cognitive decline and brain shrinkage, and dementia. And these conditions include elevated blood glucose, insulin resistance, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and of course, chronic inflammation. Another risk factor for, and actually a predictor of, cognitive decline is simply the size of a person's belly or more precisely their waistto-hip ratio. It sounds, from what you're saying and what you've written, that we should now add elevated uric acid to the primary list of risk factors for impaired brain function and dementia. Dr Perlmutter: Absolutely. These relationships of elevated uric acid with immediate cognitive dysfunction and long-term risk for dementia are certainly within our grasp to understand. And when I say immediate cognitive function, there is one study that was published — again, Japanese literature, they're pretty much way ahead of us in terms of understanding uric acid.5 Looking at 228 elderly individuals, basically what they did was they measured their uric acid, did MRI scans, and also measured their neurocognitive function. What they found was that people with elevated uric acid right now, not eight years in the future, were four times more likely to have cognitive testing showing early dementia and their MRI’s were significantly abnormal with vascular changes - meaning evidence of small strokes, evidence of atrophy or lost tissue. So again, it becomes a very exciting and empowering notion that we have a new metric in town that we can fix. With the help of this new metric we can not only bring about an improvement in terms of the current function, but also, more importantly, in terms of long-term risk. We’ve learned to look upon uric acid as a danger signal for the
body, an alarm signal, if you will — telling the body that winter is coming, telling the body that we might not have food or water in the very near future and signaling the body to make important changes, like increase the blood pressure, increase the blood sugar, make a lot of body fat and store a lot of body fat, lock it up. Nowadays, we are confronting that survival mechanism with the absolute opposite — a time of, generally, food being plentiful, targeting this body that we have, this physiology that really wants to be very thrifty with our food and pack away fat for the winter, and yet, you know, this is the winter that never comes. Robbins: So what I'm hearing is that uric acid triggers fat production, which obviously can result in weight gain and can also result in our livers becoming dangerously fat even if we aren't overweight. Since elevated uric acid levels lead directly to both increased fat production and increased fat storage, are you saying that, in our distant evolutionary past, elevated uric acid actually served an important survival purpose. Dr Perlmutter: Absolutely. Robbins: Okay. Might this powerful survival mechanism have led to genetic mutations being passed on that cause us to experience elevations in our uric acid levels today? Dr Perlmutter: That's exactly what happened. Any subtle advantage that one group might have over another group would lead to their ability to survive and pass on their genetics, obviously to future generations. So we inherited this elevation of uric acid which has served us, until just yesterday, very well. In other words, until perhaps the advent of agriculture — when again, our hunter-gatherer ancestors might not have done very well at hunting or gathering during one period of time or another. Having an increased ability to be thrifty and make more fat from whatever calories were around would have proven to be a great advantage to those ancestors. And, you know, this isn't limited to primates and humans. This type of thing is going on in birds, it goes on in reptiles. You mentioned fatty liver disease, and that's a great thing. Fatty liver disease is a wonderful thing in the context of starvation or in the context of not having enough food.
The humming bird connection When the hummingbird is getting ready for its epic 1,000-mile journey, it does two things. It drinks sugar, right? It loads itself up with sugar and it makes itself have a fatty liver because that allows it to make this epic journey and increases its body fat substantially as well. When the hummingbird's ready to make this trip as much as 40% of body weight is fat. So the hummingbird becomes one
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of the fattest animals on the planet. Not only is that body fat a resource for calories for that animal, for our primate ancestors, for our hunter-gatherer ancestors, and even for humans if they face starvation, but it's also a resource for water. When we burn fat for fuel, we create two things as end products: carbon dioxide and water for our bodies. We call it metabolic water. So this notion of storing fat away for the winter is a survival mechanism, not just because of the calories, but because it allowed our ancestors to survive during times of facing dehydration, for example. The fructose connection forms fat. Fat is a reservoir from which we can make metabolic water — these days, not as much of a survival mechanism there, but certainly when our ancestors faced dehydration — a powerful superpower to have.
Purines and uric acid
Robbins: In your new book, you repeatedly cite the work of the Scottish physician, Dr. Alexander Haig, who wrote a seminal book titled, Uric Acid as a Factor in the Causation of Disease.6 Now, like other famous doctors who have achieved important breakthroughs by first experimenting on themselves, Dr. Haig went on a diet designed to drop his uric acid levels, and he experienced remarkable health improvements after he did so. And in particular, what he did was eliminate meat in an effort to alleviate the migraine headaches he had suffered from for years. And it worked. My sense is that substances known as purines had a lot to do with why eliminating meat was a key to dropping Dr Haig's uric acid levels — and thus creating so many positive health benefits, including the elimination of his migraines. What can you tell us about purines and about their connection with uric acid? Dr Perlmutter: Purines are the breakdown products of DNA and RNA. DNA and RNA are obviously found in cells, in the nucleus of the cells, and foods that have a lot of cellularity will then have a lot of DNA and RNA. When we break them down by eating them, we will ultimately form chemicals called purines, like inosine and adenosine monophosphate, and these then are metabolised directly to form uric acid. This is the uric acid that Dr Haig correctly identified as being associated with issues far beyond gout. As you well described, he talked about his headaches, but he also talked about other mood issues, psychiatric issues, and even cognitive issues. So the notion that these purine-rich foods, these organ meats like liver and kidneys, and certain types of seafood, shellfish, or like scallops and muscles, for example, and processed meats today can liberate purines and therefore raise uric acid — I think is very important. Classically, the gout diet or perhaps anti-gout diet that's been talked about for decades has been one that eliminated, or at least dramatically reduced those foods that provide purines. There are only three inputs to uric acid. They are the purines of which we talk, alcohol, and fruit sugar, or fructose. What has happened more recently is that, compared to the late 1800s during Alexander Haig's time, our fructose consumption has taken over the role of being the master, the top source of ultimately uric acid production in human physiology. Why so? Well, simply because of our fructose consumption, our sugar consumption has just exploded. I mean, the average American is now eating somewhere around 55–60 pounds of added sugar annually. And the rise in uric acid — going from around 3.5 in the 1920s and now when the average uric acid is around 6.0 — perfectly falls in lockstep with our increase in sugar production. Certainly, limiting purine consumption is very important as it relates to uric acid, but the big player is clearly the added sugar in our diets. When we recognize that close to 70% of the packaged foods in our grocery stores have added sweeteners, and that, by and large, these are either high fructose corn syrup or fructose
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or any other of its many names — it's no wonder that people are having such issues these days with elevated uric acid.7 And it's no wonder that we're seeing an incredible increase in these metabolic issues. For example, right now one in three American adults is obese. One-third of American adults are not just overweight, but obese.8 And in the distant future in the year 2030, which is far, far away in the future, right? That number's going to be 50 per cent. That's right around the corner. The notion that 50 per cent of American adults will be obese is absolutely mind-boggling. And now that we recognize that if we can control uric acid, we have another tool in the toolbox, not just for this obesity epidemic, but for hypertension and insulin resistance and the elevated blood sugar ultimately leading to diabetes that we see. You know, when 10 per cent of children in America between the ages of 12 and 18 are diagnosed as having hypertension, my goodness, something is very wrong.9 What is wrong at the core is an evolutionary environmental mismatch. Our bodies were gifted this genomic profile that served us for 99.9 per cent of the time that we've been on this planet because, our environment was about the same. Sure, it changed over time, it would change over tens of thousands if not millions of years. But the reality is, we've always faced food scarcity until quite recently. We've always faced dehydration, especially when we would migrate. And now we live in a very, very different environment, an environment characterized by “sedentality,” meaning we get to sit around all the time. An environment that doesn't challenge us with food scarcity, an environment in which we don't ever really fast unless it's self-imposed. And this runs counter to what our genome expects, what our DNA expects. This mismatch is the central player in these degenerative conditions. We can't, right now, effectively change our genome, but we can change certain factors in our environment: the food we eat, the sleep that we get, the activities in which we engage, the level of stress in our lives, the amount of time that we spend enjoying nature. All of these are important variables that will take us back and rekindle a better relationship with the gift of our inheritance. Robbins: There is a lot that is terribly wrong with the American
because vitamin C helps to reduce uric acid levels in the body. And there are other foods that are also often recommended to help reduce uric acid. I'm thinking of bananas and apples, cherries, coffee, citrus fruits (whole citrus fruits, of course), and green tea. Are there any foods you would add to that list? Dr Perlmutter: The foods you mentioned are wonderful, especially as it relates to broccoli and the other cruciferous vegetables. Though they actually do contain a fair amount of purines, it turns out that — in the context of the vitamin C, of the fiber, of the bioflavonoids — they've long been recommended for gout patients. It's a good choice. There are other things that cruciferous vegetables, especially broccoli, can offer up, (and especially broccoli sprouts), like being able to use the chemicals in broccoli sprouts, the glucoraphanin to allow your body to make sulforaphane which is powerfully anti-inflammatory, upregulates the production of antioxidants in the body. So all the things you said are all good things. Having said that, it takes us to a place of our metabolism. There are two major pathways in our metabolism. There's a switch, if you will, that controls whether we go down one side or down the other side, is the hunting good or is the hunting worrisome? And we might not have food.
Defining the pathways
diet, and it seems to have been getting worse for years now. Fifty years ago, the consumption of high fructose corn syrup in the United States was effectively zero. Today, high fructose corn syrup represents nearly half of the enormous amount of caloric sweeteners consumed in this country.10 I'm sure people know that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages, like soda pop, for example, but also flavored teas and sports drinks and so forth are not healthful. But what about fruit juice? I'm not talking about eating whole fruit right now, which contains fiber. But, do common fruit juices, like apple juice and orange juice, have an effect on our uric acid levels? Dr Perlmutter: Dramatically. There's nothing natural about a glass of organic, freshly squeezed apple juice, orange juice, you name it. When in our history did we suddenly have the ability to suck down 16 ounces of orange juice or apple juice or anything else for that matter? No, we would eat fruit. And as such, we would spread out our fructose exposure over a period of time in the context of dietary fiber that would slow the fructose absorption, in the context of vitamin C that would help with uric acid excretion, in the context of various bioflavonoids that are associated with reduced uric acid production. So eating fruit is a natural experience. By and large, in a typical apple, we're talking maybe 5–10 grams of fructose along with the other components, the fiber, the bioflavonoids, vitamin C. So fruit consumption, modest fruit consumption, is actually associated with a lower uric acid. Fruit juice, on the other hand, is a powerful way to suddenly expose your physiology to a glut of fructose that activates liver fat production and is immediately metabolized into uric acid. You know, you can drink a can of Coke, or you can drink that same amount of orange juice or apple juice, and you're getting the same amount of sugar. So you may think it's natural, but I can assure you that our hunter-gather forebears did not suddenly come upon a tree with cartons of orange juice hanging from it.
Foods to help reduce uric acid
Robbins: You mentioned vitamin C. People sometimes go to these juices for vitamin C. I'm thinking about broccoli. It's low in purines, it's high in vitamin C. And I know that people with gout are often told to eat broccoli and other foods that are high in vitamin C
The pathways are defined by their champions. And the champion of the hunting-is-good is called AMPK or AMP kinase, adenosine monophosphate kinase. When we stimulate AMPK, it sends a signal in the body that the hunting is good, we don't have to make fat, we don't have to store fat. We don't have to increase glucose production. We don't have to raise the blood pressure. Everything's good, we've got plenty to eat. So you can imagine that we would all really want to light up our AMP kinase, as much as we can. And we do that when we're careful what we're eating, when we're using, for example, quercetin as a nutritional supplement. But perhaps one of the most powerful activators of AMPK is exercise. Who knew? Exercise activates AMP kinase and does great things for us. The other side of the pathway is something called AMPD, AMP deaminase. That is the get-ready-for-hibernation pathway. That is the pathway that says, “Whoa, we need to make as much fat as we possibly can and store that fat. We need to lock it up. We need to ramp down metabolism so we're not burning as many calories, and we need to make more blood sugar to power the brain.” So we want to do everything we can to not activate this other pathway, AMP deaminase. It turns out that uric acid decides which way we go. Uric acid turns off AMP kinase and leads to upregulation or enhancement of the get-ready-for-winter, getready-for-hibernation, the AMP deaminase. Now that we understand that — gosh, it's a really cool piece of the puzzle. And we now understand what goes on in the body of the bear getting ready to hibernate, in the body of the hummingbird getting ready for the epic journey, in the body of the camel getting ready to cross the desert. They're lighting up their AMP deaminase, storing fat, locking it away. And then when they need it, they tap into their AMP kinase, and their metabolism shifts. We wanna keep AMP kinase activated. You know, that's where the drug metformin works. Metformin is an AMP kinase activator and tells the body, “Stop making glucose.” Turns off what's called gluconeogenesis, the production of glucose in the liver. And that is really helpful for someone with type 2 diabetes because they definitely don't need to be making more glucose. But we can activate that pathway. You don't have to take the drug, you can exercise. Who knew? Robbins: Well, when you mention Metformin, I think how some clinicians treat high uric acid levels with drugs that limit the amount our bodies can make. Allopurinol, for example, is used to treat gout because it lowers uric acid. And it does that by blocking an enzyme
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that is needed to produce the acid. But these drugs invariably have side effects. And with allopurinol, patients get a fever, rash, hepatitis, and kidney problems — serious things. David, do we often have the ability to lower our levels of uric acid without these drugs through simple and straightforward diet and lifestyle adjustments? Dr Perlmutter: Absolutely. Allopurinol, as you mentioned, does target a very important enzyme that is involved in the production of uric acid. And this xanthine oxidase lends itself very readily to being downregulated or turned off by allopurinol, febuxostat, other medications. But we now understand that certain bioflavonoids and certain naturally-occurring pigmented substances like quercetin and luteolin target xanthine oxidase almost to the extent of allopurinol. And it's really quite remarkable.
A profound impact One study published in the British Journal of Nutrition back in 2016 reviewed a group of 22 young men with borderline uric acid elevation. They were given 500 milligrams of quercetin daily and their uric acid levels fell by 8 per cent in two weeks.11 That's profound. So when you add the idea of a little quercetin, maybe some luteolin, to a reduction in the consumption of fructose, maybe consider eliminating purine-rich meats like liver and kidney and scallops, well, what that can do to uric acid can be profound. Is there a place for the use of drugs like allopurinol in the treatment of hyperuricemia or elevated uric acid? There is for people who don't seem to respond to doing all the dietary things on the front end. You know, people who have very high uric acid and may have gout, may have kidney stones, by all means, consider medication under the care of a physician, of course. But for the, you know, all the rest of us who are at risk… The average uric acid level in America today is 6.0. The risk for cardiometabolic issues is anything above 5.5. The mainstream of medicine will tell you that your uric acid is normal if it's seven or below. But those levels are derived only in the context of gout because it's above seven that the uric acid crystals begin to form. I'm not interested in normal levels, I'm interested in optimal levels. The best we can tell people is to get their uric acid level to 5.5 or lower. By and large, this can be done by lifestyle changes. Robbins: Well, in some of the studies that I've seen that document the associations between elevated uric acid levels and serious negative outcomes for the brain, the amount of uric acid elevation is actually so slight that the numbers could easily be construed as just the high end of normal, as it's usually understood. I take it this is one of the reasons you recommend lower limits for uric acid levels than the current guidelines propose. Dr Perlmutter: That's right. And my hope is that mainstream health care revisits the notion of what defines a good uric acid level, not just what's normal. Because, as you and I know, normal is another way of saying average. And the normal range is having a standard deviation or two away from the average and saying, “Well, that's gonna be close enough.” My gosh! That's not good enough for people these days. People — I don't wanna be average. I mean, the average health in America is not too swift, so I wanna be optimised. And that's been your mission for so many years — the notion of having the ability to have the tools, meaning the knowledge, to achieve optimal health. Robbins: Well, it has. And I appreciate so much what you're saying here about the importance of uric acid levels and how we have normalised a level that's actually too high. I mean, it may not cause gout, but it's causing a lot of serious problems. And we now have studies finding that people who are admitted to a hospital with a COVID-19 infection and who also have elevated levels of uric acid are 2.6 times — almost triple — more likely to end up in the ICU on a ventilator or dying, compared to those who are admitted to the same hospitals with the same COVID-19 infections, but who have
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normal, truly normal uric acid levels.12 Late last year, a Harvard study was published in the medical journal, Gut. The study followed 600,000 adults for nine months and found that people who ate more fruits and vegetables and legumes had a 9 per cent lower risk of getting COVID-19. And if they did get the disease, the people eating more fruits and vegetables and legumes had a 41 per cent lower risk of developing severe COVID.13 David, could you help us understand why this is the case? Dr Perlmutter: Well, I can. And I think the early information that we got as related to bad outcomes from COVID, (“bad outcome”, being defined as admission into the intensive care unit, being put on a ventilator, and death is certainly a bad outcome) was related to the metabolic issues we've been talking about. In other words, your risk of a bad outcome from COVID is dramatically increased if you are overweight significantly or hypertensive, type 2 diabetic. I lost a very close friend. A type 2 diabetic, a general surgeon, died of COVID. So we've known that. And you would expect, if uric acid is opening the door to these metabolic problems, then perhaps there would be an increased risk of having this outcome based upon having elevated uric acid. And in fact, several studies have shown that, as you well described, the risk of going on mechanical ventilation increased threefold, put in the intensive care unit increased at least twofold, risk of death also increased. Several Chinese studies have confirmed to us that uric acid is a player here, that it is inducing these metabolic problems, which bode poorly for outcomes, as it relates to this particular infection. It would indicate that the outcome from various types of infections or other health challenges would be worse if a person is metabolically dysfunctional. But one wonders, even taking it further, could there be any immune compromise in relation to uric acid elevation? Well, let me propose to you that because uric acid leads to these metabolic issues and these metabolic issues are associated with problems of what is called cellular senescence — the aging of our immune cells — that connection is very straightforward and very simple to understand. So our immune response, our ability to defend ourselves with the activity of our white blood cells is severely compromised in patients with metabolic issues. Uric acid is a central player as defined in 2016 in terms of metabolic dysfunction.
Alcohol and uric acid levels
Robbins: There are many good reasons to make sure that our uric acid levels are in check. And it's also important to acknowledge that consuming alcohol powerfully raises our uric acid levels. Some might be wondering about their alcohol intake. If someone is serious about reducing their uric acid levels, what would be the ideal amount of alcohol they should consume? Dr Perlmutter: More important than the amount would be the type. It matters what you drink.14 Hard liquor, is associated with a pretty significant increase of uric acid. If you drink wine and you're a male, the indication is it won't have much effect. And if you drink wine and you're a female, there's a slightly lower uric acid. Beer is the worst offender. It is metabolized like fructose. It's exquisitely high in purines. because of the yeast and yeast means a lot of nucleic acid metabolized into purines. It dramatically raises uric acid levels, telling the body to make fat. We now have a good understanding of where the beer belly comes from. What is the science that supports our understanding of this? Many of the studies I've quoted here come from the Japanese literature. Japan is way ahead in understanding the relationship of elevated uric acid to metabolic health issues. Interestingly, in Japan, they now have a purine-free beer for people watching their uric acid levels. How incredible - an understanding of the literature, understanding of the science, then capitalising on it by creating a purine-free beer.
MUSHROOM SCALLOPS WITH KUMARA MASH Want to impress your loved one or do up a fancy entree for dinner guests? These plant-based oil-free mushroom 'scallops' could be the answer. Very simple to put together, but you need to allow time for the marinade to infuse. by Catherine Barclay | 4 servings METHOD
INGREDIENTS 8 1 cup 2 Tbsp 3 1 tsp 1 Tbsp
large king oyster mushrooms
(found in the frozen section of your local chinese supermarket)
vegetable stock miso paste garlic cloves, diced lemon juice fresh ginger, grated
Kumara mash: boil 3-4 medium kumara, mash with a little plant-based milk, nutritional yeast and dijon mustard. Decorate plate: with pureed peas or edamame beans, some paprika and a mix of yoghurt and dijon mustard.
1. Take the defrosted mushroom, remove the top and bottom, then slice the mushroom's stem into 25mm long sections. 2. Cut a crisscross pattern over the top of each mushroom top to allow the marinade to seep in. 3. In a mixing bowl, add all other ingredients and mix through. 4. Add in the mushroom sections and spoon the marinade over, let sit for no less than 30 mins. 5. Preheat a nonstick pan or use an electric hotplate. Place mushrooms flat side down and cook for around 5 mins on each side. To brown, add a little water to the pan once the marinade leaves its mark in the pan, this will release the colour onto the mushroom. 6. Place onto kumara mash to serve. wholefoodliving.life | Winter 2022
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Thinking out loud
If something you've read in Whole Food Living has set your mind in motion, then don't hesitate to tell us about it. We'd love to hear your thoughts, suggestions or views. Just email us at letters@wholefoodliving.life.
You played the man not the ball I almost did not renew my subscription to Whole Food Living because of your treatment of the debate on oil in the Autumn 2022 issue. While you claimed to "respect the need for rational discussion", you instead undermined rational discussion. Please consider: you played the man, not the ball. Your comments in the editorial that " ... many of the more hardcore vegan brigade hang onto their oil like carnivores salivate for a steak" and that Dr Livesey " ... a long-term vegan, has always used oil in his diet. He cannot attest to the taste of food without it" are clearly aimed at undermining Dr Livesey's credibility. However, they are not relevant to his professional expertise and have no place in a rational discussion; you tilted the playing field, in two ways: firstly, before the first article you seek to promote one author's contribution over the other by writing "We believe the people who know most about the risks of oil are those working directly with patients whose lives have been damaged by the choices they've made. Dr Martyn Williamson is one of those ... ". This is unwarranted: each writer has their qualifications noted and your readers can make up their own mind about their relative merits - they do not need to be, nor should they be, told what to think; and secondly, it is clear Dr Williamson has seen Dr Livesey's article before finalising his article, but not that Dr Livesey has seen Dr Williamson's article before his was finalised. Each writer should have been treated equally (if Dr Livesey had seen Dr Williamson's article before finalisation and declined to comment, this should have been noted); and finally, you made up a result. Above Dr Livesey's article you wrote "a much healthier and even tastier world awaits" those who give up oil. The "much healthier" claim is not from Dr Livesey's article, which concludes that you can consume oil and live a long and healthy life. And it's not from Dr Williamson's article which, in the final paragraph, concludes that Dr Livesey could "consume EVO on top of a WFPB nutrition plan with a decent chance of either minimal or no loss of health". Of course, you are not obliged to accept the views of any contributor (even if you describe one as among those "who know most" about the matter). But a "rational discussion" requires a proponent to provide sound reasons for a viewpoint - which you did not do. I note that while personal experience is interesting and relevant at times, it does not provide the basis for general advice. Any dietary advice should be based on good science, not personal opinion. You owe your readers and the two authors an apology for handling this matter so badly. And you should retract (or provide valid reasons for) your "much healthier" claim. I would appreciate your response on this matter. Stephen McMillan Karabar NSW Thank you for writing. I appreciate receiving correspondence on any subject even when I am on the receiving end which, in this case, I clearly am. On re-reading the comments made, I appreciate the conclusions you have come to so I think it would be helpful to explain some of the background here. I was not initially approached by Dr Livesey about doing an
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article, rather, the agreement to receive and publish was the result of a discussion between us following an introduction from a mutual acquaintance. While, from your assessment, I was out to 'play the man' here, I assure you that was certainly never my intention. Dr Livesey was sent .pdfs of pages 20-24 of the Autumn '22 issue prior to their publication which included the statement I made on Page 20. On viewing these, his return email response to me was: " Thanks. That all looks good Peter. My interest is in epidemiology, i.e. the health of whole populations, not the treatment of individuals with severe heart disease already. So myself and the no-oil people tend to be talking about somewhat different things. Thank you for publishing my article." I respect Dr Livesey's view. His article, in my opinion, is one of the best presented cases in support of oil I've come across. But I stand by my comment that the non-consumption of oil still remains the "much healthier" option - although I may be somewhat biased in that view. I had a stroke in 2014, so I tend to err on the side of caution, and I'm not really a gambling man. Also, I have no doubt that the no-oil stand is supported by a wealth of convincing evidence, which Dr Malcolm McKay and his partner, Jenny Cameron, have extensively referenced on their website: wholefoodsplantbasedhealth.com.au/no-oil My stand is most definitely not based on my own personal opinion. As Dr Livesey notes, and if we consider the question from a purely academic perspective, the two camps are talking about somewhat different things. From a worldwide perspective, it could be argued that human beings (and the environment) would be much better off if everyone adopted a vegan diet, even if they all ate oil. On the other hand, Dr Williamson might want to qualify that by adding that this would only be true if everyone were in good health anyway and only ever ate a whole food plant-based diet. Peter Barclay, Editor
The benefits of water fasting Greetings from Adelaide. Further to the informative articles you feature in the magazine, I would be interested in reading about the health benefits of fasting and practical methods for safely doing a fast. I am aware of different levels of fasting where (medical) supervision may not be required, for example; • • • •
16/8 - eating two meals, then water only fasting for 18 hours; One meal a day fasting; 24-36 hour water only fasting; 3 day water only fasting.
Then, for those interested in say a 3-5 day water only fast, I would like to know what level of supervision is needed and who within the WFPB community may be able to provide it. I once asked the Dr at True South if he provided this service, in a similar way to the True North experience in the USA; sadly, no-go. Another topic I would like to see is one on getting quality sleep, maybe using meditation or similar. This topic is of particular interest to me because I am often a poor sleeper. For information, if you are interested, I saw an excellent video by a Florida based Cardiologist Dr Pradip Jamnadas titled ‘Fasting For Survival’ so that is why I am keen to see an article in the magazine. Peter Lazic When it comes to fasting, I'm an Alan Goldhammer fan personally. Have left a link to an interesting interview on him in the Videos Page (61). Will follow up on your questions. Editor
JACKFRUIT POT ROAST Here I've converted the traditional beef pot roast into a melt in your mouth jackfruit delight. This dish is colourful, moist, and full of flavour. by Catherine Barclay | Serves 6-8 people INGREDIENTS - Jackfruit and marinade 2 can 1 Tbsp 1 Tbsp 1 1/2 tsp 1 Tbsp 1 1/2 tsp 1 tsp
jackfruit in water tomato paste apple cider vinegar vegan worchestershire sauce liquid aminos dijon mustard whole grain mustard pepper
INGREDIENTS - for the potroast marinated jackfruit 1 brown onion, diced 5 garlic cloves, diced 5 carrots, sliced into 1/4 lengthways 4 potatoes 4 kumara (sweet potatoes) 1/4 pumpkin 3 cups vegetable stock 2 tbps cornflour 2 sprigs each rosemary and thyme (or 1 tsp each if using dried herbs)
METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 180°C 2. Add the jackfruit and the marinade ingredients into a large snaplock bag or sealed container and shake to mix. Set aside while you prep the other vegetables. 3. Cut the potato, kumara and pumpkin into small bite-size pieces (2.5cm). 4. In a dutch oven, saute the onion and garlic with a little water or veg stock. 5. Place in all other vegetables, then make a hole in the middle and add the marinated jackfruit. 6. Mix the cornflour with a 1/4 cup of cold water, then pour this and the vegetable stock over the vegetables and jackfruit. 7. Add the herbs. 8. Bring to a boil on the stovetop, then cover and place in the oven and bake for 40 mins (remove lid for the last 5 mins to brown. 9. Serve with steamed green vegetables.
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THAI EGGPLANT RED CURRY WITH STEAMED BOK CHOY Bring a taste of Asia to the table with these two dishes that complement each other perfectly. It takes 45 mins to put together. The flavour bursts in your mouth. by Catherine Barclay | Serves 4 people
NOTE: This eggplant is a small round berry commonly used in Thai and Indonesian cuisine. It contains dietary fibre, potassium, manganese, and antioxidants. Find it in the freezer section of your local Chinese grocer.
THE STEAMED BOK CHOY: INGREDIENTS 4 2 2 Tbsp 1 Tbsp 4 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp
METHOD baby bok choy garlic cloves, minced chives grated ginger soy sauce lite lime juice lime zest
1. Take the baby bok choy and slice off the base so that all the leaves separate. Wash to remove any dirt caught in the centre of the plant. 2. In a bamboo steamer or a pot with a steamer, line the bok choy so that they are not covering each other. Set aside while you make up the sauce. 3. Mix all other ingredients in a small bowl. 4. Steam the bok choy for up to 6 mins, just enough that you can pierce the base of the bok choy with a knife. 5. Transfer the bok choy to a platter, drizzle over the premade sauce, and serve immediately.
THE THAI EGGPLANT CURRY: INGREDIENTS 2 cups 5-6 Tbsp 2 cups 1 1 cup 1 head 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup
METHOD cashew cream ( see below) red curry paste shiitake mushrooms, sliced red capsicum butternut squash, cubed sml broccoli, chopped sml thai eggplant vegetable stock bamboo shoots snow peas
1. In a large pot or dutch oven, simmer the cashew cream until it is bubbly, reduce the heat. 2. Add the red curry paste and mix through. 3. Next, add the mushroom, squash and capsicum and mix through. 4. Add the stock to reduce the thickness and add all other ingredients. Stir through gently. 5. If the mixture is still too thick, add small amounts of water until it is at your desired consistency. 6. Allow to boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for around 20mins, or once the squash is soft. 7. Serve on brown rice.
Cashew Cream: Used in place of coconut cream.
Soak two cups of cashews in boiling water for 10 mins. Drain, then add to a high-speed blender along with 1 cup of water and two tablespoons of lemon juice (optional). Blend until smooth.
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New understandings arise from near death experience By Grant Dixon
"I credit most of my success to what I eat - my whole food plant-based diet. I very much doubt I could do any of this without it. In fact, I think, I'd be dead by now."
E
ighteen months ago, I died. Well, not exactly. I was out running wearing my brand new running shoes for the first time, along with brand new orthotic inserts. They completely changed my gait. As was my habit, I rested for five minutes halfway, sitting near the Hobsonville Point wharf in Auckland, taking in the ambience. I then stood to restart and tripped on the awkward new shoes. I realised this is what happened when more recently, I accidentally put on walking shoes which also caused me to trip mid-run. When I tripped at the wharf that afternoon, I was observed to have stumbled, then came back up quickly, then suddenly collapsed, hitting my head hard on the concrete. I believe coming up quickly caused me to blackout and hitting the concrete caused the cardiac arrest. My doctors think a cardiac arrest caused my fall, but I think it was the other way around. I take my own blood pressure and know that directly after running, it can get very low and cause me to feel faint. I had blacked out in a similar way a year before while watching a soccer match on a hot day. But then I collapsed onto astroturf and quickly regained consciousness. A few days later, my GP reduced my blood pressure medication so it wouldn't happen again. I believe my fall 18 months ago was the result of overmedication - an issue I still struggle with today. Being an active heart patient causes a bit of a quandary for doctors, it seems. By the way, did I mention that I gained four stents following a heart attack back in 2010? If you would like the complete story, please rent my documentary, The Big FAT Lie. So back at the wharf, what happened next? Well, after being brought back to life by a Royal Air Force airman with the help of an EGC shock, just like in the movies, I was rushed to hospital and spent a week in ICU. I then slowly recovered, regaining my memory and my former health. While there, I also gained an ICD (Implantable Cardio Defibrillator), an embedded restart machine in my chest with a lead actually inside my heart pump! I spent 37 days in hospital. I had gained an infection there, and the surgeon didn't want to touch me until it was truly gone. Trying to regain a bit of fitness while on the ward, I soon became a well-known figure, repeatedly walking up and down the 50-metre corridor. I also picked up a rolled ankle in a stairwell on the way to an outside walk.
Regaining my fitness Over the next year, I slowly regained some of my former fitness, with a lot of bike riding on a new $1,000 bike, with a little jogging thrown in. I finally got to the point where I could re-join my weekly Saturday morning 5km Parkrun, which conveniently starts a kilometre from
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Whole food advocate and documentary maker, Grant Dixon, is back pounding the pavement after surviving some serious speed wobbles. To find out more about his WFPB journey, check out his doco, The Big FAT Lie. Go to: https://apple.co/2QBMKnd my front door. Parkrun is a free international volunteer-driven movement to help people get together for a healthy timed jog around a local park. There are Parkruns throughout New Zealand and Australia. Our one regularly attracts 2 to 300 runners and walkers. But then, six months ago, another hiccup. This time I was out to beat my PB (personal best) and was running at a good pace when, at around halfway, I noticed an irregular motion in my chest. It momentarily made me feel a little sick, but as it quickly passed, I carried on. Then a few metres down the path, I suddenly felt an electric shock across my chest - nothing great, a bit like a party electric buzzer. Realising my ICD had discharged, I stopped and gently walked back to the start line and then walked home with some friends. What followed was a 7-hour wait in the local hospital emergency room. But I passed on a request to stay the night - I knew where that would lead.
Overlooked the beta-blocker
In hindsight, before the run that morning I foolishly had not taken my beta-blocker pill. I forgot being told, "Make sure you take it twice a day, as it will hold down your heartbeat and help prevent the ICD from going off". On that day, I decided not to take the pill until after the run, thinking it would slow me down. But I was slowed down regardless! I have also learnt not to disregard irregular chest discomfort, as it is probably the ICD trying to regulate my heart rhythm. I now have doubts about getting the ICD, as I think it may have been fitted for the wrong reason, and it gives the specialists too much information ... but it is what it is. I could request it be removed when the battery is due for a change in a few years' time, but removing the wire inside my heart could cause damage. However, I should feel good, as the ICD will reboot my heart if needed and if caught somewhere alone. So today, I'm back on the road. Most weeks I run 15 kilometres but at a slower speed to keep my cardiologist happy. However, old age is now catching up on me - I turn 70 in a few months. Over the years, I have picked up many injuries, including a ruptured Achilles tendon during a friendly soccer match, six months before my heart attack. I also badly twisted an ankle as a young man while filming
on Tongariro National Park's Mangatepopo lava flow. I was then a film director at the National Film Unit. But one injury has lingered, - a damaged right knee. I've had it for years. I used to treat it with a bit of TLC, and before long, I was back on the road. But recently, it has proven to be more troublesome. Ironically while bad enough to stop me from hiking or taking long walks, it's not bad enough to stop me from running. My physiotherapist tells me a different part of the knee is used when running as opposed to walking. So I'm still out there jogging three times a week - hopefully, I still will be when you read this!
Blood pressure control Which brings me to what stirred this article. In the last issue of Whole Food Living, there was a piece about running aids. Following my hospital visit 18 months ago, I bought myself an expensive sports watch to monitor my heart rate when running. However, it has proven to be of questionable value, as it didn't stop my ICD shock six months ago. It then told me my bpm (beats per minute) were 145, but it would have needed to be 190 for the unit to discharge. So today, I deliberately keep my bpm to under 140 to be safe. These days for most runs it stays under 120
(except for the first kilometre when it can get high, I think it may be calibrating). I also record the run map on Strava while listening to BBC History podcasts on Spotify via Bluetooth earbuds. But getting all three apps to work correctly simultaneously requires a carefully ordered turn-on sequence, or they simply don't go. So yes, it is possible to regularly run while being a heart patient and a senior - despite my brother thinking I'm mad! However, I credit most of my success to what I eat - my whole food plant-based diet. I very much doubt I could do any of this without it. In fact I think I'd be dead by now - it probably would have happened a few years after my initial heart attack. I see getting out there on the road as a calculated risk. So give me a wave if you see me out there, and I'll wave back! I now know to stop if I feel unwell, and after a mid-run rest, I get up very carefully and start off gently. I also wear leather bike gloves to break my fall if I trip, and wear my Parkrun emergency contact tag just in case. Oh yes, I wouldn't mind doing the Parkrun in July when I turn 70 as I think I've a good chance of a top-three finish. When I last looked, there were only three or four competitors in that age group!
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CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH AQUAFABA CREAM Simple three ingredient mousse with a creative, no-dairy, whipped cream by Catherine Barclay | Serves 2-3 people INGREDIENTS - MOUSSE 100g dairy-free dark chocolate (I used trade aid 85% dark)
349g silken tofu firm (I used the mori-nu from the international section)
2 Tbsp maple syrup METHOD - MOUSSE
1. Break up and melt the chocolate in the microwave for 40 sec, stir and repeat for 20 secs, keep repeating and stirring until all has melted. 2. Using a food processor, blend all ingredients until combined and smooth. 3. Transfer the mousse evenly over the serving dishes, then place in the fridge while the cream is made. The mousse will set within 30 mins. INGREDIENTS - WHIPPED CREAM liquid from one can of chickpeas 1/4 tsp cream of tartar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 Tbsp maple syrup METHOD - WHIPPED CREAM 1. Drain the (aquafaba) liquid from a can of chickpeas into a mixing bowl. 2. Use a hand mixer, and beat the aquafaba until it starts to fluff up. 3. Add the cream of tartar and continue to mix on high until it forms peaks. 4. Add in the vanilla and beat until combined, then slowly pour in the maple syrup while continuing to beat for a further 3 mins or so. 5. Serve immediately on top of the mouse with a spinkle of cocoa powder or shaved dark chocolate.
Note: This cream I have found needs to be used
immediately. Storing in the fridge does work for a couple of hours but overnight it starts to return to its original liquid form.
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BANANA WAFFLES A filling, fibre-rich breakfast, best topped with banana and berries. Needs a waffle maker but its a purchase worth having for a quick, attractive, breakfast. by Catherine Barclay | Serves 2-3 people INGREDIENTS 2 cups 2 1/4 cup 2 cups 1 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp
METHOD whole wheat flour or whole oats ripe bananas ground flax seeds plant milk vanilla essence cinamon orange zest
1. Preheat your waffle maker. 2. Combine all ingredients into a blender until smooth but still thick. 3. Pour around a 1/4 cup into the heated waffle maker, and cook for about 6 mins, it could be longer depending on the brand. Repeat :-) 4. Serve with banana, blueberries (I use the frozen and defrost) and a little maple syrup.
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Janice Carter Lifestyle Medicine Coach
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Has your food bill been blown to smithereens?
f you're a dyed in the wool carnivore looking to go plant based to lower your food bill then this article is for you! Or, if you are waking up in the aisle at the supermarket staring into the face of a paramedic because of the price of food, then this is for you too. Many pensioners and low-income earners in NZ are absolutely feeling the pinch financially when it comes to putting food on the table. This is resulting in food choices that are not healthy or nutritious, which leads to further poor health outcomes. Let’s hear the bad news first – until we get some credible competition in the supermarkets, food prices are going to get a lot worse. Fresh food quality is steadily going down the “thunder box” and supply is rapidly dwindling at a pace that would make an Indy car driver envious! Now for the good news. It is easy and very possible to eat a whole food plant-based lifestyle without fearing cardiac arrest at the check-out! And, all the benefits that come with that are just so exciting!
The Nutritarian way So how do you do it, I hear you ask? The best option I have personally discovered is the Nutritarian way. How do I eat in a Nutritarian way and stick with in my budget? What is a Nutritarian? According to Dr Joel Fuhrman, one of the world’s leading wholefood plant-based Lifestyle Medicine Doctors, a Nutritarian diet is a nutrient-rich, plant-based diet centred on the following principles: •
An eating style focused on nutrient-rich foods that unleash the body’s tremendous ability to heal, achieve optimal weight, and slow the aging process.
•
The term ‘whole food’ describes natural foods that are not heavily processed. Basically, the majority of our diet is made up of fresh, clean unprocessed produce rather than food that comes out of a package.
•
No S.O.S means that we don’t add salt, oil, or sugar to our recipes or to our prepared food, because these ingredients have been shown to have a negative impact on our health. When we eat the whole nut or vegetable over just the processed oil, we are eating the fibre and its protective nutrients too!
First, let’s do a comparison of meat prices right here and now
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100g Beef vs 100g Beans
22g of Protein
22g of Protein
Og of Fibre
15g of Fibre
1.9mg of Iron
5mg of Iron
16mg of Calcium
123mg of Calcium
23mg of Magnesium
171mg of Magnesium
74mg of Cholesterol
0mg of Cholesterol
$2.59 per 100g
$0.80 per 100g
1,480 Litres of water
103 Litres of water
From information originally compiled by Rip Esselstyn
in the middle of April when this was written. Frankly, I nearly needed a paramedic myself when I went on line to Pak ‘n Save to do this comparison. I literally felt a shudder go through my body as I looked at the first item – beef sausages, 450 gm - $8.79! This packet had six sausages in it. Now, I am assuming that a family of five would want two sausages each so there is not even enough in this packet to feed a family. Two packets would be needed which is $17.58. For one meal! Next, beef mince – this one nearly had me gasping for air! I was starting to fear for my own health just looking at the prices! $15.69 a kilo! Chicken - $4.89 to $24 a kilo! This was for chicken necks to thighs. And from what I can tell, again there is not enough in a packet to feed a family of five. This was a serious eye opener for me – a WFPB eater who, for 30 years, has skipped the meat section of the supermarket and
?
y M
never paid any attention to what the vast majority of Kiwis choose as their main source of protein. I can totally understand the plight of New Zealanders battling to make the food dollar stretch and I have come to the conclusion that this has just got to reach beyond low-income families and pensioners! Every Kiwi household is being impacted by food prices. So, what is the answer to this dilemma – nuts and legumes!! Legumes are really cheap and nuts are actually less expensive than you think. Let’s now compare the prices of these splendid little gems of power-packed nutrition! The perfect Nutritarian source of excellent quality protein full of fibre, quality nutrients and no saturated fat or bad cholesterol – Let’s get full of beans! Slowly at first of course if you are not used to eating a high fibre legume or you may find yourself needing roof repairs! There are many wonderful places to buy a wide variety of beans, lentils and nuts. The cheapest option is to buy in bulk. There are places that sell in bulk like Davis Foods. Get together with a couple of friends and buy a 20kg sack of your favourites and divvy up the costs between you. My favourite place is Vetro Mediterranean. I also often shop at Bin Inn and there are many Asian shops that have really good variety and prices. I personally find Vetro has the best quality and good prices so I am using their online prices in this comparison.
Looking at legumes Let’s look at the top four most used legumes – brown lentils $5.50kg, chick peas $5.99kg, red lentils $5.99kg and red kidney beans $.8.00kg for dry beans – so cheap!! And you can get three to four family meals from every kg of legumes mentioned. So, a kilo of chick peas divided into four different dishes cooked is $1.50 worth of quality protein per meal – that is just plain good value! No rocket science here. All hail the humble legume! What a hero! Let us now look at nuts for comparison. Again, I am using my personal favourite store for value and quality – Vetro Mediterranean.
EV
To make a cheesy cashew sauce as found on page 180 of Sophie Steevens book Raw & Free, you need 1.5 cups of cashews. This will cost $4.60. To buy that much Edam cheese at Pak ‘n Save it will cost less at $3.00 for 250grams to make a cheese sauce. This is cheaper by $1.60.
Worth the spend
I consider it worth spending an extra $1.60 to have the high quality nutritional package found in nuts along with its usable, quality calcium and good fat rather than the saturated fat, high cholesterol and poor quality and poorly utilized calcium in dairy cheese. The extra $1.60 is still not a hit to the wallet when you consider the price of meat and the significant savings when switching to legumes and lentils. I see nuts as affordable in this case. There is another beautiful planet-loving way to lower your food bill – get growing! You don’t need a lot of space to grow basic vegetables. If you can find a north facing sunny spot in your back yard and can convert a few meters to vegetable gardens, you can grow an amazing number of herbs and vegetables in that small area. Even if you only grow silver beet, spinach, broccoli lettuce, parsley, chives, there is a significant saving in growing your own and you know it is fresh to the table without any toxic sprays. There are many New Zealand based websites to browse through to learn the art of basic gardening for very little cost. I have been harvesting fresh cos lettuce for nine months in my garden – that is a huge saving when a lettuce can command anything from $3 to $5 in the supermarket. And of course, there is another wonderful way to obtain cheap fresh produce – bartering and swappsies. Swapping what you have an abundance of with a friend or neighbour that may have an abundance of something else is a win-win for everyone. Growing your own and bartering your excess is a win for the planet also as there is no packaging and virtually no food miles. It's good for you, good for your wallet and good for the planet – a truly positive way to live!
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SIMPLE WHOLE WHEAT BREAD Finally, I have managed to conquer a bread with no oil and its so easy to make, Nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread, especially on a chilly day. by Catherine Barclay | 12 servings INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups 1 Tbsp 2 Tbsp 1 tsp 3 1/4 cups 1/4 cup 2 1/2 tsp
METHOD water at room temperature maple syrup apple sauce salt whole wheat flour ground flaxseed active dry yeast
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1. Add all the ingredients in the order that they are listed to your bread machine's pan. 2. Start the bread maker as per the instructions of the machine. 3. If the machine beeps to add more ingredients, add a large handful of sunflower seeds. 4. Leave to cook and enjoy the smell floating through the house.
WHOLE WHEAT TOASTIES Very quick lunch or dinner, get inventive with the ingredients. There is no need for cheese. by Catherine Barclay | Serves 2 people
INGREDIENTS 8 slices 1 handful of 1/2 2 slices sprinkle 4
METHOD Whole wheat bread tomato spinach red onion pineapple, dry with paper towels mixed herb gherkin slices hummus chutney
1. Starting with hummus cover the bread, then add chutney, followed by spinach. 2. Add all other ingredients. - Place the sandwiches into your sandwich maker for 8 mins. 4. Remove, slice and enjoy.
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Forks Over Knives - Forks in the Road by Innes Hope Forks Over Knives - a nifty way to say ‘Ditch hacking at meat. A fork is all you need to enjoy optimum health by eating plant-based foods.’ Innes Hope works in the arts, crafting thoughts into words, verses and recipes for a better world.
T
hanks to the world’s science researchers, it is now clear that eating plant-based is home-based climate change mitigation 101. As such, it can also help make the planet healthier. When the wholefoods plant-based movement began, the focus was solely on personal health. Renowned nutritionist, T Colin Campbell, PhD, had joined forces with Cleveland Clinic heart surgeon, Dr Caldwell Esselstyn to support people starting out on the plant-based road, as outlined in the documenary Forks Over Knives. Other doctors, like John McDougall, Neal Barnard, and Joel Fuhrman, were doing similar work. Dr Esselstyn was guiding his patients to reverse their heart disease through diet. Dr Dean Ornish was too, his most famous patient being President Clinton, who also reversed his heart disease. All the doctors had a slightly different approach. I call such options ‘forks in the road.’ These professionals are still walking the talk, giving due consideration to each other’s ideas, and disagreeing on some points. They respect each other’s work. I like that. True to the scientific method, they know the road to health is complex. There’s always more to discover, and circumstances change. And change they have. Climate scientists have been warning us for years that if we don’t halt the warming of our planet, we’ll face the 6th mass extinction. Yes. The end of the road! We’ve been hearing again, and again, ‘the way we live must change.’ But what action have we taken? So little that we must focus now on our very survival. Not only will we face an increasing number of floods, droughts, and hurricanes, etc, but major food shortages will result as currently farmed fields become unproductive. Civil unrest is likely to ensue when people can’t get the food they need. From this moment onwards, we absolutely must pull out all the stops. The stops are different, though, because we’re all different. Collectively we can make a significant difference eating plantbased. But our environments and cultural traditions vary. Our
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finances, work and social situations range from poverty and deprivation to the limitless indulgences of the mega-wealthy. Food availability varies. Our genes, hormones and micro-biomes are unique. We have individual strengths and challenges. This is no one way street. Luckily, with each fork in the road taking a different direction, the wider public has options. No one diet suits everyone. Evangelising, making sweeping statements, or bickering about what diet is the best, is totally counter-productive. Considering the threat to our very existence, encouraging the move toward towards plant-based food in general is of utmost importance. It’s the big picture that matters. Let’s look at where we’re at now, and how far we need to go.
The Food Freeway
Eighty to ninety per cent of Australians and New Zealanders are currently cruising along the Food Freeway, with many traditional eaters saying, ‘no way will I give up my meat, butter, eggs and cheese.’ Some are eating more veges since starting their own gardens. Others are trying plant-based burger patties and sausages, especially at social gatherings, and the public is buying more plant-based foods. But with current recommended levels of protein being unnecessarily high, many people fear they won’t get enough protein without animal foods. Taste and convenience also matter. Until plant-based foods are as high in protein, until they taste as good to meat-eaters, and are just as convenient, there’ll be no mass transit into the plant-based lane. Pre-packaged plant protein foods will also have to be cheaper than meat and dairy. When these factors come into play, more people may start to transition. Highly refined plant-protein foods with a similar fat profile to meat will be what they go for. Guaranteed. Healthier options like tofu and lentils have always been available, but punters avoid them. Corporate food giants know this and are providing highly refined alt-meats that increasingly fit the bill. We can be thankful for that, as any uptake of plant-based foods
helps improve society’s carbon footprint. Competition for market domination could make plant-based food affordable for everyone sooner than we imagine. And when the majority of people take that fork in the road, plant-based will become the highway. At which point, the focus might move away from ultra-refined, towards healthy options. People, and the planet, will have a chance to recover. The term, ‘plant-based’ appeals to those who still want animal food on the menu, because it can be interpreted to mean ‘mostly plants’ instead of ‘only plants.’ And some want to distance themselves from the term, ‘vegan,’ which they associate with radical extremist animal activists. Nonetheless, despite veganism being totally about cruelty free, the default term in society so far, for those eating totally plant-based, is ‘vegan.’
The Vegan Highway
Vegan food delivers the taste and ‘mouth feel’ people are used to, (in many ways, addicted to); fairly high levels of fats and oils, sugars and salt. If you’re a manufacturer, add ‘natural’ flavours, and not only will customers get more, say, strawberry taste than they’d get with real strawberries, but you can bulk up your product with cheap fillers. Not exactly healthy. But as healthy as the foods people are currently eating. Of course, there are healthy vegan options too. Vegan is the new vegetarian. But though around 10% of the Western world is now vegetarian, only about 1% are vegan. That 1% includes all forms of totally plant-based diets. It took decades to reach this point. Nonetheless, stunning developments are happening in this miniscule decile. Since science revealed that animal foods pose a significant problem in terms of GHG emissions and the destruction of crucial ecosystems, the vegan diet has become the base statistical low-carbon-food-footprint reference point, the new ideal. With ‘vegan’ you know you’re getting plant-based and lower carbon emissions. This is why the market trend is vegan alt-meat, not vegetarian,
(which may include cheese, eggs, maybe fish, etc). A Climate Cuisine article in NZ Consumer magazine advances the vegan ideal to ‘Waste-free Vegan.’¹ But there’s an even more promising ideal in the low-carbon food-footprint world.
The Wholefood-Living Corridor
Eating wholefood-plant-based lowers our carbon footprint even further than waste-free vegan. With no highly refined foods there are lower transport emissions, lower factory emissions, and fewer added ingredients. With wholefoods being healthier, there are fewer healthcare-service emissions. Add ‘waste-free’ to that, and ‘locally grown,’ and the future is looking brighter, more hopeful. There are forks in the road on this corridor too, as people find workable ways to limit their ongoing intake of sugar, salt, oil and highly refined foods. After all, if plant-based food doesn’t appeal, people aren’t going to eat it. I repeat, no one diet suits everyone. We have to have various inroads. Many health professionals now work under the wholefood plant-based umbrella, each with a different approach. Climate scientists and environmentalists are also advocating the move towards plant-based eating, because the bigger picture involves more than just personal health. Their advice to the general public to ‘eat less red meat,’ is working. We have a long way to go, and I feel impatient, wanting to put my foot on the accelerator. But sadly, I find I can’t talk with most of my friends about the way I eat. They don’t want to go there. All I can do is respect our differences, (which I do), and try to maintain hope for the future of humanity. There are many roads to home. I’m grateful this magazine presents various views. That the editors, not shying away from serious issues, ensure that we hear from researchers, ordinary people, and others in the plant-based and vegan communities. Forks Over Knives it is, and together we work towards a better world. 1. Consumer, issue # 614, April/May 2022
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Let's hear it for Kale! 30 wholefoodliving.life | Winter 2022
by Innes Hope
Which Kale to choose Curly Kale
is the variety you will most likely find in supermarkets and vege stalls. It hails from Scotland, and has stiff strong leaves curling tightly in all directions, making it a bit fiddly to wash.
Russian Kale
has flatter leaves, making it faster to wash. Mature bunches need to be wrapped and cool-stored after picking to prevent it wilting which is why it is usually only grown to baby-leaf stage for mesclun mixes. The stem and back of the leaf is purple and leaf edges have a blush of lavender. Its flat leaves make it the easiest kale to prepare and to dry into kale flakes and chips.
Cavolo Nero
an Italian ‘black’ kale with stiff ‘bubbly’ looking leaves, is sometimes called Dinosaur kale. It is stiff and stores well. Surprisingly, it is easy to eat raw when chopped finely in a salad.
How to Nail Kale
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hether you’re cooking, drying, baking or blending some kale into your smoothie, always begin by removing the centre stems. Try using a small amount of kale at first in soups or casseroles, to get used to the taste and texture.
People are used to ‘melting’ greens like spinach, chard & silver beet, which ooze their juices and are limp when cooked. Kale is a ‘dry’ leafy-green, (not leaking its juices). It can be soft but, depending on variety, freshness, leaf maturity, and cooking method, it is sometimes tough which is off-putting - sometimes the case when we first cook it at home. Choose fresh, young kale as the leaves are the most tender. The great thing about loaded kale is that being finely chopped, it is easy to chew. For salads, some chefs recommend massaging kale leaves to soften them. Try that if you want. But if the leaves are finely cut for a salad, or finely chopped in a food processor, massaging is unnecessary.
How to Fine-Cut A classic Chiffonade cut shreds it into strips, then cross-cut … 1. Stack a few de-stemmed leaves, then push your hand firmly on the stack and roll it into a tight roll. Find a good sharp knife. 2. Holding the roll firmly together, cut it across the middle of the widest part of the roll. Turn & cut in middle again so the roll is now in four strips. 3. Still holding it firmly, cut it into thin slices along the full length of the roll. It will release small squares or rectangles of cut kale onto the chopping board as you go. Viola!
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LOADED GREENS
Dense, rich mouth-feel, extra-healthy super-greens … Loaded’ usually means extra ingredients are piled on top of a dish as a garnish, or it’s a rich, enhanced, usually more expensive version of ordinary fare, e.g. ‘Loaded Fries’ – no thanks! It can also imply the dish is loaded with more nourishment than usual. If the family is ho-hum about greens, ‘loaded’ greens might just be the answer. by Innes Hope INGREDIENTS 1 lrg bunch 1 - 2 Tbsp
METHOD kale - any variety - or a mix of kale and silverbeet. tahini a little salt and lemon juice sesame seeds to decorate
Loaded greens are a fabulous filling for a cottage pie or small savouries. The seeds on top will warn people with a sesame allergy since the tahini is not visible.
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1. Wash the greens and de-stem. Cut into small pieces. Steam or boil 5-10 mins. 2. Drain the greens & chill the liquid for later use as vegetable stock. If you’ve no food processor, slash the greens a bit more in the pot, then move to step four. 3. If you have a processor, use tongs to transfer the hot kale into it, (set up with its ‘S’ blade). Process, stopping to push any stranded bits into the mixture, (use a spatula). 4. Add salt & lemon to taste, and chop again, if necessary, until the texture is fine. 5. Blend the tahini into the greens; it helps lighten the colour and bind the mixture. 6. Reheat if necessary. Scatter sesame seeds on top. Serving size = ¼ - ½ cup.
KALE COTTAGE PIE
Potato-Topped Loaded kale – Perfect Comfort food! | by Innes Hope In medieval England, pastry ‘pyes’ were portable, edible containers for a worker’s lunch. And yes! – the aristocracy sometimes filled the pastry with magpie pigeons! But cottage pies, (shepherd’s pies), have been pastry-free since 1791 when they became popular. The whole point is that cooks could make this wholesome. BASE INGREDIENTS 1 lrg bunch 1-2 Tbsp 1 1/2 cups 1-2 tsp
kale - any variety tahini cooked brown lentils (1 can) each of flour & mixed herbs soy sauce, salt & lemon juice to taste.
TOPPING INGREDIENTS 1/2 kg
regular potatoes plant milk for the mash hummus to taste (optional) salt to taste (optional)
METHOD 1. Wash & peel the potatoes. Put them on to boil. 2. Wash the kale and strip the stems out. Loosely chop, or, if you don’t have a food processor, cut the leaves ‘cross-chiffonade’ style, very finely. Steam or boil it for about 10 mins. 3. When the potatoes are soft, drain them and set them aside. 4. Drain the kale. If you have a food processor, set it up with its ‘S’ blade, put the cooked kale in, and process, stopping to push any stranded bits into the mixture. Pick out any stringy veins if you notice any large ones. Add lemon juice, soy sauce or salt to taste then process again until you like the texture.
Blend the tahini into the kale at the end; it helps hold the greens together. 5. If you don’t have a food processor, stir the lemon juice, soy sauce and tahini into your hand-cut, cooked kale, and mix it well. 6. Mash the potatoes adding some plant milk. Mix in some hummus to taste if you want the mash even creamier. Add salt if needed – not too much as there’s already soy sauce in the kale. 7. Lentils: if canned, drain & thoroughly rinse them. Stir the flour and mixed herbs into the lentils, together with a pinch of salt if you wish. Heat until it thickens, then spread the lentils over the bottom of a wide, shallow casserole-type oven dish. 8. Cover lentils with kale and top with mashed potato. Grill 2-3 mins to crisp the top. Tips Leftover Loaded Kale is fine to use, as the kale layer in this pie is also ‘loaded kale,’ see p. 32 You can use something like nutmeat or readymade mince instead of lentils. ‘Bean Supreme’ Wholefood Mince is delicious and not highly refined. Grind some black pepper over the top when serving to make it look classy. Store any leftover pie in the fridge. It reheats easily, retaining its shape & flavour.
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Dr Gemma Newman
UK doctor discovers second chance for a long, healthy life
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"I realised I had some control over my genetic destiny. That although my genes loaded the gun, they did not pull the trigger."
y journey to plant-based advocacy came about by chance. Several years ago, my husband Richard was training to run the London Marathon and he was getting injury after injury with inflamed hips and ankles. Hobbling home after yet another thwarted training run, he was disappointed and wanted to be well enough to do his best, so he started looking into ways to help himself. He started to read about what ultra-runners do – how did they manage to run for hundreds of miles at a time? He soon found that many of these runners had something in common: they ate a wholefoods plant-based diet. ‘I’m going to give it a try,’ he said to me one night. I had never looked into plant-based diets before and to be honest, my first instinct was one of horror: ‘What will our friends say? We’ll be social outcasts! How are you supposed to get enough protein?!’ I had a suspicion that these athletes’ successes were more likely rooted in their technique than their food. But more importantly: Who would I share my favourite Friday night steak and chips with now? Richard started eating more beans, rice, vegetables and fruit, and stopped eating meat, dairy, eggs, refined flour or sugar. He made huge progress with his training and stopped getting injured. He was training less and making better times. His inflamed ankles returned to normal. He could run a marathon before breakfast then look after the kids all day! I figured this must be some sort of coincidence but then I looked into the medical literature. The evidence for increasing the proportion of whole plant foods was compelling and persuasive. I felt quite embarrassed for being so sure that food had nothing to do with it; I could see the changes were really beneficial for him. I began to realise that my husband, who is not a medic, was teaching me something really valuable that I could add to my medical practice. We grew up knowing that eating vegetables was a good thing, but not how good, or how transformative a plant-based diet could be. Why wasn’t the message being spread more widely? Within six months on a wholefoods plant-based diet, Richard ran the marathon again, 1 hour and 10 minutes faster than his first attempt.
My own health journey
As a young doctor in a high-pressure environment, like many new physicians, I often neglected my own health. I ate too much
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The following article is an excerpt from Dr Gemma Newman's book, The Plant Power Doctor. This book is an excellent, practical start for anyone interested in becoming whole foodplant based - a step many of us often take by conducting our own 'mini-experiment.' The Plant Power Doctor is available at:
www.gemmanewman.com
of the wrong kinds of foods, I often felt tired and my BMI was not in the healthy range. I wanted to feel better and have more energy to do my job. And I felt like a hypocrite. How could I tell people how to be healthier if I wasn’t trying to be healthy myself? Having never considered the role of nutrition over and above avoiding deficiency, I naively assumed it was a simple case of ‘eat less and move more’. But how? At the time, the advice to ‘cut carbs’ was rife within popular culture and among my colleagues, and so I adopted a low-carb diet in an attempt to lose body fat and feel healthier. I was eating a lot of chicken, fish and salads. I counted every calorie and threw myself into exercise. It worked. I lost a lot of weight and bought myself a new wardrobe. I felt pretty pleased with my efforts and new-found athleticism. From being the girl who would avoid sports at school at all costs, I was now running half marathons for the fun of it!" "I felt that I was at my optimal health; surely this would set a benchmark for the rest of my life? It was at this point that I decided to do a health check blood test. This is a laboratory examination used to check for a variety of things, including the functioning of several organs, and gives an overall view of health. As a way of looking at the risk of heart disease, cholesterol and other proteins in the blood that carry fats (LDL, HDL and triglycerides) are also measured. This is known as a lipid panel. I was shocked to discover that despite reducing my body fat, my blood test showed that my lipids were raised. Lipids are fat-
like substances found in your blood and tissues; the main one is cholesterol. Your body needs small amounts of lipids to work normally and make hormones, but excess amounts can cause fatty deposits on the artery walls, increasing the risk of heart disease. I have a history of heart disease in my family. My grandfather died from a heart attack while playing tennis. My father died of a heart attack at the age of only 59. Neither man was obese. I saw my results and I was dismayed. I chalked it up to my genetic destiny: if that was the hand I had been dealt, then there was nothing more I could do about it. After my husband had his dramatic improvement with marathon running, I learned more about how to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress through diet. I wondered if there was a way to reverse my fate and take control of my own heart disease risk. I decided to go completely plant based and monitor what this did to my blood results. I didn’t tell anyone at first, not even my husband. What if I found it too hard or I lost my way? But I did it. And whether it was because I had done so much research already, or just because it felt so good, it was not half as challenging as I thought it would be. However, I recognised that my mini-experiment was not enough evidence by itself. When I turned to the literature, I found that others had achieved similar results time and again when they adopted a wholefoods plant-based diet. Why? Well, in a wholefoods, plant-based diet there is very little
saturated fat, no dietary cholesterol, and abundant fibre, phytonutrients and antioxidants – which all work together to help blood vessels become more supple and responsive. I was delighted and wanted to keep building on my personal evidence that a plant-based diet could get quick and effective results. I had read about it in studies, witnessed its benefits for my husband’s health and fitness and now had seen how it had helped me. These markers for chronic disease tend to increase over time rather than decrease but now, ten years and two children later and with less time for exercise, when I have retested my lipid panel it is still normal, and I continue to be healthier than I was before." It took that final personal experience to tip me into action. I realised I had some control over my genetic destiny. That although my genes loaded the gun, they did not pull the trigger. I felt I had a second chance at a long and healthy life.
The first patient
After months of research and reviewing decades of international data, I decided to take the plunge and share some of the knowledge I had built up. Richard and I had talked to family and friends about our plant-based discoveries. Many of them had acted as test cases for me and had reaped the benefits: dental abscesses had cleared up, diverticular disease pains had melted away, arthritis aches had disappeared. But, was I brave enough to suggest plant-based eating in my
consulting room? One day, a middle-aged South African man walked into the office. He looked completely distraught. He sat down, turned to me and said, ‘I’ve been sent home from work and I’ve been told not to come back.’ I had no idea where he was going to go with this, so asked cautiously, ‘What happened?’ He explained that he was a driver at the airport and he had had a random spot medical. His blood pressure was sky high and he was told he couldn’t drive, that his employers would inform the DVLA and his licence would be revoked. He would need a full medical and a normal blood pressure reading before he was allowed to return to work. What is blood pressure? It is a reading expressed by two numbers, with one number on top (systolic) and the other number on the bottom (diastolic), like a fraction. The top number refers to the amount of pressure on your arteries during the contraction of your heart muscle and the bottom number refers to the pressure on the arteries between beats. High numbers indicate your heart is working too hard to pump blood to the rest of your body. A normal reading is around 120/80mmHg. This man’s reading was 200/100mmHg, so we were talking about the need for major intervention otherwise he was at risk of having a stroke. In time, this extra pressure leads to an increased risk of kidney disease, dementia and erectile dysfunction as well as heart disease. I described to him how we were likely to need to use three separate tablets, and gradually increase the doses in the hope that these medications may get the problem under control. He was devastated that there was no faster fix and didn’t want to use medication. When I asked what he would like to do, all he said was that he wanted to go back to work. ‘Would you like me to tell you about plant-based nutrition?’ I began. ‘What’s that?’ he asked. He was not obese and there was no issue with his weight, but he ate a lot of red meat. I explained more and advised him on food groups to enjoy and gave him a few recipe ideas. I asked him to try a wholefoods plant-based diet and a couple of tablespoons of flax seeds crushed into a powder each day because I had read that it could be as effective in some people at reducing blood pressure as medication. ‘OK, I’ll give this plant thing a try,’ he said. ‘I’ll do anything to be able to go back to work.’ He agreed to come back in a week so I could check his results. If there was no improvement, we would have to consider medication. He came back to see me the following week and I took his blood pressure. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. At 120/80mmHg, it was completely normal. Despite all I had learned, I was stunned at the level of improvement, and I brought him back to the surgery three times to check it wasn’t a one-off. Sure enough, it continued to stay completely normal. I was able to do his medical for him and he went back to the job he loved. From then on, if patients are interested in hearing more about plant-based nutrition, I share the benefits with them alongside prescribing normal medications, and I continue to see complete transformations. I look after thousands of patients and I want nothing more than to help people to get to grips with their health. In countless cases, eating a wholefood plant-based diet has helped them to do this. From young women suffering from hormone issues such as fibroids and endometriosis to older men with issues such as chronic pain, kidney disease, diabetes and depression, I continue to witness the transformative effects of a wholefoods plant-based lifestyle. One lifestyle change is never going to be a panacea but what has been fascinating to observe is the unexpected ‘side effects’ of a plant-focused diet. One woman did it to improve her kidney function and her Crohn’s disease improved and another man aimed to improve his arthritis pains and his prostate cancer regressed. These are the kind of side effects I would much prefer to live with!
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GRILLED SMOKEY PORTOBELLO STEAKS Very easy to put together, best eaten on the day with a large salad or a pile of green vegetables and mashed potato. by Catherine Barclay | Serves 2 people INGREDIENTS 4 1/4 cup 2 sprigs 1 tsp 2 1 tsp 2 Tbsp 2 drops
METHOD large portobello mushrooms balsamic vinegar fresh thyme (or 1 Tbsp dried) grated ginger garlic cloves, diced paprika miso paste liquid smoke
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1. Remove the stems from each mushroom and carefully prick with a fork. 2. Combine all marinade ingredients into a large bowl and mix thoroughly 3. Add in the mushroom, spoon over the mix to make sure all are completely covered and then leave to marinate for at least 10 mins. 4. Place the mushroom in a sandwich press or grill in the oven (180°C) and baste with any leftover liquid, then grill for 5 mins. 5. Flip, baste and repeat for another 5 mins 6. Serve immediately.
POTATO AND KUMARA RICE BALLS Super easy to put together. A great party dish for your next gathering. by Catherine Barclay | Makes 16 balls
INGREDIENTS 225 g 225 g 100 g 2 2 2 5 Tbsp 1 Tbsp 1 1 tsp
METHOD potatoes kumara (sweet potato) cooked brown rice onions, diced garlic cloves, diced carrots, finely grated parsley, chopped nutritional yeast flax egg (1 Tbsp flaxseed / 2.5 Tbsp water) chilli flakes bread crumb to roll balls in
Dipping sauces can be as simple as sweet chilli sauce or peanut sauce. Also, Fiona's coleslaw dressing on p 36 can be used as a dipping sauce.
1. Boil potatoes and kumara until soft. Mash with a little plant-based milk and a small amount of dijon mustard (optional) 2. Saute onion and garlic in a little water, then add the carrots and simmer until the carrot is soft. 3. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for the crumb. 4. Divide ingredients into 16 balls, rolling each into the crumb. 5. Place into an air fryer for 20 mins or into the sandwich press (make a flatter version of the mix) for 25 mins.
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New plant discoveries bring hope to uncertain future
Y
By Peter Barclay
ou would think, after roughly vascular plants on the International Plant seven million years of human Names Index (mainly flowering plants, habitation, that mother earth ferns and gymnosperms). And mycologists would have given up all her recorded 1,886 novel fungi on the secrets when it comes to edible plants. Not equivalent Index Fungorum. so, according to a fascinating document But, they say, current threats to global compiled by the boffins of England’s Royal biodiversity, from climate change, logging Botanic Gardens at Kew. In fact, they and land-use change, make the task of constantly keep recording the scientific cataloguing species a race against time. discovery of more and more of them. Often, by the time a new species has But their growing list of discoveries isn’t been described and named, it is facing restricted to what we can put on our plates. extinction. New plants and fungi have been found that “This means species that might be could help power the world of tomorrow valuable as foods, medicines or fibres – or with new sources of energy, will aid in the that play important roles in ecosystems, development of sustainable healthcare and such as by helping to circulate nutrients Demonstrating the value of citizen science – are disappearing before we’ve even had build better urban resistance for all of us. Although we hear much about the to taxonomy, Allographa kamojangensis was a chance to explore their characteristics,” worldwide loss of flora and fauna, identified from Indonesia after a photo of it the report states. People often think humanity is still a long way from utilising was posted on the Facebook group ‘Lichens that every species has been located and the full potential of biodiversity available Connecting People’. classified, but it’s not the case,” says Dr to us, says Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Martin Cheek, Senior Research Leader on director of science at Kew. This particularly relates to the potential the Africa and Madagascar team at Kew. of plants and fungi. “There are still vast numbers of species on this planet that we Antonelli believes in the responsible exploration of natural know nothing about and don’t even have names for. So that’s the products through advances in biotechnology and other techniques. job we do in the Identification and Naming department at Kew. This work, he says, will help us to identify and harness the useful Once we have identified a species, the next step is to find out what features of plants and fungi to fight new diseases and deal with its potential uses are, and whether it’s a priority for conservation.” the emerging challenges facing our planet. He also recognises the New drinks or foods rights and importance of indigenous communities in this quest. Many of the plants described in 2019 have the potential to “Many species that are new to science are already known and used by people in the region of origin – people who have been their provide new drinks or foods. From China and mainland South-East primary custodians and often hold unparalleled local knowledge. Asia came 30 previously unnamed species of Camellia, the genus It is therefore critical that any benefits derived from those species to which tea (Camellia sinensis) and many ornamental flowering primarily contribute to the well-being of those people,” he noted shrubs belong. Meanwhile, six species of Allium, the genus that includes garlic, onions, leeks and chives, were encountered for in a report on the State of the World’s Plants released in 2020. But there were wider implications as well, and in this regard, the first time by scientists in Turkey, and ten undescribed spinach he said it was important to state an obvious but increasingly relatives from the genus Chenopodium came to light in California, USA. Brazil yielded two wild relatives of cassava (Manihot forgotten aspect: that nature has a value of its own. esculenta) that were previously unknown to science, as well as Exploitive view of nature wild relatives of yams (Dioscorea) and sweet potatoes (Ipomoea). “We share this planet with millions of other species, many of “The manihots have the potential to be really important for which existed long before us. Despite the fact that an exploitative future-proofing the cassava crop, which is a staple food for view of nature has deep roots in our society, most people today some 800 million people worldwide,” says Dr Cheek. “The genes would agree that we have no moral right to obliterate a species – present in the newly named species might, for example, be useful even if it has no immediate benefit to us. Ultimately, the protection in helping to make the current crop pest- or disease-resistant, or of biodiversity needs to embrace our ethical duty of care for this to enable it to grow in other habitats with different rainfall or soil planet as well as our own needs.” fertility patterns.” The report draws on the expertise of 210 researchers in 97 Also, the rate at which new species of Begonia are being institutions across 42 countries. scientifically described has increased rapidly over the last two “It is an unparalleled collaborative effort, generously funded by centuries. Between 2014 and 2019, an average of 60 new species the Sfumato Foundation which aims to tell the world where we of Begonia (mainly in South-East Asia) were published per year, might find solutions to the challenges we face. Although there is making it one of the fastest-expanding genera. no single or easy way out of the environmental crisis, the relevance In 1800 only 25 species Begonia, much-loved in UK gardens, of plant and fungal science cannot be understated.” had been identified. By the end of 2020 the tally had risen to over In 2019, botanists registered 1,942 newly named species of 2000. Begonia occur throughout the tropics, with species mostly
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growing in undisturbed cloud and mountain forests. Some are epiphytes (they grow on other plants, often trees), while others favour shady rock faces or waterfalls.
New medicines likely Potential new medicines were also among the plants new to science. Eryngium arenosum, encountered by scientists in Texas, USA, comes from a genus containing plants used to treat inflammation, high blood sugar and scorpion stings; Artemisia baxoiensis, pinpointed in Tibet, is closely related to the antimalarial Artemisia annua; and three previously undescribed species, located far apart in Italy, Poland and on a Mexican Pacific island, are from the Oenothera genus. Also known as evening primrose, Oenothera species produce gamma linoleic acids used to treat systemic sclerosis, eczema and psoriasis. Also new was the tree Cedrela domatifolia, from the mahogany family (Meliaceae), which might provide a new source of timber. There were eight newly described species from the palm genus Calamus, found in South-East Asia and India, which, like their close relatives, could supply rattan of value to the multibilliondollar cane furniture trade. Meanwhile horticulturists are likely to be excited by 28 newly named species of tree fern, 46 novel Begonia species and the spectacular red-flowered Gladiolus mariae discovered on an isolated mountain in Guinea, West Africa. The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, the most comprehensive and regularly updated species listof its kind, records around 350,000 accepted species, of which 325,000 are flowering plants. Ten years ago, scientists thought the vast majority of flowering plants had been described and named. But the subsequent stream of species revealed to science suggests there are many more to find, as do the experiences of botanists currently undertaking fieldwork in the tropics today. When it comes to fungi, there is even more left to catalogue. It is believed that more than 90% of fungal species still remain unknown to science. Scientists estimate there are between 2.2 to 3.8 million species on Earth. The main reason we know so little about fungi is because they lead such secretive lifestyles. Whereas almost all plants are visible above ground, fungi often
remain concealed. “The study of fungi is mainly based on their spore-bearing structures, including the mushrooms that we see above ground, and many species only produce them at certain times of the year,” explains Dr Tuula Niskanen, research leader in Mycology at Kew. “Some species don’t even produce them every year – perhaps only every ten years – and some species don’t produce them at all. The species we know best are those that produce mushrooms. Those that don’t produce any visible spore-bearing structures are thus the least known so far.” Currently, there at least 7039 edible plant species but only 417 are considered food crops. The report says relying on a handful of crops to feed the global population has contributed to malnutrition and left us vulnerable to climate change. Kew scientists and collaborators suggest that overlooked and underutilised plants hold the key to futureproofing food production around the world.
Crop plant numbers small According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), just 15 crop plants contribute to 90% of humanity’s energy intake, and more than four billion people rely on just rice, maize and wheat. Millions of people around the world suffer from hunger or obesity because they lack a balanced, nutritious diet, and this figure will likely rise as the global population expands to an estimated 10 billion by 2050. Meanwhile, climate change threatens to unleash weather conditions, pests and diseases that current crops will struggle to cope with. For humanity to thrive in future, food production systems will need to be more diverse, resilient and environmentally sustainable. Dr Rémi Nono Womdim, of the Plant Production and Protection Division at the FAO (a report contributor), says the conservation and sustainable use of the widest diversity of crops and varieties is intrinsically linked to sustainable agriculture and food systems. Greater crop diversity is considered essential to ensure a resilient, sustainable and nutritionally rich agricultural future.
Plant Foods of the Future
Akkoub
Pandanus
Chaya
Akkoub: a thistle-like plant that grows almost exclusively on the
undisturbed rocky soils in the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. This plant is heavily harvested in the wild which drastically reduces seed availability and therefore plant reproduction.
Fonio
Morama
raw chaya leaves are highly toxic and require simmering in water for 20 minutes.
Marama bean: A drought-tolerant trailing perennial native to
which grows in coastal lowlands from Hawaii to the Philippines. The female plant produces large segmented fruit similar to pineapple. It can be eaten raw or cooked. Its leaves are often used to flavour
arid parts of southern Africa. Widely eaten. When roasted the seeds taste similar to cashew nuts. The beans are boiled with maize meal, or ground to a powder for making porridge or a cocoa-like drink. Yields oil, butter and milk Can be eaten as a meat substitute. The tuber and young stems are high in protein.
dishes. It’s also threatened by rising sea levels.
Fonio: A grass species growing wild across the savannas of West
Pandanus: also known as the screw pine, a small-trunked tree
Chaya: A large fast-growing leafy shrub native to the Yucatán
Peninsula of southern Mexico. Its highly nutritious leaves and shoots of chaya, also known as tree spinach, are a popular vegetable in Mexican cuisine. High in protein, vitamins, calcium and iron. However,
Africa. Cultivated locally as a cereal crop. Fast growing, tolerates dry conditions but is labour-intensive to harvest. Makes thick or thin porridges, couscous and drinks. The cereal is high in iron, calcium and several essential amino acids.
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TWO CABBAGE COLESLAW WITH GOLDEN COLESLAW DRESSING COLESLAW | by Catheirne Barclay | DRESSING by Fiona Stewart of abundantlyclear.nz An easy go-to lunch is a salad of some sort. An easy to prepare base for that salad can be coleslaw. And coleslaw is not coleslaw without a creamy dressing!! This one uses cashews as the creamy base and turmeric to create the vibrant yellow colour. INGREDIENTS for dressing 1/2 cup cashew, unroasted 1/2 cup plant-based milk (soy gives the creamiest result) 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar 2 tsp miso paste 1 clove garlic, peeled & roughly chopped 1/8 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp chilli flakes ( or to taste) 1/2 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste) INGREDIENTS for coleslaw 1/4 red cabbage, diced thinly or shredded in mixer. 1/4 green cabbage, diced thinly or shredded in mixer. 2 lrg carrots, grated 1/2 lrg red capsicum, sliced thinly sprinkle celery seeds METHOD for coleslaw Mix all salad ingredients into a large serving bowl, then pour over the dressing, a small amount at first, mix through and keep adding until you get your prefered consistency.
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METHOD for dressing 1. Add the cashew nuts to a bowl and pour water over them until covered. Allow soaking for at least 10 mins. Soaking overnight is good if time allows. The dressing will be smoother and creamier if the cashews are left to soak for longer. 2. Drain cashews and add to the bowl of a blender. Note: it is important that you use a blender and not a food processor. The blender will doa better job of making the dressing have a smoother consistency. 3. Add the other ingredients. Blend on maximum speed until a super smooth consistency is reached. 4. If too thick, add more plant milk. Taste and adjust miso/garlic/pepper/chilli to your preferences. 5. Pour into a bottle, and store in the fridge until needed. Shake before use. Lasts for a week.
ROAST VEGGIES BOWL A quick lunch idea from leftover roast vegetables. There are many variations you can make of this dish which incorporates a variety of flavours and textures into a healthy, nutritious bowl. by Catherine Barclay
INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 1/2 2 cups
brown rice baby spinach red capsicum, sliced thinly roast vegetables (carrot, mushroom, potato, kumara, pumpkin peas and corn 1/4 cup cashew nuts a drizzle of the golden coleslaw dressing (see the previous page)
METHOD 1. Heat the vegetables in the microwave for a couple of minutes, 2. Then simply layer first the rice, followed by the baby spinach, full 3/4 of the bowl with the roast veggies and add the cashews to the remaining side. 4. Drizzle on your prefered sauce, in this case, I used the golden coleslaw dressing, other times it has been leftover gravy or mint sauce.
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Dr Jen Purdie, University of Otago
Get over your obsession with big cars
I
Kiwis urged to go smaller or electric to cut emissions
f your next car is not electric, then it must be much smaller than your last one. Scientists have warned that the world needs to halve emissions every decade to keep global warming less than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. The government of Aotearoa New Zealand aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. Last year, the Climate Change Commission (CCC) laid out the path to net zero in its advice to the government. In recent weeks, the government has released its plan to achieve these climate targets. The goal is not insignificant, especially considering New Zealanders have been buying bigger vehicles for nearly two decades. To achieve net zero by 2050, New Zealand must reduce total CO2 emissions by a third before 2030, and another third by 2040.
How to target a third of emissions
How can we reduce New Zealand’s emissions by a third every decade? Around 20% of New Zealand’s emissions come from the transport sector. Both the government and commission see removing carbon from transport as the low-hanging fruit in the emissions reduction journey (in part because the government and farmers are still working on a plan to reduce the 50% of emissions that come from agriculture). As part of its plan, the government intends to help low-income households reduce their transport emissions and make 30% of
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the light vehicle fleet electric by 2035. But the government’s road map to achieve this seems light on details. To reduce transport emissions, the commission proposed New Zealanders should walk, cycle, use electric bikes and scooters more, and drive less. The good news is electric bike and scooter sales are booming in New Zealand and are predicted to overtake new car sales in the next couple of years. Town planners are also starting to take these modes of transport into account when planning new ways for us to get around our cities. The commission recommends that public transport and motive transport (using our own energy to get around by walking and biking), which currently make up just 6% of all travel, should increase to 14% by 2035 to achieve the emission reduction goals. The government has promised to invest in public transport, and will introduce a zero-emissions public bus mandate by 2025. But it has resisted calls to permanently extend the three month half-fare initiative currently in place.
New cars need to be smaller
To reduce emissions by a third every decade, New Zealand needs fewer cars on the road. But we also need to decarbonise the cars and trucks we do have, and we need to do it fast. Barriers to achieve this include New Zealand’s ageing vehicle fleet, which is one of the oldest in the developed world. The average car is 14 years old, and the average age of cars when
scrapped is 20 years old. Approximately 150,000 cars are scrapped each year, out of a vehicle fleet of 4.4 million. This means it will take 30 years to turn over the entire fleet. That’s too slow if we want to reach net zero emissions by 2050. People replace their vehicles on average every six to 11 years. In real terms, this means every time you replace your car it needs to produce 30% less emission than the one being replaced to meet reductions targets. The problem is, the average engine size of our cars grew steadily between 2000 and 2010, and stayed steady between 2010 and 2020. This decade has to be the one where engines get smaller. But our obsession with large cars continues to grow. The Ford Ranger has been the most popular new car in New Zealand for the past couple of years. Globally, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) grew from 16% of new car sales in 2010 to 45% of new car sales in 2021. SUVs were the second largest contributor to the increase in global carbon emissions from 2010 to 2018 – bigger than either heavy industry or aviation. If SUVs were a country, they would be the seventh biggest emitter in the world. There is no need for massive SUVs in an urban setting and they are too often used as a status symbol rather than a workhorse. Lucky for SUV owners, vehicle manufacturers will soon be mass producing large electric utes. Electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is well on it’s way to being universal, and the energy industry is gearing up to supply the resulting large increase in electricity demand.
Battery technology is coming on apace, finding ways around using rare earth metals such as cobalt, which have a high environmental and social cost.
Initial cost is still a barrier EVs cost more upfront but have lower running costs, so the lifetime purchase and running costs of a new EV is already lower than an internal combustion engine (ICE). The up-front purchase price of a new EV is projected to be cheaper than ICEs by 2031. But for many who usually drive cheap used cars, the up-front cost will remain prohibitive for some time unless the government comes up with more incentives than the the existing discount scheme. Supply chains to source the number of second hand EVs we need are not guaranteed either. To achieve net zero, your next car will need to be electric or, at least, be two-thirds the size of your current car. Our obsession with driving cars, and with big vehicles in particular, must change. We need to walk and bike more, or commute to work on electric bikes or scooters, and our cities need to be designed around bike lanes and better subsidised public transport. We need to stop using our vehicles as status symbols and buy smaller cars. What will we get in return? Our children will have a planet they can actually live on. Republished from theconversation.com under the Creative Commons licence.
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LENTIL BOLOGNAISE(ISH) SAUCE by Penny Garrick The next four dishes are made from the following starter mix. Penny presents an excellent example of why we say plant-based eating need not be expensive and is more cost-affective than a traditional meat diet. Penny's work is a great, alternative example of bringing traditional dishes into WFPB.
INGREDIENTS - the base 1/2 - 1 cup stock or water 4 lrg brown onions, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 lengths fresh turmeric, finely chopped, or 3 tsp dried 3 carrots, finely chopped 3 stalks celery, finely chopped ground pepper and kelp powder to taste INGREDIENTS - for the bolonaise 3 cups chopped mushrooms. 3 tins 150 grams 1 good Tbsp 3 Tbsp 2 tsp 1 cup
(I usually chop these by hand as the processor mutilates them)
chopped tomatoes tomato paste (more or less) wholegrain mustard vegan worcestershire sauce miso paste 1 cup red or white wine or ½ cup sherry or brandy (optional) 750 grams Brown or Green Lentils well rinsed and drained (if the cooking method is in a pot, soak for a few hours)
About 3 cups stock or water to cover Whole large bunch chopped fresh parsley Chopped walnuts (optional) Nutritional yeast
Optional also for a Shepherd’s Pie is to half fill an oven proof dish with your bolognaise(ish) mixture. Mash potatoes or kumara with seasoning and plant-based milk till smooth and fluffy, and spread this over. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and cook 20 – 30 minutes 180°C. See the image on the next page
METHOD 1. First chop or process the garlic and turmeric very finely then, if using food processor, add 1 onion cut into quarters and process till just finely chopped. Otherwise, finely chop all the onions. 2. Add the ½ – 1 cup water or stock to a large stock pot and heat or set your pressure cooker to sauté with the water or stock. Scrape the first batch of onions with the garlic and turmeric into the heated pot, stir frequently, process the rest of the onions and add them. 3. Cook until the onion is well softened. Turn off the sauté setting. If using a pressure cooker, it is best not to use on sauté mode for an extended period. If using a pot, leave on heat but watch that the onion isn’t catching. 4. Add more stock or water if it is. Add chopped carrots and celery, use processor to chop these if you have one. Season with ground pepper and kelp powder. 5. To your onion, carrot and celery mix, add chopped mushrooms, tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, miso and if you like, the alcohol. (The alcohol will cook out leaving the flavour). 6. Mix thoroughly. If the volume of your mixture is too large to add the lentils to your pressure cooker leaving room for expansion, cook the lentils in a pot separately till done. 7. Add more stock or water and pressure cook the vegetable mixture and when pressure is released, drain the cooked lentils and mix with the vegetables thoroughly. If using a pot, add the stock or water and the soaked drained lentils. Cover and bring to a simmer, cook gently stirring occasionally for 30 – 40 minutes until the lentils have softened. Stir in chopped parsley. 8. Serve with, brown rice, etc as suggested above. Sprinkle with walnuts and/or nutritional yeast. Serve with salad or and green vegetables. This makes a big quantity so I would freeze half.
SOUPS AND HEARTY MEALS by Penny Garrick Carrying on from the previous page using the base ingredients, we can also make the following dishes: INGREDIENTS - the base 1/2 - 1 cup stock or water 4 lrg brown onions, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 lengths fresh turmeric, finely chopped, or 3 tsp dried 3 carrots, finely chopped 3 stalks celery, finely chopped ground pepper and kelp powder to taste
METHOD - for the base 1. First chop or process the garlic and turmeric very finely then if using food processor, add 1 onion cut into quarters and process till just finely chopped. Otherwise finely chop all the onions. 2. Add the ½ – 1 cup water or stock to a large stock pot and heat or set your pressure cooker to sauté with the water or stock. Scrape the first batch of onion with the garlic and turmeric into the heated pot, stir frequently and process the rest of the onions and add them. 3. Cook until the onion is well softened. Turn off the sauté setting. If using a pressure cooker, it is best not to use on sauté mode for an extended period. If using a pot, leave on heat but watch that the onion isn’t catching. 4. Add more stock or water if it is. Add chopped carrots and celery, use processor to chop these if you have one. Season with ground pepper and kelp powder.
METHOD - for soups
METHOD - more hearty meals
For leek and pototoe: Add chopped leeks and potatoes with more stock to cover, bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or pressure cook 20 minutes and de-pressurise. Add chopped parsley, blend or leave chunky.
Add any mixture of chopped vegetables such as: kumara, parsnips, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, courgettes, capsicums, peas, spinach, kale, tomatoes (fresh or canned). Add the more dense options first (kumara, parsnip etc) mixing and (in the pot) cooking as you go. Add more stock to keep the mixture loose and fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, basil. Add any canned or soaked and cooked kidney beans, lima beans, aduki beans, chickpeas etc as you like. Cover and simmer gently 40 minutes. To pressure cook, if your mixture has grown too bulky to add the beans, cook beans separately in a pot and drain. Pressure cook the vegetable mixture for 30 minutes and allow to de-pressurise. Mix the vegetables and beans. Serve with rice, quinoa, pasta, polenta, barley etc.
For pumpkin soup, add chopped Butternut instead of the leek and potatoes and cook as described. For curried lentil soup, add 1 packet (500grams) thoroughly rinsed and drained red lentils with some dry fried curry spices, cover with stock, bring to a simmer. Cover with lid and cook for 30 minutes or pressure cook and de-pressurise.
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A comment on carrots Carrot tops contain more provitamin A carotenoids, (important for a range of body functions including vision and immunity), than the orange root. Fat and cholesterol– free, carrot tops also contain significant amounts of dietary fibre, vitamin C, calcium and iron. These nutritious greens also contain vitamin K and various phytochemicals, such as phenolic compounds and polyacetylenes. Carrot tops are a great herb substitute in any dish you are already using carrots in, or skip the basil and use them with equal parts baby spinach in pesto. If you are not a fan of their bitter taste, you can add them to soup stock or blanch the carrots greens in boiling water to help reduce the bitter flavour.
More information For more information on the nutrient content of these foods and over 2700 commonly prepared and eaten foods in New Zealand, visit New Zealand Food Composition Data at: foodcomposition.co.nz To find out more about food waste in Aotearoa, visit: lovefoodhatewaste.co.nz/food-waste
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F
Stop throwing away these surprisingly nutritious foods!
ood waste is a major issue in Aotearoa New Zealand. According to Love Food Hate Waste NZ, Kiwi homes throw away 157,398 tonnes of food per year, all of which we could eat. We often discard things like produce skins and stems, which are not only edible but also a great source of additional fibre and nutrients. Curb food waste in your household by adding peels and stems you would normally throw away into nutritious, delicious recipes.
Cucumber skin
As cucumbers contain 95% water and are low in calories, they are a refreshing, nutritious and incredibly versatile addition to any diet. The skins of cucumber are rich in vitamin K and phytochemicals and also contain magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, manganese, pantothenic acid, molybdenum and insoluble dietary fibre. To gain the maximum nutritional benefits, eat cucumbers with the skin on, as peeling reduces the amount of dietary fibre, along with some vitamins and minerals. The skin of a cucumber contains more vitamin K than the flesh, which supports bone health and blood clotting. Often eaten raw, cucumbers make great low-calorie snacks, perfect with hummus, olive oil, salt or your favourite salad dressing. Slice or grate, skin on and add to salads and smoothies.
Watermelon rinds
Not only do watermelon rinds have all the same nutrients found in the refreshing fruit, but the rinds also contain even higher concentrations of certain minerals, vitamins and bioactive ingredients. While low in calories, watermelon rind contains high concentrations of provitamin A carotenoids, vitamin C, vitamin B6, zinc and potassium. The nutrientdense rind also contains chlorophyll, lycopene, citrulline, amino acids, and phenolic compounds such as flavonoids.
Wash the watermelon well before use. Make a refreshing summer drink by blending watermelon flesh and rinds with lime juice and mint, or add a few watermelon slices (including the rind) to your favourite smoothies. You can also add the watermelon rind to fruit salad, salsa, chutney, stir-fries, coleslaw, or pickle it.
Broccoli and cauliflower
The stems and leaves of brassicas like broccoli and cauliflower are high in dietary fibre and other nutrients. Broccoli stems contain many of the same nutrients as the broccoli head, including provitamin A carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium and folate. Additionally, the stem contains vitamins B1 (thiamine) and B2 (riboflavin), iron, magnesium, zinc and sulforaphane, a phytochemical with a range of potential health benefits including anti-inflammatory properties. Cauliflower leaves are rich in iron, dietary fibre, potassium, beta-carotene, plus folate and are one of the richest sources of calcium in vegetables. Foods rich in calcium and iron have several health benefits including healthy bones and better immunity, and the high dietary fibre content aids digestion, keeping the gut healthy. Broccoli and cauliflower stems are great in stir-fries, curries, pasta or soup. Grate or finely slice stems of broccoli or cauliflower and add to coleslaw or salads. The leaves can be sautéed, roasted or added to stir-fries, soups, or frittatas.
Beet greens
Beet greens are the young leaves of the beetroot plant and are high in vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, copper, and manganese. Low in calories, fat, cholesterol and sugar, beet greens contain more iron than spinach or kale and generally possess higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibre than the root (with the exception of folate). The provitamin A content in beet greens helps strengthen the immune system, can help fight inflammation and support brain health. Adding a handful of beet greens to your favourite smoothies will boost the vitamin and mineral count without altering the flavour. Delicious in a salad or toss them in a homemade pesto by replacing half your herbs with beet greens. Chop and sauté beet greens with garlic and cashews for a fast, tasty side. If you are making a soup that requires spinach, kale, or any other green vegetable, use beet greens instead.
Supplied by Plant & Food Research NZ
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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
50 wholefoodliving.life | Winter 2022
Looking at
Hypertension Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.
T
he heart pumps blood around the body through a network of tubes called arteries. Blood pushes against the artery wall with each heartbeat. The strength of this push is measured as blood pressure. Blood pressure changes throughout the day. It lowers when you're asleep or relaxing on the couch and goes up when you move around. It can also be increased by stress or extreme emotions and stimulants such as nicotine or caffeine. Some people's blood pressure stays above recommended (120/75) levels. This is referred to as high blood pressure or hypertension. Consistently high blood pressure can lead to damaged arteries and increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney and eye damage. All of these can also occur for a number of reasons, and
Dr Caldwell Esselstyn for many people, there isn't always a single cause. Some of the commonly known risk factors that lead to high blood pressure include: • Smoke or vape with nicotine • Overeating processed foods and salt • Weight • Inactivity • Stress Other risk factors include diabetes, kidney disease or other glandular problems, age (blood pressure increases with age), some medications, e.g. birth control pills, family history. High blood pressure is often called the 'silent killer' because, mostly, there are no symptoms. The only way to check is to get your blood pressure tested by your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Using diet to deal with hypertension C an I use diet to cure my hypertension? Yes, but not always. Results can vary between patients. This is an area where you need to make contact with a health professional for a full medical checkup and the development of a sound monitoring programme. Some people can experience a considerable drop in blood pressure when fully adopting a strict WFPB diet and blood pressure medications may need to be adjusted. This should only be done in discussion with a doctor. A review1, published in the Journal of Hypertension last
year, looked only at clinical trials in which a test group was given a particular plant-based diet and a control group was given a more standard diet. “By analyzing clinical trials, we were able to establish causation that the diet in the trial led to either a positive or a negative outcome,” says Francesco Cappuccio, MD, a professor at the medical school at the University of Warwick , England, and a senior author on the paper. “We see in the clinical trials that the effect of the diet intervention on blood pressure is quite large, he said.”
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Newsbites
See wholefoodliving.life/references-winter-2022 to review references cited below
Gravity batteries under development
W
hile French scientists (see page opposite) work on a highly technical 'answer' to the world's future energy needs, others are banking on the idea that gravity will do the trick, and initially at least, at much less cost. The theory is that when green energy (e.g. solar, wind etc.) is plentiful, use it to haul a colossal weight to a predetermined height. When renewables are limited, release the load, powering a generator with the downward gravitational pull. A similar approach, pumped hydro, accounts for more than 90% of the globe's current high capacity energy storage. Funnel water uphill using surplus power and then, when needed, channel it down through hydroelectric generators. It's a tried-and-tested system. But hydroelectric systems are expensive, and if the world is to reach net-zero, it needs an energy storage system that can be situated almost anywhere and at scale. Edinburgh based green engineering startup, Gravitricity, is working to make this happen. One option under consideration is an old mine shaft (pictured below) located in the Czech Republic.
At right, one of the four varieties of Cassava – developed using irradiation, which have no CBSD, in comparison to the infected inedible cassava on the left.
Nuclear science finds answer to cassava crop problem
C
assava, a nutty flavoured root vegetable and a staple in eastern and southern Africa, is threatened by brown streak disease (CBSD). It makes the cassava flesh inedible and can reduce production by as much as 70 per cent. The broader outcome, of course, is that it undermines food security and damages the livelihood of farmers dependent on the crop for food and income. Conventional breeding methods have been slow to produce varieties that can withstand the disease, so Uganda's National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) turned to a nuclearbased breeding technique. It teamed up with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to develop cassava varieties that are both resistant to the virus and high yielding. Cassava, as a vegetatively propagated crop, has a narrow genetic base. By irradiating cassava tissue, the natural
Just keep on walking A
recent study has found that it takes very little exercise to combat depression. In fact, you may be surprised by how low an effort you have to make. The Association Between Physical Activity and Risk of Depression1, study was a systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 other studies involving over 190,000 people. It showed that adults doing activities equal to as little as 1.25 hours of brisk walking each week had an 18 per cent lower risk of depression than those who did no exercise. Increasing the time and stepping it up to as much as 2.5 hours each week was associated with a 25 per cent lower risk of depression.
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evolution process of induced mutations was accelerated, increasing the diversity of varieties, including some with new traits. So far, 42 new lines have been developed through this method. Four of them have, initially, shown some level of resistance to CBSD — the focus now is on developing them further for higher yields. "Now by using nuclear breeding techniques, our farmers may once again see hope in growing cassava plants, which are not affected by CBSD,” says Emmanuel Ogwok, Senior Research Officer of the National Agricultural Research Organisation, a lecturer at Lira University. The IAEA’s support to fight CBSD in Uganda is delivered through the combination of a technical cooperation project and a collaborative research project. The IAEA donates equipment, upgrades laboratory facilities and provides farmers and scientists with training on the techniques used to develop the new cassava lines.
Newsbites
See wholefoodliving.life/references-winter-2022 to review references cited below
He sees the dairy and the damage done
K
heartache here for everyone
iwi ecologist Dr Mike Joy has reiterated his concerns on the damage being done by dairy farming, particularly in the Canterbury region, where stocking ratios have increased massively over the last few years. In an article recently published in The Conversation, he says the large footprint for milk in Canterbury indicates just how far the capacity of the environment has been overshot. He says an analysis – based on prevailing freshwater quality standards – shows the production of one litre of milk in Canterbury requires about 11,000 litres of water to meet the ecosystem health standards. “To maintain that level of production and have healthy water would require either 12 times more rainfall in the region or a 12-fold reduction in cows. "Dairy farming at current levels of intensity is clearly unsustainable. We know 85 per cent of waterways in pasture catchments, which make up half the country’s waterways (measured by length), exceed nitrate-nitrogen guideline values for healthy ecosystems." He says evidence is also emerging of the direct human health effects (colon cancer and birth defects) of nitrate in drinking water. Extensive dairy farming in Canterbury is already leading to significant pollution of the region’s groundwater, much of which is used for drinking water. Current practices also threaten the market perception of the sustainability of New Zealand’s dairy industry and its products. The “grass-fed” marketing line overlooks the huge amounts of fossil-fuelderived fertiliser used to make the extra grass that supports New Zealand’s very high animal stock rates.
"We've industrialised," he told Radio New Zealand in July last year. "Just in 40 years, we've gone from virtually no inputs to very high levels of inputs, and we've more than doubled the stocking rates of dairy. We've way more than doubled the amount of nitrate and pollution that's lost from the systems." New Zealand dairy cattle numbers have risen from 3.1 million in 1970 to around 6.3 million last year but down from a high of 6.7 million in 2014. As a result, nitrogen applied to land in fertiliser increased from 62,000 to 452,000 tonnes (629 per cent) between 1991 and 2019. In Canterbury, the problem is made worse because of the soil type, Dr Joy says. "They're very gravelly, sort of loose soils that that water flows through really, really quickly. What's happening is the urine, highly nutrient laden, almost totally nitrogen, urine going through those soils and appearing in the aquifers." Globally, synthetic nitrogen production has now eclipsed all that produced by natural systems. This disruption of the nitrogen cycle seriously threatens global human sustainability, not only through its impacts on the climate, but also through localised impacts on fresh water. The European Science Foundation described the industrial-scale production of synthetic nitrogen as 'perhaps the greatest single experiment in global geoengineering that humans have ever made’. "It is clear that water is becoming a defining political and economic issue. Changing attitudes to its quality and accessibility depends on accurate information – including how water is used to dilute agricultural waste," Dr Joy said.
The fusion reactor under construction in France.
Nuclear fusion set for delivery by 2026
S
ome scientists, and Governments alike, are pinning hope on the possibility that nuclear fusion will arrive in time to save the world from severe climate change. Nuclear fusion happens naturally in the sun, and the stars but is exceedingly difficult to replicate on earth. Nevertheless, scientists and workers at Provence, France, are now working on the probability they can achieve it within the next three to four years. The project is being built by ITER (“The Way” in Latin). According to its website, first plasma, is now scheduled for delivery in December 2025. As of April 2022, project execution was at 76.7 per cent. ITER is a collaborative effort between 35 countries, including Australia, through the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. So much hope is pinned on the development of fusion power because it could end humanity's reliance on the need for fossil fuels. Fusion promises a virtually limitless form of energy that, unlike fossil fuels, emits zero greenhouse gases and, unlike today's nuclear fission power, produces no longlife radioactive waste.
Diabetes health coach budget 'just a drop in the bucket'
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p to 100 Pacific health coaches are to be trained to help prevent and treat diabetes in South Auckland. The appointments will be funded from a $20 million package announced in the Government’s 2022 Budget. But, according to the Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa, it won’t be anywhere near enough. According to the Ministry of Health there are 47,988 people with the diseas in Counties Manukau alone – about 10 % of the district’s population. The health coaches are tasked to provide advice and guidance to people with diabetes and help them make dietary and lifestyle
changes to help them manage or prevent the condition. Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William, says the package will include a mix of primary, community and tertiary care interventions to help families manage and treat diabetes based on Pacific models of care. But the funding level is nothing but a “drop in the bucket” according to Diabetes Foundation chairman, John Baker. It would provide less than one health coach for every 150 people with the condition. While the Government’s funding was “commendable”, the sheer scale of the South Auckland problem meant it was just not enough, he said.
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BANANA-RAMA The obvious, no-cook, instant, sweet snack! | by Innes Hope As an imported food, you’d think bananas would have a high carbon footprint. Not so. In fact quite the opposite, even with farming & transport factored in. In New Zealand, bananas have even lower emissions than apples, pears, oranges and berries! - (unless you harvest your own orchard & berries). Bananas are a fantastic oil & sugar substitute in baking. But what if you groan at the thought of baking? No problem. Grab a banana, peel it and munch as is, or mash it onto a slice of toast or a cracker. Want to jazz it up a little? Make a Banana-rama! INGREDIENTS for one Banana-rama 1/2 banana 1 tsp runny tahini or smooth peanut butter a sprinkle of cinnamon and a piece of dried fruit
Am I stretching things calling this a ‘recipe?’ Maybe. But often it’s the simple things we turn to most. Even the kids can make these – the healthiest, low-carbon sweet snack around. Enjoy!
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METHOD 1. Mash the banana, then stir in the tahini or peanut butter. Using a fork, whip it up a little until it is well blended and looks creamy. 2. Spread it on a brown-rice wafer, a slice of toast, or cracker of your choice. Eat it like this, or … 3. Decorate with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a couple of slithers of dried fruit.
BREAD PUDDING A twist on the traditional bread and butter pudding. Great for a cold night, this easy to put together zero waste dish can be changed and twisted around to your liking. The example below is just a guide for what you can do. by Catherine Barclay | Serves 6 people
INGREDIENTS 4 cups whole wheat brown bread (preferably a few days old), cut into small pieces 1/4 cup ground linseed (flaxseed) 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup apple sauce 1 Tbsp vanilla essense 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground ginger 1 cup raisins 1/2 cup almond slivers zest from one lemon
METHOD 1. Preheat oven 180°C (350°F) 2. Cover a baking dish with the cut up bread 3. In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients and mix until blended. 4. Pour the liquid over the bread and allow to soak in for around 5 mins. 5. Bake in the oven for 30 mins
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BUDDHA'S DELIGHT (LO HON JAI) The dish is traditionally enjoyed by Buddhist monks who are vegetarians. Still, it has also grown in popularity throughout the world as an everyday dish available as a vegetarian option in Chinese restaurants. The dish consists of various vegetables and other vegetarian ingredients cooked in soy sauce-based liquid with other seasonings until tender. In my version, I have eliminated the soy sauce preference for miso paste, which has less salt impact on your health than soy sauce, see tips pg. 59 The Dr Greger video on p61 discusses why Miso is a better option. by Catherine Barclay | serves 2 people INGREDIENTS 3 sml bok choy, sperate and half leaves 1/2 bunch vermicelli, soaked for 5 mins 6 shiitake mushroom, sliced thinly 4 oyster mushrooms, sliced thinly 10 enoki mushrooms 5 tofu balls, halved 8 dried wood ear mushrooms, presoaked in hot water 12 snow peas, cut into halves 4 baby corn, sliced lengthways 2 garlic cloves, diced 2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger 2 Tbsp miso paste 1 tsp cornflour, dissolved in water 1 cup veggie stock
METHOD 1. In a large pot, bring a small amount of the stock to boil and then blanch the bok choy just enough to soften but not to make them shrivel up, transfer out and set aside. 2. Use the stock to fry the garlic and ginger. Next, add all the mushrooms and fry for 1 min until almost soft. 3. Add the remaining stock with the tofu and vermicelli, and simmer for 1 min. 4. Place in the bok choy, snow peas and corn, then pour through the dissolved cornflour and allow the liquid to thicken. 5. Serve hot.
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I
Let's keep it clean!
t’s always wise to wash all fruit and vegetables before eating, cutting or cooking. Washing fruit and vegetables with soap, detergent, or commercial produce wash is not recommended. Do it under running water even if you don’t plan to eat the peel. When you cut, germs and or pesticides on the peel or skin can get inside. Before preparing or eating, cut away any damaged or bruised areas, and dry your produce with a clean paper towel or tea towel. Groups with a higher chance of food poisoning include those over 65 and children younger than five. Other vulnerable groups include people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women. However, as a general rule, it is possible to split fruit and vegetables into two categories, commonly known as the dirty dozen and the clean 15. The dirty dozen are more susceptible to the retention of pesticide residue than the second group.
THE DIRTY DOZEN Apples Celery Capsicum Peaches Strawberries Nectarines Grapes Spinach Lettuce Cucumbers Blueberries Potatoes
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THE CLEAN 15 Onions Sweetcorn Pineapples Avocado Cabbage Peas Asparagus Mangoes Eggplant Kiwifruit Melon Kumara / Sweet Potato Grapefruit Watermelon Mushrooms
PLANT-BASED TIPS
By Catherine Barclay
IS MISO HEALTHY?
Fiona @ abundentlyclear.nz introduced us to something very interesting. Dr. Greger @ Nutritionfacts.org has shown a study that explains that miso though high in salt doesn't have the same dangerous effects for stomach cancer or high blood pressure as salt normally does. The reason for this is the soy in miso counteracts the effects of the salt. See the YouTube video on this on pg. 61
TEST YOUR GOUT RISK AT HOME
FORAGED INFUSED VINEGAR
It is easy to test your gout risk at home. In reference to the article on page 10, you can test your uric acid level with a device like the one picured below. These products are available from many online chemists and from Amazon. But our tip here comes with a warning, if your levels are high (7 or above) you should consult a doctor immediately.
SPROUTING POTATOES Store potatoes with an apple to avoid early sprouting. Keep them away from onions and in a cool, dark place. The ethylene gas given off by an apple will prevent potatoes from sprouting, while keeping onions nearby will actually cause them to sprout.
CORN ON THE COB
PREVENT BROWNING OF AVOCADO'S WHEN OPEN Citrus fruits, like lemon or lime, naturally contain strong antioxidants, which work against oxygen to slow down spoiling or browning in certan foods. Brush a little lemon or lime juice on the flesh of sliced avocado, and seal in an airtight container, this will delay the browning process
CLEAR ICE EVERYTIME For clear ice use extra hot tap water. It improves the clarity of ice when freezing, it might take a little longer to freeze but the results are worth it.
There are a wide range of plants around us that would make a perfect infusion in vingar for very little cost. Not only does it look attractive but with the right plant the fusion can be both tasty and aromatic. Some plants that you can easily forage around New Zealand and Australia are, rosemary or lavander sprigs, no more than a couple needed. Other ideas are chamomile flowers, crab apple, elderflowers or elderberries, fennel flowers, kawakawa or manuka leaves, pine, spruce and fir leaves or tips. Just clean your foraged plant, and pat dry with a paper towel. Cram your plants into a bottle and pour in you vinegar. A wonderful infused addition to soups and sauces or when added to a salad dressing.
MAKE YOUR OWN BREADCRUMBS
Janita placed a tip on loveffodhatewaste.co.nz which is a site worth checking out: If your loaf of bread or rolls are getting a bit stale turn them into breadcrumbs using a food processor. We store these fresh breadcrumbs in a bag in the freezer and take out only what we need for recipes! It’s brilliant – we save money by reusing our own bread & we always have breadcrumbs on hand!
Have you ever had issues with not being able to peel away all the outer greens to get to the corn before you cook it in water. Try this tip, before peeling away the greens place the whole cob in the microwave and heat for 1.5 mins. Remove from microwave and slice through the base of the corn, then holding the top of the corn with the base pointing downwards squeeze out the corn. It should just slide out easily.
INTANT OAT FLOUR
Find yourself without any oat flour mid recipe, not an issue, simple process a cup or whole grain oats in a blender.
GOT SOME GREAT TIPS TO SHARE? CONTACT ME AT CATHERINE@WHOLEFOODLIVING.LIFE wholefoodliving.life | Winter 2022
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The Podcast selections below cover food and health issues and provide quick access to a deeper understanding of what whole food eating can achieve. Listening to podcasts on a regular basis is a great way to increase your understanding of WFPB and keep yourself on track.
Dr Will Bulsiewicz - restoring your gut
How diet impacts mental health
In this episode on the plant-based academy podcast, Dr Will Bulsiewicz talks about restoring your gut naturally, looking at the root cause of the issue.
On theplantbasedcanadapodcast.buzzsprout.com, we hear from Dr Ian Gillespie about diet and mental health, and how he incorporated plant-based eating into his practice.
Dr Barnard - Eating to age well
Dr. Hall - Understanding carbs
On his own podcast channel, Dr Neal Barnard answers questions around your nutritional requirements changing as you get older.
Join Dr Danielle Belardo for her fascinating conversation surrounding carbs, energy balance & body weight with NIH nutrition and metabolism scientist, Dr Kevin Hall.
Dr Greger - Excuse me, your gut is leaking
Inflammation & finding a balance
nutritionfacts.org podcast has Dr Michael Greger talking about many foods, drugs and beverages that can disrupt the integrity of our intestinal barrier.
No Meat Athlete Podcast, talks to cardiologist Dr Monica Aggarwal about inflammation triggers, and the importance of taking care of your stress levels.
Preventing & Reversing Diabetes
Climate Crisis and Our Food System
The plant power people podcast talks to Dr Cyrus Khambatta. He shares his type 1 diabetes story and how a whole food plant-based diet can help prevent and reverse diabetes.
Plant Based News podcast talks to environmental scientist Nicholas Carter who focuses his academic research on the scientific links between food systems & planetary health.
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The YouTube selections below cover a range of lifestyle, food and health issues. They include specialist tips and easy access to a deeper understanding of what whole food plant-based eating can achieve.
Alcohol and the uric acid connection
The Healing benefits of water fasting
Get a quick rundown, and with diagrams, from Dr David Perlmutter on the featured article in this issue. https://tinyurl.com/2s3h5btp
Dr Alan Goldhamer discusses the value and benefits of water fasting with Tom Bilyeu. https://tinyurl.com/52h42nca
Why I quit low carb and went vegan
A matter of emotional intelligence
In this video the UK's, Dr Gemma Newman, explains what made her give up Keto and go vegan. https://tinyurl.com/2p98nke7
Dealing with emotional intelligence probably has a lot more to do with successful living than IQ - Dr Neil Nedley. http://tiny.cc/yfriuz
Have you ever wondered about Miso?
An easy way to grow garlic at home
This piece from Dr Michael Greger dispels the myth that Miso is unhealthy in a WFPB diet. https://tinyurl.com/2ruxwebc
Don't throw away your old plastic bottles because they can make ideal starter beds for growing garlic. See here. https://tinyurl.com/38cxcze2
10 tips on foraging in New Zealand
Animal protein vs plant protein
This basic 10 step guide offers some simple tips on what and what not to do when foraging in NZ. https://tinyurl.com/ahehbbdz
Dr Michael Greger does it again. One of WFPB's most trusted reviewers gets right in on a hot topic. https://tinyurl.com/ve2z8fv6
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Books to Consider
British family doctor Gemma Newman explores how a simple change in diet helps many common chronic illnesses - from diabetes and heart disease to obesity - and the science that explains why it works. Contains over 60 delicious meal ideas.
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 for you to improve your health and shrink your personal carbon footprint. Just swap one meat- and dairy-based meal for a plant-based one.
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.
The film's companion cookbook, The PlantPure Nation Cookbook brings a powerful, science-based approach to nutrition from the big screen to your kitchen with some of the same mouthwatering recipes that kick-started a revolution.
Dr Dean Ornish's research has proven that lifestyle changes can reverse undo! The progression of many of the most common and costly chronic diseases and even begin reversing ageing at a cellular level. Several insurance companies cover his programme.
Neal Barnard, MD, a leading authority on nutrition and health, offers insight into how dietary changes can alleviate years of stress, pain, and illness. What's more, he also includes delicious and easyto-make hormone-balancing recipes.
Sophie Steven's stunning cookbook is packed with over 100 delicious, vibrant plant-based, gluten-free and refined-sugar-free recipes. Some great recipes and taste sensations to try. A book that will benefit the whole family.
This is a book that will let you live longer, reduce your need for medications, and improve your health dramatically. It is a book that will change the way you want to eat. Follow the Eat to Live diet, 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.
MILKED Directed by Amy Taylor and presented by indigenous activist Chris Huriwai, MILKED has been racking up some massive viewing numbers worldwide. This Kiwi created doco takes a hard look at industrial dairy farming in New Zealand and shows how it 'milks' not only animals but farmers, consumers, rivers, the land and the climate. MILKED attacks the cynical marketing jargon used to hide the negative impacts of an industry many Kiwis have come to accept as one of the vital vertebras in the country's financial backbone. Available at: join.waterbear.com/milked
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 .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
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 1. Captured (6) 4. ... Choy pg.19 (3) 6. Equestrian game (4) 8. ... Bird pg.10 (7) 10. Dr Gemma ... pg.34 (6) 12. Frothy dessert pg.22 (6) 14. ... Eggplant pg.18 (4) 15. Hero with weak heel pg.20 (8) 18. Repeat programs (6) 19. Long-eared equine (3) 20. Exhaust discharge pg.42 (9) 21. Drive forward (4) 23. German nazi dictator (6) 24. Search for food pg.59 (6) 26. ... Bean pg.39 (6) 28. Greek muse of lyric poetry (5) 29. Preoccupying thought (9) 31. NZ film pg.63 (6) 32. Body structure (7) 33. Slamming of two atoms (6) 34. Leafy green pg.30 (4)
Down 1. Climate change .... pg.42 (10) 2. ... Acid pg.10 (4) 3. Tight embrace (3) 4. Outdoor blaze (7) 5. English garden pg.38 (3) 6. ... Trap pg.62 (8) 7. ... Crop pg.38 (7) 9. Dietary pattern pg.24 (11) 11. Not this or that (5) 12. Low-lying wetland (5) 13. Love food hate ... pg.48 (5) 16. Airbed (4) 17. Operatic soprano (4) 22. ... Batteries pg.52 (7) 24. Item of cutlery pg.28 (4) 25. Fruit skin pg.48 (4) 27. ... Paste pg.40 (4) 30. Common gas pg.53 (8) 32. A state of frenzy (5)
Go to the link below for solutions
Click or scan QR image for references. wholefoodliving.life/references-winter-2022/
wholefoodliving.life | Winter 2022
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Recipe index
23
17
37
27
19
STARTERS | IDEAS
MAINS
SWEETS | DESSERTS
Mushroom Scallops & Kumara Mash......15 Potato & Kumara Rice Balls.......................37 Simple Whole Wheat Bread......................26 Whole Wheat Toasties...............................27
Jackfruit Pot Roast........................................17 Thai Eggplant Red Curry..............................19 Steamed Bok Choy.......................................19 Loaded Greens...............................................32 Kale Cottage Pie...........................................33 Grilled Smokey Portobello Steaks.............36 Cabbage Coleslaw & Golden Dressing....40 Roast Veggies Bowl......................................41 Lentil Bolognaise(ish) sauce........................45 Creative Soups & Hearty Meals................46
Chocolate Mousse.......................................22 Banana Waffles.............................................23 Banana-Rama................................................54 Bread Pudding..............................................55
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66 wholefoodliving.life | Winter 2022
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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