Whole Food Living - Spring 2019

Whole Food

YOUR WHOLE FOOD PLANT-BASED GUIDE TO HEALTHY EATING

SPRING 2019

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THE FOUR WFPB FOOD GROUPS Living with MS on a WFPB diet

Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease

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Plant-based Recipes

The legacy of diet: What does it do? P52

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Where we stand THE WHOLE FOOD CONNECTION

Health

Food

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.

Environment

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.

WFL Optimal Health Guide

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.

Whole Food Plant Based The WFL Optimal Health Guide is a simplified, visual explanation of different eating styles.

Our policy is to assist and encourage plant-based eating and to explain the significant health benefits available to those that become fully whole food plant-based.

WFPB eating is comprised of foods drawn solely from the first four categories of the table.

Strictly speaking, sugar, oil and salt are off the menu for people who are fully WFPB based, especially those who have experienced serious medical events.

We place sugar, oil and salt along with highly processed foods in the Avoid category as a warning because, unless you prepare everything you eat at home yourself, you are unlikely to achieve a perfect score.

In your quest towards better eating, don't let perfect become the enemy of good.

WFL MEDICAL DISCLAIMER The medical and/or nutritional information covered in Whole Food Living magazine is for educational purposes only.

It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please seek medical advice before using diet to treat disease.

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EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS Critical contents of this magazine, particularly articles that cover medical issues, are referred to our editorial consultants.

Our consultants are: * Dr Mark Craig * Dr Caitlin Randles * Dr Martyn Williamson

Editorial

The trouble with taste

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elcome to the first issue of Whole Food Living magazine and since we’re about to take our first steps, we thought it important to define where we stand. This publication is all about eating for optimal health. It is built on an overwhelming base of scientific evidence, personal anecdote and clinical experience.

The combination of all three of these has now shown that good health is best achieved by eating a wide variety of plant-based foods.

The scientific evidence now clearly shows that our eating habits have changed dangerously over the last 40 years. There are some critical concerns. Firstly, we consume much less fibre than we should and second, we’re overeating protein, sugar and saturated fats.

Scientists know that diet is the root cause of the problem. And they also know what it’s doing - it’s killing us. They’ve hung a label on all the diseases associated with the problem and are calling them ‘lifestyle illnesses.’

There are other titles you can hang on this problem. You could also call it ‘death by desire'. Whatever label you put on it however, it all adds up to one word only - taste.

We’re in trouble because of our sense of taste.

Many of our food magazines these days pay nothing less than lip-service to good health. Just flip the page and you’re faced with a ‘decadent dessert.’ Or, watch any of the reality food shows to discover how, if we really want to enjoy food, we must ‘savour’ the taste.

This magazine is about eating to live, not living to eat. You’ll never find a recipe for Crème Brulee in this publication or in fact, how to cook any animal-based product whatsoever. Why? Because we’re all about your good health and the development of more sustainable consumption for the health of our planet.

For some, this will be a journey that starts by increasing the amount of plantbased meals on the plates you already serve and then reducing, and or eliminating the number of animal products you eat.

For others, especially those with known health issues, the decision to become whole food plant-based will be instant because that is the fastest road to optimal health. That road involves immediately stopping the consumption of all animalbased products altogether.

That’s the step we took a little over 12 months ago. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has been beneficial. We’ve both experienced significant weight reduction and generally enjoy much better health.

If you are looking to understand how to improve your health in a long term and sustainability way, then welcome to our journey. Welcome to Whole Food Living magazine.

Editor Peter Barclay

Viewpoints

Producers

Whole Food Living (ISSN 2624-4101) 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 print or website.

Editor: Peter Barclay Food Editor: Catherine Barclay Printer: Inkwise, Christchurch Distributors: NZ Post & Iclay Media Contributions & Assistance Contributions & assistance is gratefully acknowledged from the following people: Kavita Upadhyay, Stephanie Wynn, Shamiz Kachwalla, Karen Crowley, Brad Dixon, Grant Dixon, Dr Luke Wilson, Hannah O'Malley, EBENZ, DFN, Dr Nicolas Wright, Steve Stones, PSL, Dr Mark Craig, Rajaram Raman, Dr Martyn Williamson

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 5

CONTENTS 48 17 28

Recipes

General Features

27 South African Curry

9 Whose Who in WFPB

Create magic with a few beans and bit of spice for a nourishing quick meal.

30 No Cheese Pizza We make it fun to create healthy pizzas without the need for cheese.

39 Hearty Vegetable Soup Spring can still be chilly, easily fixed with a hearty soup.

50 Tofu Burji Start the day with an Indian favourite Tofu scramble.

63 Heirloom baked apple Quick simple and delicious desert, reminds me of home.

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Introducing some to the big names in whole food plantbased eating.

11 The Reaper pays a visit An inside look at what drove us to change our way of eating and the issues around it.

15 The whole food answer Shamiz Kachwalla journeys from hell to happiness.

19 Movement is lotion Get up, get going because motion matters - Brad Dixon

20 WFPB and vegan?

Stephanie Wynn defines the difference.

23 Plant-based eating Its ideal for everyone - even kids. Dr Luke Wilson offers some suggestions.

57 Dr Martyn Willamson Explains why he is plant-based and why it would be beneficial for you too.

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

Click or scan QR image for references. wholefoodliving.life/references

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

FRUIT

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.

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

LEGUMES

2 or more servings a day 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.

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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WHO'S WHO IN AMERICA

Dr T Colin Campbell

Dr Caldwell Esselstyn

Dr Dean Ornish

Best known for his book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Dr Esselstyn is also revered as a seminal founder of the whole food plant-based movement.

A fellow of the American College of Cardiology and former Olympic athlete, Dr Esselstyn organised the first national conference on the elimination of coronary artery disease in 1991. He has over 150 scientific publications to his name. With wife Ann he has followed a WFPB diet since 1984. Director of The Cleveland Clinic Wellness Inst.

Physician, researcher and founder of the non profit Preventive Medicine Research Institute based in Sausalito, California. He is a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California and creator of the Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease. Over the last 32 years Dr Ornish has directed clinical research demonstrating that comprehensive lifestyle change can reverse even severe coronary heart disease and that such changes can affect gene expression.

Dr Neal Barnard

Dr John McDougall

Dr Pam Popper

A regular speaker at a large number of plant-based nutrition conferences worldwide. Founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in 1985. Winner of the 2016 Lifestyle Medicine Trailblazer award. He has an extensive collection of published work covering everything from cook books to explanations on how to turn off fat genes to food seduction, a 21 day weight loss programme, The Cheese Trap, and more. He was guest speaker at events in Australia and New Zealand this year.

Suffered a massive stroke at 18 which left him paralyzed on the left side for two weeks. He credits the stroke to eggs, double cheese pizzas and hot dogs. But it was also his “good fortune” because it made him want to become a medical doctor. He became deeply concerned that patients were not being cured of chronic conditions and then, as a sugar plantation doctor in Hawaii, he discovered what a critical role diet plays in over 80% of diseases common in the western world.

Founding president of Wellness Forum Health which offers various educational programmes. She doesn’t mince words when it comes to explaining the benefits of whole food eating and is an entertaining and informative public speaker. She appeared in recent movies such as Forks over Knives and Food Choices and the Yo-Yo Effect. Dr Popper has testified in front of legislative committees and twice before the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

American biochemist and one of the seminal founders of the modern whole food plant-based movement. Now, at age 85, Dr Campbell is still a regular speaker at conferences and plant-based events. Author of over 300 research papers he is best known for his book The China Study which he co-authored with his son Thomas. He was a lead scientist on the China, Cornell, Oxford Project which was set up to explore the relationship between nutrition, cancer, heart and metabolic diseases in 1983.

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OUR AUSTRALASIAN VOICES

Dr Martyn Williamson

Dr Mark Craig

Dr Malcolm Mackay

Has a strong belief in the power of nutrition to treat or cure common chronic diseases in ways that surpass the effect of most modern medicines.

Based in Alexandra. He was a founding board member of Central Otago Health Services Ltd and is also a founding member of Evidence Based Eating New Zealand. He often holds meetings around his local community explaining the benefits of plant-based nutrition. He is a graduate of the Cornell University Certificate in plant-based nutrition.

This Auckland based GP actively promotes the plant-based nutrition cause at public meetings, media interviews and direct consultations.

Has been working on establishing True South Medical in Auckland and has recently been spending time at TrueNorth Medical in California. First introduced to the benefits of plantbased nutrition in 2012 he has become an energetic advocate ever since. He originally trained in the UK in surgery and general practice.

A GP based in Melbourne, Malcolm Mackay first became interested in plantbased nutrition in medical school 35 years ago. He holds a graduate Diploma in Human Nutrition, is a Board Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician and is regularly involved in many plant-based events. He practices in Fitzroy and, with his partner Jenny, provides Telehealth consultations to patients around Australia. He gradually changed to a full WFPB diet and became a competitive triathlon athlete.

Dr Luke Wilson

Dr Heleen Roux-Haitjema

Wellington based doctor, Luke Wilson, was an intern for Dr John McDougall in Santa Rosa, California. He also worked with Dr Michael Klapper and Dr Alan Goldhammer at the TrueNorth Health Center. He was a co-author of The Broad Study, the outcome of which has been highly praised by Dr Michael Greger in his latest book, How Not to Diet. He was NZ’s first member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and a board member of the Australasian group Doctors for Nutrition.

Co-founder of Melbourne based Doctors for Nutrition. Dr Roex is its current board chairperson and head of campaigns. She holds a Certificate in Plant-Base Nutrition from eCornell University and is a qualified Food For Life instructor with the US based Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine. Heleena enjoys conducting community courses in her hometown of Adelaide. She has co-organised, presented and attended numerous local and international plant-based events.

Dr Nicholas Wright

Co- author of The Broad Study, Dr Wright interned with Dr John McDougall during training and at TrueNorth with Drs Goldhamer, Lisle and Klapper. He spent six years as a GP in Gisborne where The Broad Study was based, an area that features some of New Zealand’s highest rates of diabetes and obesity. A keen amateur surfer and gardener, Dr Wright is a graduate of the University of Otago and a Fellow of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.

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One morning in my man cave

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s I messed about in my man cave under the house one Saturday morning in May 2014 any idea that I was in danger of a stroke or cardiac event was the last thing on my mind.

It had been a busy week. Long hours, reduced sleep and more stress than usual but had I known that by the end of the day I would be in Middlemore Hospital with tubes coming out of me and electrodes taped over me, I might just have well said; could be better to sleep in today.

Would that have saved me? I very much doubt it. I was already an accident waiting to happen and besides, on that day, I was keen to move about that wood downstairs so I could start making whatever it was I was going to make.

That’s the great thing about a man cave. You don’t have to do anything in there because you’re always doing something. Even if you’re only thinking about what you could do, the fact is you are still doing something.

Today I had set myself the task of cutting down some MDF sheet into more useful sizes and the first few pieces were full size, heavy and awkward to move about. As I worked, I placed the shorter segments into a stack where I could easily reach them.

And then it happened. I turned to pick up the next piece. Reaching out with my left hand to place it on top of the next board, suddenly, nothing happened. My

hand, my arm, wouldn’t move.

I recall feeling odd for a moment. For a few seconds it seemed hard to breath.

Maybe it was the shock. I also felt that I was heating up and a slight sweat had broken out across my forehead. I just stood there.

Trying again I found I could move my upper arm, but the arm was useless below the elbow. Hmm, I thought, this is interesting, and kinda weird, scary and funny at the same time. I decided to shoot upstairs and show Cath my new power.

Walking up the outside stairs, it was harder to move myself. I was puffing,

This is the sort of thing that gets you into a doctor’s surgery real fast. Forget about finding a seat in the waiting room or pulling the phone out to play solitaire. sweating slightly and had a growing sense of panic about what the hell was happening.

Cath was amused but not impressed with my new power. From the shoulder, I could lift my left arm to an almost vertical position above my head but that was it. From the elbow the arm dangled uselessly and flapped about as I moved my shoulders left to right.

A good strong wiggle was enough to make the left hand bounce off my head. Yes, it was kind of amusing but when Cath said, “you’ve got to go to the

So what makes strokes happen?

Generally, strokes happen when blood flow to part of the brain is suddenly cut.

Without oxygen in the blood, brain cells can start to die within a matter of minutes.

There are two primary ways for stroke to occur.

The more common form occurs when something blocks blood flow but a stroke can also happen when a blood vessel starts to bleed.

The most common stroke is known as an ischemic stroke. It happens in around eight out of 10 cases.

Hemorrhagic stroke occurs less often but can be much more serious. In this type of event, a blood vessel in the brain

10 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

doctor,” I realised she knew it was as serious as I thought I knew it was.

I just kept hoping it would all go away – and it did, or so I thought. Amazingly, within 20 minutes and a few tingling sensations in my hand I regained what I thought was full control of my arm and hand.

This is the sort of thing that gets you into a doctor’s surgery real fast. Forget about finding a seat in the waiting room or pulling the phone out to play solitaire.

As soon as I explained what had happened at the reception counter they had me through the door and a doctor I’d never met before was measuring my

swells up and bursts. It also happens when a blood vessel leaks.

This type of stroke is a feature of uncontrolled blood pressure although can also occur when taking too much blood thinning medication.

Transient ischemic attack (TIA) occurs when a blood vessel is temporarily blocked. It does not cause brain damage but does increase the odds of a more serious event unless preventative measures are taken.

If you suspect someone of having a stroke, for example their face droops on one side, there is arm weakness on one side or their speech is slurred, you need to take action FAST.

blood pressure, checking my heart rate and asking me all kinds of questions I didn’t really want to answer.

The most romantic part about this unexpected consultation occurred when he asked me to hold his hands and squeeze. First with my right, then with the left. There was plenty of squeeze available in my right hand but not a lot in my left.

Then things really went haywire.

Suddenly he was on the phone to the hospital asking lots of questions including whether they wanted me to be given Aspirin as a precaution. The answer to that was no but they wanted me in straight away and he started talking about calling an ambulance.

Well I wasn’t having any of that. I mean, if I had to go to hospital then surely, I should at least go home, pack a bag and have a cup of tea first. So, I did.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. That was a bad mistake. I only know it now because all the subsequent re-education process I’ve been through says you need to get to the hospital fast. You have a four-hour window in which they can do all kinds of magical things but beyond that, it gets much more complicated.

In the hospital I was told I’d had a trans ischemic attack, a TIA, a ‘ministroke’ which I thought wasn’t so bad, but they made perfectly clear, “It was a stroke Mr Barclay. We don’t see them as mini strokes anymore. It’s just a matter of where and the severity of it.”

the grim reaper came to visit And with that I was admitted for observation overnight “and possibly longer”. I was also told that hospital was the safest place because the odds of having another or even worse event within the next 24 hours were high.

I stopped arguing and resigned myself to their care. Who knows, I thought, maybe I’m about to learn something or maybe the Grim Reaper is only just down the hall. Somehow his fickle finger had pointed my way and I was either about to learn a big lesson or face up to my inevitable fate.

In hospital after a stroke was not where I expected to be at 59. When Cath and the family went home and the blinds were closed on my room that first night, not only did I wonder if I would wake up the next morning but I must admit, I was scared.

I’m the fourth of six children. By this point my eldest brother Barry was dead following a series of successive strokes.

My older sister Irene was taken by cancer before him and a few years later my brother Alan suffered the same cruel fate.

The doctors said I was ‘lucky’ because I'd been given a warning but when Alan died, it didn’t take much to figure out who was likely to be next. Alan’s death shook me and when I asked why had that happened to him, I was told it was just bad luck.

Of course, the next morning dawned fine and sunny and, apart from being poked and prodded by nurses doing regular checks during the night I’d slept well. Then it dawned on me, that 24hour period wasn’t up yet. Will I make it through the day?

With that depressing thought in mind I plugged in my earphones and took to Spotify in a bid to get Lana del Rey to change my mind. Listening to her and similar artists in the genre made a big difference over the next few days. It helped me to while away the hours and recall that music was something I once enjoyed a lot and I wasn’t listening to much of it.

I’ve got my youngest daughter Tiffany to thank for the re-ignition of that spark but more than anything, she introduced me to a whole new group of modern artists I’d never heard before.

In the time since, Cath and I have seen Florence and the Machine in concert (bloody fantastic) and the great Sixto

Rodriguez who I never thought I’d get to see in my lifetime.

These and many other things would never have happened if I hadn’t walked out of that hospital. Since that time two of our children have graduated from university, the third finishes her degree at the end of this year.

I’m sceptical by nature. It’s a personality trait that hasn’t always served me well but it’s useful in other ways, especially journalism. One of the positives is that it can make you stop and think about where you're at.

I was at that point when my daughter Bridget (first marriage) arrived and raised the idea that what had happened might have something to do with my diet. She made a couple of suggestions.

“Have you seen Fat Sick and Nearly Dead or Forks Over Knives?” she asked.

The answer to that was a big fat NO of course but when we did those movies changed our lives. Unfortunately, because of my own scepticism, pig headedness or sheer unwillingness to “give up everything immediately” I suffered another three years of agony

and depression because I wasn’t ready to face up to the ultimate.

The agony was caused by my reaction to statins and the depression? Well, I’m not quite sure. All I know is that since going fully plant-based, I no longer need statins and I feel so much better about life in general.

When I entered hospital I weighed over 100kg, my blood pressure was “through the roof” and the cholesterol and lipid stats weren’t pretty either.

Like my brother Alan, I was on the road towards type 2 diabetes. Now my weight has dropped to around 83kg and Cath and I have been totally whole food plant-based for over a year.

Although we stopped eating red meat within about two months of the stroke it was another four years before we took the final step and gave up eating all animal products.

I’d like to say our initial efforts were all part of a well organised, progressive plan of transition to a healthier state, but no. Our first steps took us down a different track but returned us to the same old rocky road.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 11

I thought we could change the blood test results by switching to eating chicken and fish and doing some exercise. I did lose some of the weight but not nearly enough and it see-sawed depending the amount of exercise done.

It was a regime we couldn’t keep up and what was even more shocking, it all happened on recipes Cath downloaded from the NZ Heart Foundation.

We did our best to ‘moderate’ but soon found it impossible because it continued to expose us to the same risks we were trying to avoid. The big difficulty is that moderation means different things to different people and for someone like me, it all added up to death on a plate.

I never became whole food plantbased because I thought it might bring me a longer life. The scary thing is that it can take 15 years for some cancers to develop so there is no guarantee that my change in diet alone will be enough for me to avoid the same fate as my older siblings. I’m at peace with that.

But, I do believe this change in diet offers me a better chance. In fact, the change has been better for both of us.

Perhaps, in these pages or online sometime, Cath will tell her own story in her own words. There are so many things we didn’t know and ours is certainly a story with two halves.

We didn’t know we had become addicted to the way we ate or that, by keeping on the way we were, we would become trapped by our way of thinking.

All of it became a barrier to understanding what good health

Twenty nine years ago, when the picture above was taken, any thought that we would both be living happily on a plant-based diet would have been laughable. I’d already given up drinking alcohol but it took me another seven years to stop smoking! really meant, it was nothing more than an assumption. We never carefully examined why we were not OK. The crazy thing is, and here’s the really dangerous part, we always thought we were eating healthy. And when dietitians at Middlemore Hospital questioned us about food, the best advice they could give us was to cut back on the salt.

Maybe that was our first step on this road to evidence based eating.

Of course, I know good health means

much more than a set of numbers on the bathroom scales or the results of a blood test. It’s about your sense of wellbeing too.

Today, being pain free, medication free and easily able to walk wherever I want makes me acutely aware of another side effect of becoming whole food plantbased – it improves your quality of life.

For me, American cardiologist Dr Kim Williams sums it up perfectly: ‘I don’t mind dying. I just don’t want it to be my fault.’ - Peter Barclay

Your endothelial lining

O

n the inside of your heart and much as six hours for it to return to normal. throughout your blood vessels Dr Esselstyn says the studies that confirmed there is a special covering this also revealed the overwhelming importance known as the endothelial of nutrition in our diet. lining.

It’s function is essential, he says.

This membrane is no more than one “Plant-based nutrition, it turns out, has a thousandth of a millimeter thick and, mighty beneficial effect on endothelial cells.” if it were possible to stretch it out flat In his book, Prevent and Reverse Heart it would cover an area the size of a Disease, he says "the effect of a radical football field. shift in nutrition are breathtaking The endothelial cell has been - dramatic and swift." described by Dr Caldwell Esselstyn as a “metabolic powerhouse” that ensures vascular health.

Studies have found that danger occurs when fat interferes with this membrane’s ability to produce nitric oxide. When we eat meals containing fat a significant drop in endothelial function occurs and it can take as

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y a ir dfor fruit!

F

Here's an idea that can go down well in any office, especially around three in the afternoon.

Start a fruit platter. Begin by cutting up some apples or whatever else you can rob from your own fruit bowl at home and just leave it out on a spare desk space or pass it around.

Soon you'll find others bringing in their own contributions and before you know it you've got a conversation going on food. wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 13

Whole food answer

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s he relaxes comfortably on a large sofa in his parents’ home in east Auckland, it’s hard to imagine that Shamiz Kachwalla has been to hell and back.

Today, you see a healthy, effervescent, enthusiastic young man who’s full of life. His engaging personality and great sense of humour make him easy to talk to but there was a time when he was totally different.

Seven years ago, as he lay on a hospital bed in Japan, he wondered if he was even going to live.

What was initially diagnosed as a slightly infected bowel, (mild Colitis) Shamiz soon developed full blown Ulcerative Colitis, a chronic digestive disease characterized by inflammation of the inner lining of the colon.

There is no known medical cure for colitis but, as Shamiz has found, it can be successfully treated by adopting a whole food plant-based diet.

It was a Naturorthopathic doctor that alerted him to the value of treating his condition by using a Whole Food Plantbased diet high in fruit.

After Shamiz healed his condition through diet and lifestyle he was wary of traditional doctors that advised medicine for the treatment of Ulcerative Colitis.

Mostly, he says, they know little about nutrition and have scant knowledge on how it can be used to treat a wide range of ailments.

"Nowadays there are more doctors looking into lifestyle medicine which is encouraging because a lot of our chronic disease can be prevented and reversed."

Shamiz credits Dr David Klein as the man that first put him on the right path.

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“We know that the core of digestive health revolves around eating plants especially soluble fibre from – pumpkin, sweet potatoes, bananas and papayas.

“That’s what Dr Michael Klaper of TrueNorth Health Center also recommends when treating people with chronic inflammation of the bowel. " Dr Klaper also used the book Self Healing Colitis & Crohn’s written by David Klein to help patients with IBD. Doctors that go and do an internship at TrueNorth Health Center understand how the body heals itself and that’s what we’re about, Shamiz says.

“We’re about giving the body the right conditions to do the healing. There are specific foods that aid that healing.

"It can be quite confusing because certain plant foods can irritate the bowel and certain foods can aid the

plant-based diet high in fibre which is a powerful prebiotic.

Fibre is essential to maintaining a healthy gut microbiome in symbiosis and when people with digestive disease are in dysbiosis it can lead to a toxic internal environment.

“In our experience we believe that there is a lot of toxicity in our bodies due to unhealthy lifestyle and we need to change our lifestyle in order to be in health.

“So, if you are diagnosed with a disease the accumulation of toxicity in your body is a lot higher compared to someone who is not in dis-ease.

There are a lot of negative aspects when we consume animal products such as endotoxins, heterocyclic amines, TMAO, and many others.

“When you get a disease, we believe

The body is self-healing. That is the best kept secret in medicine today. You need to give the body the right conditions and allow it to heal itself. bowel.

“That’s why we have this core of fruitbased healing. After your gut becomes a little bit stronger, you can then start to add other plant foods to create the diversity that the microbiome wants.

"We don’t like to go into the beans and whole grains straight away. We learned a lot from David Klein for sure in terms of how the gut works and what selfhealing is about. We learned from him as a coach in which he has more than 25 years of experience."

When it comes to good gut health Shamiz recommends a whole food

that the body has the ability to heal itself.

“Most doctors are more inclined to look at symptom relief and focus on symptoms whereas we are going to look at the root cause of the problem which is mainly due to diet & lifestyle.

“That’s how I got out of disease and put myself back into ease. ”Shamiz admits that while the research doesn’t explain everything there is strong evidence supporting the use of plant-based diets in the prevention and treatment of IBD. WFL: What do you do in your spare time when you are not coaching?

"One of my favourite things to do is mountain biking. I absolutely love going to Woodhill mountain bike park just out of Auckland and riding my bike around the trails.

"I also love running, cycling and keeping fit. If I still had Ulcerative Colitis I wouldn't be able to do all these activities as the disease binds you to the toilet and it's very hard to leave home.

"That is why I am so grateful that I found this new lifestyle because I have my life back.

"It is a horrible disease and I have made it my mission to share my new life on social media so follow me on

to a difficult journey

Instagram and YouTube to see my journey to health."

In his book How Not to Die, Dr Michael Gregor uses an example of what happens if you accidentally bang your knee into a coffee table.

Do it once, rest up, and your knee will heal. Do it every day at breakfast, lunch and dinner and your body will never heal.

“The body is self-healing. That’s the best kept secret, as Gregor says.

“That’s exactly what we do at High Carb Health when we are advising people to get better. If you want to get better – let the body heal itself. Give it the right conditions to heal."

WFL: Do the naysayers get you down?

“They do. Yes, they do, of course. But you’re always going to get that. You’re always going to get those people that don't believe you. The ability for you to forget about these people and focus on yourself is what keeps you going."

WFL: Why do you think people find it hard to change?

“Taste. We’re addicted to flavoured substances. So, if you’ve grown up your whole life eating processed foods, meat, dairy and eggs and then you suddenly have to stop there are going to be cravings. And lots of them.

“That’s what happened to me. I definitely learned the hard way. I healed

myself after coming back from Japan and then I went back to eating animal products to see if I could eat those foods again.

“I didn’t realise that meat, dairy and eggs had such a negative impact on your health and also I didn't want to believe it.

"So, I went back and ate those foods and of course, I got sick again. I had to tell myself the plant-based diet is the best way, or solution, to getting better again."

Shamiz now classes himself, not only a whole food plant-based convert, but an animal activist as well.

He says when you make this change "you definitely feel something. Human beings are compassionate right? We all have this inclination to help people and help animals, so it was a lot more than just health for me.

“I wanted to make sure I was helping the planet as well because the food choices you make have an impact on your health, as well as the environment and the animals that suffer.

"For me it is about being a compassionate person, to love all animals. We are unnecessarily exploiting animals for food, it doesn't make sense to me.

You can be perfectly healthy without eating them.

Shamiz and his brother Shukul who was a major supporter in his battle back to good health, have set up their own health consultancy dealing mostly with gut issues but will also help anyone with the plant-based lifestyle.

Their online service is available via Skype and they work with clients all over the world.

It's important for them to also keep up to date with the latest research about plant-based nutrition.

They frequently travel to a wide range of conferences across the globe.

As this interview took place Shamiz was packing for Oakland, California for the International Plant-based Nutrition Healthcare Conference where over 1000 health professionals were gathering to learn more about preventing and reversing disease.

Click or scan QR image for more details.

highcarbhealth.com wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 15

4 fantastic

1

Jackfruit is found to lower bad LDL Cholesterol while raising the good HDL

2

Along with lowering LDL it is also high in potassium which helps reduce blood pressure.

Full of antioxidants that counteract cancer causing free radicals.

3

16 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

Jackfruit facts

W

ell it might not be the eye candy of fruits but the larger than life Jackfruit, also known as Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam, has many hidden qualities that make it a must in your pantry.

A native to South India, it is the largest tree bearing fruit and produces a vast quantity of edible centre. It has risen in popularity in western society since more and more people have chosen to move to a plant-based lifestyle.

The tree itself is a species of the fig family well suited to humid tropical lowlands and it's pod like produce is the biggest of the tree-borne fruits.

One mature tree can produce nearly 200 fruits in a year.

As the fruit ripens it gets progressively sweeter. The less ripened fruit is cooked like a vegetable but then, when it matures, the seeds can be used more as milky sweet desert. Their taste is similar to Brazil nuts.

Like all fruit the Jackfruit is known to have many health benefits.

Its beneficial properties can affect our hair and eyesight. It reduces inflammation, is good for the heart because it reduces blood pressure, prevents indigestion and fights wrinkles.

Chinese folk medicine uses jackfruit for its cooling and nutritious properties. It is known to promote the secretion of saliva, relieve restlessness and dispel the effects of alcohol. They have also been used to treat erectile dysfunction and low libido With all these incredible benefits it is a fruit that cannot be ignored.

In New Zealand it young fruit is mostly sold in tins and it’s an ideal replacement for any dishes where once you might have used pulled pork or shredded chicken.

4

Good Source of Vitamin C and dietary fiber, especially the seeds which reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and colon cancer

Mexican Jackfruit

METHOD Open both tins of jackfruit and drain out the water, tip contents into a bowl. Remove seeds and solid from the fruit and place the shredded strips into another bowl.

INGREDIENTS 2 x tins Ceres Jackfruit 1 x tin black beans (drained) 1 x large brown onion (diced) 1 x packet “One Night in Mexico� Mexican Spice 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed (linseed) 1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast (optional)

Add a small amount of liquid vege stock or water into a frying pan or electric wok with the brown onion and shredded jackfruit, cook until the onion is clear.

Reduce heat and place in all other ingredients, heat through adding water if too dry.

Serve suggestions 1. Brown rice and vegetables 2. Tacos with lettuce & tomato 3. Corn chips and Veesey Vegan Aioli wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 17

Movement: lotion for the body, mind and soul

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any of us will never go to the kind of extremes plantpowered athlete Brad Dixon pushes himself to, but his basic fitness recommendations aren’t hard to follow.

This Tauranga physiotherapist has some very simple suggestions for improving your basic body strength and mostly they all add up to only two things - stand up and do something.

We put a series of questions to him about how people regard exercise,

the constraints they think they face and how he helps them overcome the barriers.

WFL: Dedicated exercise is one thing but, generally speaking, do you think people have a problem with just getting up and moving about more often?

Our society is set up NOT to be in motion on the whole. Our schools are too sedentary, and many of us are chained to the desk.

The healthiest cultures on earth

on, addressing the Vege and Tauranga physiotherapist, Brad Dix lier this year.

Vines conference in Gisborne ear

18 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

don’t belong to gyms or do scheduled exercise, they just move more during the day e.g. walk to the shops, do gardening, and don’t rely on their cars.

So yes, we need to move more daily - go for a walk at lunch time, get a standing desk, and ride your bike to work. Work on the basics first before paying for that gym membership.

WFL: Are there small (short time length) exercises they can do?

Just walk more, stand more, then look at some simple body weight exercises within your capacity e.g. squat slowly into a chair, go up the stairs 2 at time, push ups against the wall (progress to a bench), hang from the monkey bars at the local playground and stand on one leg as you brush your teeth.

WFL: When we exercise, what does it do to us?

Motion is total lotion for the body, mind and soul.

Exercise increases our ability to function more efficiently in life. It improves our cardiovascular fitness (heart pumping blood with oxygen around the body and the lungs taking air into the system), our mental health, our muscular strength, and our bodies total robustness.

If you don’t make time for exercise daily then make time for pain, discomfort, disease, and dysfunction later in life. We should be scheduling in 20-60min EVERY day. If not, then you are wasting the greatest instrument you will EVER own.

WFL: Is exercise alone enough to make people happy or should there be a combination of other factors as well? Like food, meditation etc There is NEVER a silver bullet when it comes to WELLNESS on an ongoing basis. It’s always a combination of plantbased whole food, movement, purpose, relationships, strength, downshifting (meditation/mindfulness), joy, family and community.

WFL: Many motivational speakers talk about finding your Y - the reason why you want to do things. What is yours?

To make sure I can be a functioning member of my family, and society right up until I die. I want to extend my healthy vibrant existence and make a difference while continuing to fully enjoy and embrace life.

WFL: You say on your web site that your greatest triathlon buzz was competing at the Hawaiian Ironman in 1999. What was it about that marathon that’s so special for you?

The Hawaiian Ironman is the World Ironman (triathlon) Championships (3.8km swim, 180km bike, and 42km marathon run). It is the holy grail of triathlon and it is very difficult to qualify for. It was a special experience.

WFL: Which comes first, diet or exercise?

They have to both work together. Just as you can’t separate the mind and body (they both exist meshed together – you can’t talk about health without both movement and fuel).

You can’t exercise out a bad diet, and you can’t be fully healthy without a body working to its best capacity.

I love this quote from Socrates: “No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training…what a disgrace it is for a man (or woman) to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his (her) body is capable.”

WFL: Is it important for people to understand a connection between the two? (i.e. diet and exercise) Imperative WFL: Do you believe there’s any connection between diet, exercise and self-worth?

Of course – it’s a no brainer. You simply feel more alive and engaged when you eat to nourish and move in nature.

WFL: Most of us like to stay warm inside but do you believe getting cold can play a positive role in our good health?

Absolutely. There is a lot of emerging research showing the importance of getting comfortable with a little discomfort to help keep our immune system on its toes.

This makes us more resilient, and able to handle stress in a more positive way. Getting cold (swimming and/or showers) and going hungry (fasting) are two simple cost-effective strategies we can all use.

WFL: You must have developed a fondness for good health from an early age, do you think it’s important to raise children to understand good health?

Children MUST be taught that looking after themselves is imperative to good health and wellbeing.

If you look after yourself then you are better equipped to then look after others.

We as adults have done a particularly poor job of modelling health with the way we live our lives.

Most of us work too much, eat the

Photo Credit: Photos4sale

Brad Dixon is a sports physiotherapist, coach, and wellness evangelist based at EVERFIT Physio & Coaching. His passion is helping people strive for their potential with promotion of enhancing daily habits. The power is in your hands! Brad’s interest in a whole food plant based lifestyle began when his uncle was diagnosed with bowel cancer. This started his transition to a plant based lifestyle firstly for performance and health, then to the inefficiency of intensively raising animals for food. wrong food, and don’t spend enough time with our loved ones. We work for the weekend and holidays to escape our stressful lives.

Good health is far more than diet and exercise – we need to talk about positive relationships, love, purpose, and making a positive difference for our world and EVERYONE in it.

As Marshall McLuhan said; “there are no passengers on planet earth. We are all crew”.

It’s about being the best we can all be so we can make our home better for all.

WFL: You are strongly sports focused but what about people who are struggling just say, to walk down to the shops. Can you help those people?

Of course. The principles of improving any individual is the same – start where they are, and progress within

capacity. Then be consistent with daily habits that create room for growth and improvement.

WFL: In your view, how important is it to maintain good eating habits … do they affect our general energy level?

It’s imperative. Without healthy habits around food entrenched you will be chasing your “health tail” in circles with little forward progress.

Click or scan QR image for more details.

everfit.co.nz wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 19

Does being whole food plant-based make me vegan?

V

eganism is booming, and unless you have been stranded on a desert island you can’t have failed to notice it being mentioned pretty much everywhere!

There are new vegan products arriving in supermarkets, restaurants and cafés are offering many more vegan options, and there are exclusively vegan eateries opening up all over.

Then there are the clothes; shoes and household items that were unheard of a decade ago. Go online and the internet is flooded with information! I just typed vegan into my search engine and got 900,000,000 hits!

In what seems like a few short years veganism has become mainstream, where previously it was thought of as wacky and on the fringe. The Economist has named 2019 the Year of the Vegan.

This recent rise in popularity could lead us to think veganism is a new idea but that’s not so.

From ancient times it’s been reported that many have chosen to follow the principle of ahimsa: the practice of nonviolence toward all living beings.

Many religions and their followers, particularly in India have adopted the practise as well as some very famous plant-based eaters including Pythagoras and Leonardo de Vinci.

It’s only the word vegan that is new and certainly not the idea. Donald Watson, the founder of the Vegan Society (UK) coined the word vegan in 1944 using the first 3 and last 2 letters of the word vegetarian.

Watson went on to define veganism as follows: Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.

Diet then is just one part of a vegan lifestyle and not the reason behind the choice. Those who adopt a vegan way of life sometimes explain that they don’t wear, eat or use anything that has a mother or a face.

They are motivated by living a life of non-violence and believe their stance is an ethical and moral one. They often speak out or rally on behalf of the animals and encourage others to think

20 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

Stephanie Wynn believes vibrant health is a birthright. In 2018 she completed the Whole Food PlantBased Nutrition Course, through eCornell University. She works with anyone with a desire to get well and stay well. The emphasis is on shortterm intervention and providing the tools to take control of your own health and well-being. about going cruelty-free for the animals too.

Alongside the increase of popularity of veganism has been a similar rise in those choosing a whole food plantbased (WFPB) diet and lifestyle.

Plant-only diets have been emerging in the face of a great deal of opposition from those still believing that we need animal flesh for protein and milk for calcium.

While some of this opposition is from health professionals, a great deal is generated from businesses invested in animal products.

But the tide is definitely on the turn, and the evidence is now irrefutable that eating a WFPB diet is the very best for creating optimal health, reversing disease and for longevity.

To avoid any confusion we are discussing a WFPB diet and not one of the many other plant based-diets that have grown in popularity, such as high carb, low carb, and others like the plantbased ketogenic diet and more.

A WFPB diet emphasises whole, minimally processed foods, excludes animal products, and focuses on plants including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts.

The guidelines are to eat plants as close to their natural state as possible and if (minimally) processed that all the components of the plant are still included. The main exclusions are oils, refined sugars, junk foods, white flours, grains and breads while salt is kept to a minimum.

Our bodies know how to process and make the best use of whole foods, foods with all the nutrients and fibre intact. It makes perfect sense to get our nourishment the way nature provides it and from plants.

We have neither the digestive system, the teeth nor the hands for flesh eating and the fluids from animals are meant only for their young.

This lifestyle, like veganism isn’t new either! Before the industrial revolution and the availability of a huge variety of foods, we lived primarily on plants.

Hunter-gatherers relied on plants as daily fare and ate meat infrequently.

We know from more recent history that rural populations living on continents such as India and Africa have survived and thrived on mainly plants, and rarely suffer from the main western inflictions such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

The alternative? Our highly processed animal inclusive diets have landed us in a major health crisis that is costing our health care systems billions.

Diabetes is so prevalent now that it is rising alarmingly, not just in adults but also in children, and has even been discovered in vitro!

Heart disease, definitely a dietary inflicted disease, is the number one killer and despite massive funding and decades of research cancer numbers are not falling.

The maxim ‘let food be thy medicine

and medicine be thy food’ is proving to be one of the most important statements of our time and we urgently need to apply this wisdom now.

There is an amazing team of brave souls who flew in the face of deeply entrenched opposition to bring us the importance of eating the WFPB and I encourage you to read their books and visit their websites if you haven’t already.

Treating thousands of patients with a WFPB dietary regime has convinced doctors such as T. Colin Campbell, Caldwell Esselystyn, Neal Barnard, Dean Ornish, Michael Klaper and Michael Greger that this is the diet we all need to adopt.

Those choosing this diet are growing daily as they read about, or know of someone personally, who is now brimming with health since choosing a WFPB diet, often achieving this within the first few weeks.

So the answer then is that eating a Whole Food Plant Based Diet doesn’t mean you are vegan.

Some vegans survive on fast food and fizzy drinks without a thought for personal health, although most generally are health conscious.

Conversely, WFPB eaters primarily are health focused but continue to use animals in other aspects of their lives outside of their diet.

I’ve been vegan for almost a decade and on WFPB diet for over a year and am equally passionate about both lifestyle choices.

Being a WFPB-Vegan has brought me more joy and better health than I could ever have imagined, and I wish the same for you.

The problem with oil

G

ram for gram oil has the same number of calories as beef fat. Coconut oil is 90% saturated fat, and lard 40%.

One tablespoon of oil has 120 cals and 14 gms of fat. A 60kg woman would need to jog over 1.9 kms to burn off one tablespoon of oil. Within hours of ingesting oil, arteries stiffen and their ability to dilate is impaired. Oil is pure fat with all other nutrients stripped away. It contains more calories per gram than any other food.

Choose the right cooking equipment Non-stick pans Silicon Baking Mats Ceramic ovenware Air Fryer Parchment Paper when baking

Saute(ing) - cook at a lower temperature: Instead of oil, saute

with tamari, vegetable stock, coconut aminos, balsamic vinegar or water. Oil is not needed for browning or caramelizing.

These effects can be achieved without oil, you just need more time. When sautéing, just add a couple of tablespoons of your liquids, then add more as needed. Reduce the heat, this will stop burning.

Steaming: Vegetables can be steamed quickly and will Click or scan QR image for more details.

movinghealthforward.nz

retain their flavour. You can also sprinkle with your favourite seasoning.

Baking: Using non-stick cookware and parchment paper are

a good part of the key to cooking without oil. You can also use unsweetened apple sauce, nut butters, or mashed banana to replace oil in baked goods.

Just as nature intended

Finely tuned over millions of years human breast milk is highly regarded as the perfect food for human beings.

Surprisingly though, it contains less than 1 percent protein by weight and is one of the lowest-protein milks in the mammalian world. Although this protein level has been described as extremely low, Dr Michael Greger on his website, nutritionfacts.org, says “it’s exactly where it needs to be.” He says people are more likely to suffer from protein excess than protein deficiency and “this is one of the reasons why feeding straight cow’s milk to babies is so dangerous.” The adverse effects associated with long-term high protein/high meat intake diets may include disorders of bone and calcium balance, disorders of kidney function, increased cancer risk, disorders of the liver and worsening of coronary artery disease.

22 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

P

lant based eating

By Dr Luke Wilson www.twozestybananas.com

It's ideal for everyone - including kids

A

plant-based way of eating works well for everyone. I’m often asked about possible exceptions to this, the most common, after athletes, being kids.

There’s an oft-cited statement from the American Dietetic Association, the gist of which is that they’ve deemed that a ‘wellplanned’ ‘vegan’ diet is appropriate for all stages of life, and promotes normal growth.

The sentiment is great, but it does make it sound a little as if you’d really need to sit down and do some serious planning to get things right. Actually, with just some very minor modifications and a little encouragement, eating plant-based will get your kids off to the best start possible.

To be honest, looking back, I must have been a super-healthy kid. I have very few memories of going to a doctor for anything.

If I had more than a handful of courses of antibiotics I’d be surprised, and I don’t remember being given medicine for anything else really.

You could say I was lucky but knowing what I know now, I wonder how much of it might have been due to the fact I was eating vegetarian at least. I’ll never know.

But what I do know is that there are plenty of childhood illnesses that seem related to food.

ADHD, asthma, ear infections, eczema, diabetes, and acne all can be influenced by food. I’ll look into these further at some point, but for now just check what’s out there for yourself.

Childhood obesity is first and foremost

about food choices, and the standard diet also often brings about an inappropriately early onset of puberty.

Kids need to be at the top of their game because they’re always learning, and a plant-based way of eating keeps energy levels high and consistent, helping them stay sharp and focused. And many illnesses that do not affect us until adulthood actually lay their foundations in childhood.

So, a plant-based way of eating will help your kids to feel their best. But there’s a few differences between kids and adults that we should take into account.

Children are smaller, so of course they have smaller stomachs too. This means they’ll feel ‘full’ quite quickly with the more fibre and water dense plant foods.

Given that they’re also growing and quite active, an emphasis on the more energy dense foods can be important for kids.

Focusing on starchy vegetables and grains is a good starting point, and kids may also at times need a few of the more energy-dense foods added in, like avocado, nut butters, tofu, and dried fruits. There are plenty of plant-based options for familiar and kid-friendly foods and recipes out there.

For breakfast try porridge, toast, pancakes, French toast, or even just stick with the tried-and-true WeetBix. Lunches could include wraps, sandwiches (practically all I ate for lunch when I was a kid anyhow!), soup, fruits and veggies either alone or with dips, or even sushi.

For dinners stuff they can personalise like pizza, burgers and fries, and Mexican are great choices. Otherwise comfort foods like mashed potatoes and macaroni and ’cheese’.

Treats and desserts include muffins, cupcakes, rice pudding, and banana ‘icecream’ with all the toppings.

Snacks can be useful for getting in extra energy, and include hummus, frozen grapes or orange slices, nut butters, popcorn, dried fruit, and even baked potatoes!

Kids especially are enthusiastic about being kind to animals and also the environmental aspects of eating plantbased. Introducing the change to them as an ‘experiment’ to see if something improves (e.g. their energy, sleep etc.) also appeals to some.

Gardening to grow their own food and cooking and customising their own meals can help to get kids excited about plantbased eating.

Keep in mind of course that even for the McDougall and Fuhrman kids the emphasis is very much on eating plant-based at home. When out and about and in social situations kids will tend to choose better options once they understand, enjoy, and are familiar with these anyhow.

Just like with us, it’s what they’re eating most of the time rather than some of the time that really matters! Choosing to raise your kids plant-based isn’t just an ‘appropriate’ choice, it’s the best choice.

Note: Children require B12 and similar supplementation as do WFPB adults.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 23

The Big FAT Lie Directed by: Grant Dixon Appearances by: Dr Luke Wilson, Dr Nick Wright, Prof Boyd Swinburn It’s almost a year since Grant Dixon’s movie, The Big FAT Lie, was released and since then a lot of big things have happened but the biggest of them all is just weeks away.

On December 10 The Big FAT Lie will be released for hire and download across multiple digital platforms internationally, including iTunes.

The final arrangements went into place only a week before this edition of WFL went to press. It’s a milestone step for Dixon and, if it takes off, could return some significant income.

“The launch date is to take advantage of the ‘New Year resolution’ market, being launched at the same time as Nutrition Fact’s Dr Michael Greger’s new book ‘How Not to Diet’,” he said.

Since the end of last year and earlier this year Dixon road-showed the film around New Zealand and even took it to Brisbane.

“Its reception was uniformly enthusiastic! I took it to 17 centres from Auckland to Waipukurau and it sold-out 8 times!

“Nelson is a stronghold of the plantbased movement thanks to the amazing work of Hannah O'Malley. Some 2,000 people viewed the documentary in theatres, halls and cafes.”

But are people facing up to the health message it delivers? Well, that’s a hard one says Dixon but for people who know the truth it’s a “slam dunk.”

Selling internationally has required

one concession, however.

The Big FAT Lie can no longer be billed as 'the Kiwi plant-based doco’ because in the US a Kiwi is a piece of fruit.

Click or scan QR image for more details. wholefoodliving.life/wfpb-movies

Diet Fiction

Directed by: Michal Siewierski Appearances by: Dr Neal Barnard, Dr Michael Greger, Samuel L Jackson, James Cameron

T

his fact filled documentary explores the problem of diet and nudges you to think carefully about what you are eating and why. One of its earliest speakers, John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, says “food addictions are so common these days that people don’t even know when they’re addicted.” The movie confronts viewers with the problems caused by yo-yo dieting and while presenter Dr Dean Ornish doesn’t disagree with the idea of losing weight he points out that “it’s important to lose weight but not in ways that mortgage our health.” An interesting and not always stressed fact Diet Fiction makes isM that while sugar is a problem, it’s really not the entire cause of the worldwide obesity epidemic. At the heart of this production is a sobering message to which Dr Pam Popper refers.

“If you’ve got something you eat terribly for a good long time and you end up with cancer, you don’t always get the chance to change your diet and make it all go away.”

This documentary dispels the idea that our diet can be whatever we want because we mistakenly believe exercise will take care of it all.

Unfortunately, you can’t out exercise a bad diet.

- pB

24 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

Click or scan QR image for more details. wholefoodliving.life/wfpb-movies

Forks Over Knives

Directed by: Lee Fulkerson Appearances by: Dr T Colin Campbell, Dr Caldwell Esselstyn jnr, Dr John McDougall, Dr Pam Popper, and Dr Neal Barnard and more.

S

ince its official release in May 2011 Forks over Knives is still regarded as one of the most, if not the most, powerful influencer's on the whole food plant-based movement.

Its straight forward presentation centres on the work of respected American biochemist, T Collin Campbell and others and clearly explains that the gradual rise in the consumption of meat and dairy products in the western diet has produced disastrous outcomes for millions.

Campbell’s seminal 20-year China Study is simply explained in this 96-minute documentary which has won critical acclaim the world over and led thousands to seriously review and change how they eat.

Of course, none of this might ever have happened if it wasn’t for a man named Brian Wendell, a Staten Island based beef eating, pizza lover hadn’t attended a nutrition conference in 2001. That’s where Wendell first learned about the value of plant-based eating.

For the next eight years he became immersed in the diet, increasing his understanding of its benefits and then, in 2009, began work on a documentary film and the rest is history.

The film was a hit. Pulitzer Prize winning critic, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, gave the film three out of four stars and wrote: “here is a film that could save your life.”

Unfortunately, Ebert a long-time victim

of cancer, died of the disease on April 4, 2013 at 70. But the film didn’t suit everyone’s taste.

As Wikipedia records, Corey Hall of Detroit’s Metro Sun-Times gave the film a “C” saying “while it’s impossible to dispute the basic premise that eating more vegetables is good for you, Forks adopts a staunch anti-meat and dairy stance that leaves the door open for criticism.”

Despite any criticism however, Forks over Knives has had over 88,000 views on filmsforaction.org and continues to enjoy repeated downloads on Netflix.

The official trailer on YouTube has been viewed over 2.6 million times and received 10,000 likes and 380 dislikes since it was first uploaded in November 2010.

The claims made in the movie have never been scientifically debunked so in short, it has stood the test of time.

Credit is also due to movies like Fat Sick and Nearly Dead (April, 2010) and the British production PlanEat (also April 2010) that features T Collin Campbell and Dr Caldwell Esselstyn Jnr but focuses more strongly on global warming and methane emissions.

So, if movies like Forks over Knives and subsequent spinoffs since have had any impact over time, then perhaps the outcome is reflected in the massive growth in veganism, particularly over the last five years.

A survey published in the UK in April last year claimed there had been a

massive jump in the number of people listing themselves as vegan since 2016.

Britain is now believed to have a vegan population in excess of 3.5 million.

The US has also seen a significant increase in vegan numbers and both countries have witnessed substantial growth in the number of commercial operators producing products catering solely to this market.

Finally, recognition that there has now been a significant shift in thinking seems confirmed by the fact that Forbes magazine designated 2019, The Year of the Vegan.

If anything, perhaps Forks over Knives paved the path and set a standard for subsequent producers which have created similar documentaries every year since 2014.

Forks over Knives was ground breaking. James Cameron’s, The Game Changers is next. - pB

Click or scan QR image for more details. wholefoodliving.life/wfpb-movies

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 25

Morgan Mitchell

Dean Ornish

The Game Changers

Patrik Baboumian

James Wilks

Directed by Louie Psihoyos Presented by: James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic and Chris Paul

J

ames Cameron’s The Game Changers has now been the subject of hundreds of online conversations around the world, but we thought we’d publish some reactions we recorded immediately after the Auckland central screening on September 16.

Rochelle: I thought it was really good. Being plant-based, a lot of it you do know, but it’s good to see so many people doing so well on plant-based diets. And obviously, all the medical statistics and stuff, it is an eye opener.

And it was nice to see those out-takes at the end - to have that little bit extra with those things that didn’t make it into the movie. I thought it had a good balance, and a nice sort of human element with everybody that was involved in it.

Nick: It’s good. I’m looking forward to watching this movie going around the world. I think its connection to the celebrities is what will get people’s interest.

Phil: I think the movie is all part of a bigger picture. I think it’s going to take

26 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

more movies, media, people outreach.

Just conversations around the table. It won’t change people just like that.

Nick: I think the people who are interested in the subject are going to watch it anyway. Like people who are interested in going plant-based and it might convince them to go that way.

But people who are staunched meat eaters, I don’t know if they’ll even be interested in seeing it.

They might but I don’t know how you convince those people. I think they are the hardest to convince. They keep on eating meat regardless of the figures that you present to them. They are the hardest to get through to.

This movie might be quite a good way, but I don’t think they will go out of their way to see it. They might inadvertently.

Rochelle: I had a discussion with a guy at work this morning. He is a meat eater and when I said I was coming to see this movie he got really excited. He said he didn’t know it was playing. He had been following it.

So, I definitely think you will get

people who do [eat meat] and when they see all the facts and figures and …

Nick: I mean one of the appeals is health, right? And I think it does that quite well. I mean the health benefits of giving up meat are clear. It doesn’t go into too much detail but it gives enough detail that might lead you to investigate more and do your own research.

I mean we learn stuff at school, but we just don’t retain that information, or we learn the wrong things. I mean milk was given out at school.

For Nick, health was one of the big reasons he gave up meat.

“Eating a plant-based diet is one way of maintaining a healthier body,” he said.

Click or scan QR image for more details. wholefoodliving.life/wfpb-movies

South African

Raja Bean Curry INGREDIENTS Small amount of vegetable stock for cooking 2 x garlic cloves 2 tsp grated ginger 1 x tin baked beans in tomato sauce.

5 x small potato cut small - pre cook in microwave to soften 1 x four bean mix - keep liquid 2 x tsp Raja mild mix 1 x tsp Raja all-in-one mix

METHOD Saute garlic and ginger in a small amount of vegetable stock, add 2 tsp of Raja mild mix, stir for 30 sec until aroma has released. Toss in both bean’s with it’s liquid and potatoes. Once brought to a simmer add 1 tsp RAJA all- in one mix. Simmer on low for 5 mins. Then switch off and let rest for minimum of 15 mins.

Serve on bed of brown rice.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 27

HANNAH

O'Malley

The Better Base

We asked Hannah O’Malley, Nelson pharmacist and founder of The Better Base, to share her views on growing the plant-based movement in New Zealand.

W

hen I decided to shift to a plant-based diet just three years ago, my world was turned upside down. Like most Kiwis, I had consumed hefty portions of meat, dairy and eggs my whole life and never considered that this lifestyle might be wreaking havoc on my health, let alone the planet.

So in 2016, when I came across the information that eating a plant-based food was the best decision we could make each day for our health and the environment, I was startled to say the least.

The first reaction I had was like most - I seriously thought I could never give up meat. But the more I

28 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

looked into it, the more convincing the data was. I was fairly astounded that I had never come across this evidence or advice during the years I had spent working in hospitals and health research.

It’s common knowledge that our challenges in health are immense. In New Zealand poor diet is a leading risk factor for health loss. Heart disease, diabetes and obesity which are at epidemic levels, can often be avoided by a healthy lifestyle.

Our environment is also in crisis. This is an emergency and part of the solution needs to be dietary change. The EAT-Lancet Commission has called for a great, urgent food transformation towards a plant-based diet for human and planetary health.

The fate of our fellow species is also at stake as we enter the sixth mass extinction. As I learnt about these problems and how my choices could help, I began to make different decisions, day by day. It took me four months to reduce and eventually eliminate animal products.

Not long after, I completed a certificate in plantbased nutrition through Cornell University and

shifted to a whole food plant-based diet. I wish I had come across this knowledge years ago.

Fast forward three years and I am now supporting people to learn how to build a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle through my business, The Better Base.

I wanted to make it easier for anyone to learn about eating healthy vegan food and break the stigma that is often attached. When I went vegan, I didn’t know a single other person that was vegan. The jokes come thick and fast and several friends expressed disappointment.

I want to help shift public perception away from that, to a culture where people are celebrated for making healthy, eco-friendly choices and eating plants is seen as a cool thing to do. It's already happening with the younger generation.

Support and solid information were what I sought as I went on the journey to change food habits of a lifetime. The Better Base aims to provide that support and information, not just from me, but a wider team of doctors, health professionals, researchers, athletes and chefs. The events, monthly webinars, Ridiculously Good Recipes and online programmes delivered by The Better Base has engaged thousands of New Zealanders and beyond.

Feedback from people taking part has been incredible.

One described her gratitude as the ‘Taste Of PlantBased’ programme helped her near the start of her decision making process: “Can’t thank you enough for the past 48 hours. I watched Forks over Knives three days ago and then saw your event advertised. We had been looking into reducing meat and dairy this year but after the information we have had it’s a no brainer and manageable. There’s no going back now. I just can’t thank you all enough.”

The power that we have on the tips of our forks is huge, yet the public still lack awareness of what a whole food plant-based diet is and how beneficial it can be. We aim to change that, raise awareness and contribute to the tipping point whereby plant-based is the new norm.

It’s a huge challenge and we need our leaders and decision makers to be on board. So inviting key players and influencers to events is part of our strategy.

Our events have hosted professional rugby players, health leaders, city councillors and more.

My vision is a truly healthy New Zealand, where we live in harmony with nature and enjoy a great quality of life for as long as possible. A recent survey reported that 10 per cent of Kiwis are mostly or always living meat free, so there is a movement underway. For the sake of our environment, it needs to happen faster - but it’s not always easy for meat-lovers to know how to make the switch.

One issue I try to highlight is the perception that it’s an ‘all or nothing’ decision. To get people started, I encourage everyone to just give a plant-based meal a shot. Market research showed that people struggled with what to cook, so I created a ‘Ridiculously Good Recipe’ programme to help. With more than 60 healthy recipes over 12 weeks, newbies are pros by the end of it!

Locals in my home town of Nelson can’t get enough of The Better Base events. Earlier this year, 300 people attended screenings of The Big Fat Lie and heard from a panel of local health professionals and health researcher Professor John Potter. It’s so exciting to see more health professionals bringing plant-based nutrition to the heart of their practice.

Organisations that connect like minds and amplify

the message are crucial to helping us overcome our health and environmental challenges. We are stronger together, and different voices resonate with different groups. Diversity is important, as well as a fun, positive brand. The tone and ‘personality’ of The Better Base is key, we want it to be inclusive and appeal to those who are new to this conversation and we celebrate every small step.

On the individual level, my aim is for The Better Base to inspire people to eat more whole plants, feel good about that and talk to others about why they are doing it. But at a higher level my ambition is to help influence businesses, health organisations, councils and government to embrace whole plant foods as business as usual for protecting our health and this planet Earth we call home.

For More information

www.thebetterbase.com Support The Better Base www.patreon.com/thebetterbase

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 29

Cheese not needed!

Yes, you can make delicious pizzas without using cheese. Of course you can always use a vegan cheese as a treat but if you are looking to minimise your processed foods as much as possible then you can do it easily using the following ideas.

INGREDIENTS BASE and SAUCES √ Leggo's Squeezy Pizza Sauce √ Ramanos Pizza Bases - Herb and tomato √ Veesey Vegan Aioli (optional) TOPS (suggested) √ Baby Spinach √ Red Capsicum √ Red Onion √ Tomato √ Portobello mushroom √ Tinned Pineapple chunks √ Tinned apple sauce- baby food √ Olives √ Sliced gherkin √ Capers √ Nutritional yeast √ Smoked paprika √ Mixed herbs

METHOD

On the base spread the pizza sauce first, then add on top the vegan aioli if desired. Cover the sauces fully with spinach leaves, then slice tomato. Even spread the chunky ingredients like, mushroom, capsicum and pineapple over the tomato. Place smaller items, olives, capers etc to suit. Finish off with apple sauce, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika and mixed herb.

Cook for eight minutes in a pizza maker or 8 to 12 minutes in oven on 230°C (440°F) 30 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

Dr Mark Craig

A

Grant Dixon

Dr Martyn Willamson

NZ community group forms to fight growth in lifestyle illnesses

new community-based health initiative has been formed to fight New Zealand’s rising tide of lifestyle illnesses.

Evidenced Based Eating New Zealand (EBE NZ) has committed itself to raising public awareness on the value of whole food plantbased eating.

“Our primary aim is to educate and inspire the general public, health professionals, private organisations and government institutions using evidence-based research,” says Auckland based GP, Dr Mark Craig.

Over the long term, he says the group’s mission is to make whole food plant-based (WFPB) nutrition commonly recognised and understood by all New Zealanders as the primary illness preventive treatment for optimal health and wellbeing.

EBE NZ evolved from two Gisborne based conferences featuring the benefits achieved by dietary changes in a small population study.

The Broad Study, which was completed nearly three years ago, confirmed the outcomes of several overseas investigations into the value of whole food plant-based eating and its reductive effects on high blood pressure, cholesterol ratios, diabetes and sustainable weight loss.

Documentary film maker Grant Dixon, who is also a member of the group, says thousands of New Zealanders could be saved from death and serious disability if the health officials they dealt with made them aware of what can be achieved on a whole food plant-based diet.

As a former heart attack victim himself, Dixon says he would never have needed to cost the

health system such a significant sum had he been better informed by the health professionals he dealt with at the time.

“And on top of that, let’s not forget all the upset it put my wife and family through.”

Dixon produced his own documentary (The Big FAT Lie) on the experience which is now being sold for international distribution.

Dr Martyn Williamson of Alexandra welcomes the establishment of EBE NZ because he sees special value in the creation of a communitybased group involving both professional and laypeople.

“Through a group like this I believe physicians like myself and many other health professionals will find better ways to explain things that we all should know but seem to have lost sight of.”

In a wider sense EBE NZ sees its advocacy for a whole food plant-based diet as a way of being sustainable for the environment and preventative of global warming.

It will also be promoting the inclusion of evidenced based information on WFPB nutrition into the education and training of all New Zealand health practitioners.

The group seeks to develop commonly understood guidelines for lifestyle change which can significantly improve the course of chronic diseases such as: heart disease, hypertension, Type 1 & 2 diabetes, Crohn’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, inflammatory arthritis and is preventative of Osteoporosis, breast, prostate and bowel cancers.

WWW.EBE.NZ wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 31

Doctors unite for the benefit of good health

A

new non-profit organisation in our region is working to promote the enormous potential of whole food plant-based eating to address our growing health crisis.

Doctors For Nutrition (DFN) is led by a network of professional healthcare colleagues around Australia and New Zealand who share a passion for using food as medicine.

The registered Australian health-promotion charity was born out of a collaboration between health events specialist Lucy Stegley (Melbourne) and retired paediatrician Dr Heleen Roex-Haitjema (Adelaide).

The team are united in seeing a glaring gap in our healthcare system when it comes to nutrition. A whole food plant-based diet is a scientifically-proven approach that empowers patients to treat and prevent disease, starting in their own kitchens.

Co-founder Dr Heleen Roex-Haitjema explains that “trainee doctors in Australia and New Zealand typically receive only a few hours of nutrition education, despite being on the frontline in dealing with patients facing diet-related health conditions.”

“The current paradigm leaves patients disempowered and practitioners disheartened. Doctors For Nutrition are committed to changing this,” she says.

Just last month, the Lancet published new research confirming that nutrition is insufficiently incorporated into medical education worldwide, including here in Australasia.

Even nutrition specialists are not being taught enough about the enormous benefits of a whole food plant-based diet. DFN is working to bring compelling evidence about whole food plant-based nutrition into the mainstream.

Dr Roex-Haitjema began exploring the evidence 8 years ago. She has a Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition from e-Cornell University and became Australia’s first Certified Instructor through The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s “Food for Life” program in Washington DC, now running regular Food for Life courses in Adelaide.

DFN launched with a bang at its inaugural Australasian

Nutrition in Healthcare Conference in February 2019. A lineup of 20 experts presented the science and practical implementation of a whole food plant-based diet to their peers and the public. Held in Melbourne, the conference was headlined

by US physician Dr Neal Barnard, one of the world’s foremost experts on the subject of plant-based nutrition.

He was joined by other leading presenters including Dr Scott Stoll, former Olympian and co-founder of US nonprofit, The Plantrician Project, UK gut health expert Dr Alan Desmond, and New Zealand GP Dr Luke Wilson, coauthor of the BROAD Study which established impressive weight loss and associated health benefits without calorie restriction using a whole food plant-based diet.

This major international conference will return to Melbourne in February 2021, headlined by Drs Dean and Ayesha Sherzia of Loma Linda University. ‘Team Sherzai’ are a neurologist couple whose ground-breaking research into brain health demonstrates how lifestyle factors can prevent and slow the progression of degenerative brain diseases including Alzheimer’s.

DFN’s work includes educational and advocacy activities targeting the healthcare sector, institutional decision makers and the public across Australia and New Zealand, via a wide range of events, webinars, resources, media outreach and policy lobbying “Integrating plant-based nutrition into healthcare has the potential to bring about a giant leap in both population and planetary health – which of course go hand in hand. It’s an idea whose time has come and it’s inspiring to be building an organisation in our region to champion this movement,” says Wellington based DFN Board Director, Dr Luke Wilson.

DFN has a number of projects in the pipeline, including a forthcoming practitioner guide and training modules, public health research project, advocacy and outreach programs.

The DFN team 32 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

For more information see

www.doctorsfornutrition.org

Roast with the most

T

here is so much flavour and colour to be found in roast veges.

Forget the meat and oil, enjoy the smells and taste available to you with the abundance of vegetables available to roast.

Adding oil and meat in your "Sunday roasts" is traditional in our southern homes, however it's high saturated fat in both products is what, in the long term, causing the ill health of Australians and New Zealanders.

Always make more than is needed to carry over the vegetables to add to poke bowls, wraps and salads.

SUGGESTED INGREDIENTS Potatoes, carrots, red capsicum, beetroot, kumara (sweet potato), pumpkin, courgettes, yams, button mushrooms, white or red onions, bulb of garlic (not peeled).

METHOD Preheat oven to 180°C or 350°F. Cut up all vegetables to your desired size (no need to peel anything except for the onions) and place them into a roasting pan. Sprinkle with mixed herbs and celery seeds and drizzle over balsamic vinegar. If desired drizzle a small amount of maple syrup over the carrots. Finally cover bottom of the tray with either vegetable stock or water.

Cover with roasting lid or tin foil and bake for 1 hour. Once cooked serve with green vegetables like: Silverbeet ( Swiss Chard), Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts or Spinach. Add pepper and drizzle with mint sauce for taste.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 33

Dr Nick Wright: Carb study raises serious concerns O

nce you scratch the surface, walking people through the process of analysing research might turn out to be much more interesting than initially thought. The common criticism that there is too much crap out there being churned out on a daily basis with conflicting messages is completely true. So, how can we work through the information being provided and dissect it?

Well, it is not easy. I’ve been reading science and academic articles for years, and with a methodical approach it gets easier, however there are no shortcuts.

Given I only have a few hours in which to write this article the analysis will be superficial, but even so, with a quick glance at the world of research into low carbohydrate science we start to see some serious concerns.

With any analysis, we start with hearing about the findings of an article.

In this case; “Low-Carb Diets Help Maintain Weight Loss” is the headline being featured on one of the world’s top academic medical journal websites, linking through to another site with the article – OK, I’ll have a look and see what there is to say here.

The article I found: “Effects of a low carbohydrate diet on energy expenditure during weight loss maintenance: randomized trial” presents a beautiful illustration of how research is done and how confusing this process is, for everyone.

Firstly, we go to the website where the original article is listed. It’s published on the British Medical Journal, which is considered to be one of the best medical journals in the world, if not the best.

Visiting the site is important as there are occasionally retractions or amendments to the original article, which are usually minor, but can, in theory, have massive implications. In this case, the article is a tad on the long side, but not unusually so.

It’s 14 pages including the references.

This is not the complete article however.

Mostly because of word limits imposed by journals, there is little space to

34 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

A slow and steady approach to peeling back some of the layers to see if we can extract any meaningful lessons. I invite you to join me on my process of looking at a research article. This would seem like a mundane, and even boring experience, however I can reassure you this is not the case.

Part One The money trail write up exactly what the authors did in an article. So they will publish the methodology in another article, which involves saying, e.g., “on day one we called ten patients” or “we provided patients with this type of scale to measure their weight”.

In this case this methods article is buried in the links, present but not exactly super visible. This is not the fault of the authors, it is simply that there is a lot of information to present and not enough space to do it, so it must be linked somewhere. The methodology article is 8 pages.

The methodology article I read does not answer all my questions about how they measured everything (specifically their approach for measuring or deducing total energy use) so I also checked the registration page at clinicaltrials.gov, where most clinical trials are registered.

This helped me to get a bit closer to the answer. The article states that further answers are available in the supplementary methods on the BMJ site, however I could not find these.

Sometimes this difficulty is intentional, here I currently have no suspicions of foul play.

Both articles are freely available

without being hidden behind a paywall. This is usually because the team promoting the research has paid additional fees of several thousand dollars to make them visible. Visibility is good for everyone, so bravo here.

Skim the article, then re-read if interesting Usually when I start to read an article I will read through the abstract, then the methods, skim the results, read the discussion and then start all over again and go through it, if the first read through has piqued my interest.

In this study, after doing the above and not having answers to my questions yet (how did they measure the results for their primary outcome?), I read through the methodology.

The researchers engaged dieticians, food providers, an online study portal to track results, provided each participant $3000 or so US dollars for participating and $3000 more for food purchases during the trial, among other things.

This is a serious study, with excellent description of the parts of the trial described, extremely thorough analysis of the statistics, and no surprising considering a trial with a LOT of resources.

Few trials will come close to this

much funding. Given 164 or so people in the trial, $3000 per patient is around a million USD just to fund the study participants. Many trials will not give more than ‘token’ inducement to the participants in a trial.

In New Zealand I think that researchers would struggle to set up a trial like this, as this might be deemed ‘too much’ inducement by the ethics review boards, whereby a participant might feel pressured to continue in a study where they might otherwise drop out.

People respond to financial incentives, and the retention rate of participants in any trial is important. If not enough people finish the trial then you have not enough information to draw conclusions. Regardless, I do not see this as a major problem as the funds were provided equally to all groups of participants (given the ‘randomised’ nature, therefore there should not be an effect on one group over another for this point.

I see this as a reflection of how serious this study is). So far, a few questions (what was the source of funding – did they have bias?) but overall, impressive.

Look at any unusual features of this research in more detail Firstly I’ll follow the funding line of questioning. The people involved directly with the trial would have been paid also, and as it does not state that the authors were unpaid, we can assume they were.

The measurements for each participant included their own scale with wifi, labeled water measurements, and an extremely comprehensive analysis performed by the research team.

All in all, my thoughts are that this is a very serious trial, probably costing $3 or so million dollars. This is an estimate, and probably fairly conservative, as the study could easily have cost multiple times this amount.

One of the first things that I start looking at is the trial funders. Usually the British Medical Journal is quite thorough with vetting out perceived conflicts of interest. Generally, it is considered a leader in this arena. I look at the declarations of conflicts and nothing is listed regarding the charities.

When I look at the main funding charity homepage there seem to be links between the charities providing funding and the low-carbohydrate movement, for example Gary Taubes is a member of the Nutrition Science Initiative, a prominent journalist (who provides some good challenges to the standard nutrition models at times) but also is firmly anti high-carbohydrate diets.

What the study did % of total daily energy intake

High Moderate Low Carbohydrate Carbohydrate Carbohydrate

Protein

20

20

20

Fat

20

40

60

Carbohydrate

60

40

20

They took people, starved them a bit by forcing them to all eat a bit less for a couple of months, then randomly allocated them to one of three groups. These groups are high in carbohydrate, medium for carbohydrate and low for carbohydrate. This means that the quantity of fat changed, as the amount of protein was kept the same. The diets were established as shown above.

Who are the funders? Millions of dollars is extremely hard to come by in nutrition studies.

The main study sponsors are Nutrition Science Initiative (NuSI, made possible by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and others), and by the New Balance Foundation (yes, the shoe company now apparently is keen on low-carbohydrate diets).

The Nutrition Science Initiative has received over $40 million dollars in donations from Laura and John Arnold Foundation since 2012.

Down the rabbit hole, follow the leads we have There appears to be controversy with the Nutrition Science Initiative even on a very quick search. As highlighted in WIRED magazine, the first work which involved a trial of 17 participants being monitored extensively cost $5 million.

This study was also interesting as it does not support the findings of high-fat diets being better for increasing energy expenditure. The video (available at the online link below) has the author explaining these results.

This is highly unusual to have a member of a research group coming out to dismiss their own hypothesis so openly.

I watched the video with great interest and felt that the researcher here (Dr Kevin Hall) struck me as someone with great integrity.

His findings did not support what he was looking for and he has been very upfront and clear about this. Classy move, and shows genuine academic objectivity.

Occasionally, when looking at a trial, reviewing their financial documents is

helpful. I have a quick scan through the IRS in the US for charitable documents.

Returns are available online for the New Balance foundation, which provided $7 million USD to Boston Children’s Hospital for the funding (which is another indicator this research cost much more than $3 million).

The presence of money here is not necessarily problematic, but can represent a sunk cost, which is a psychological phenomenon whereby people throw good resources after bad because they are already invested and averse to loss.

I am not suggesting this is the case here, but just have an awareness in the background that large amounts of money can skew outcomes.

In many ways, we should celebrate the success of our colleagues in research who are this successful in raising money.

Read Part ll online Part II of this article is published online. Click on the link below or scan the QR code to discover how and where this multimillion dollar effort seriously falls apart.

Click or scan QR image for more details.

wholefoodliving.life/carbs wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 35

IT'S ABOUT

MORE THAN FOOD

By Steve Stones

G

ood health involves much more than a medical opinion. Sure, if you have an ailment an accurate medical diagnosis is essential but when we let our health become the sole preserve of the medical profession, we’re in trouble.

For me, eating healthy is the first essential but the second has got to be movement. It’s a very close second.

Yoga is something I took up a while back but, if you’ve ever wondered what it’s all about I say get on the net, find yourself a yoga class somewhere, tell them where you’re at (e.g. absolute beginner) and just go for it.

Yoga attracts all sorts or people. In some areas it’s not uncommon to find yourself amongst a group of teens, body builders, accountants, engineers, and fitness buffs.

And the age range can be incredible. The youngest I’ve come across was only 12 but the oldest was 92. Although some forms may be more difficult for some (usually because of experience) age is absolutely not a barrier.

There’s something special about yoga. In my view it helps you find stillness even in the midst of a really hectic life. For me it’s all about health and wellness.

It’s deep breathing and meditation practices help foster an inner calm, removing stress, clearing the mind and helping you to become more focused.

36 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

The incredible thing about yoga is that it holds benefits for so many different types of people. For instance, you can choose a yoga style that's tailored to your lifestyle, such as hot yoga, power yoga, relaxation yoga and even prenatal (not for me) yoga.

A big benefit for me is that I can practice it at home, in a private session, while watching a DVD, at a studio or gym, there are so many options available to suit your goals and needs.

If you're a yoga beginner, hatha yoga, which focuses on basic postures at a comfortable pace, would be great for you.

Later, maybe Bikram, also called “hot yoga,” would suit. In Bikram yoga, the room temperature is set to around 40°C,resulting in greater elimination of toxins from the body through the increased production of sweat.

No matter your fitness level, fat percentage, or health history, yoga has a style for you.

Yoga’s focus on strength training and flexibility is an incredible benefit to your body. The postures are meant to strengthen your body from the inside out, so you don’t just look good, you feel good, too.

Couple all this with a healthy whole food plant-based diet and I believe you can achieve an almost perfect balance – at least until your next session.

Sweet as

Pumpkin Soup

INGREDIENTS

1.2kg butternut or pumpkin 1 x medium red onion (diced) 2 x garlic cloves (minced) 2 x cups vegetable stock 1 cup of unsweetened plant-based milk

2 Tbsp maple syrup 1/4 tsp each pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg

METHOD Peel and chop pumpkin into small chunks, place on a plate, cover and microwave for 9 mins, pierce with a fork, if not soft, microwave for a further 2 mins, repeating until soft. Set aside.

In a large soup pot, over medium heat, sautĂŠ the onion and garlic in a little of the vege stock for 2 mins then add in remaining ingredients and simmer.

Transfer soup mixture to a blender or use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Pour mixture back into the pot.

Continue cooking over a medium heat for a further 5-10 mins. Serve with wholegrain croĂťtons and black pepper. wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 37

INGREDIENTS

Potato and Leek Soup A Magic Combination INGREDIENTS 1 x brown onion (diced) 2 x leeks (chopped) 3 x garlic cloves (minced) 8 x waxy potatoes (diced) 1 x block silken tofu 4 x cups vegetable stock Chopped chives to garnish.

METHOD Add a small amount of the vegetable stock to a large pot, add onions, leeks and garlic and saute on medium heat until onions are translucent.

Add potatoes and cook 3 - 4 mins. Add all remaining ingredients except for the chives.

Bring to boil then simmer for 15 mins or until the potatoes are tender.

Transfer in small batches to a high speed blender to puree.

Pour into bowls and top with the chives.

38 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

Hearty vegetable INGREDIENTS 2 cans crushed tomato 2 cans green beans (drained) 1 can cannellini beans (drained) 2 green capsicums (sliced) 1 cup frozen peas 1 can of corn kernel 6 spring onions (chopped finely) 5 finely grated carrots 2 carrot (peeled & cubed) 3 finely grated potatoes 2 potatoes (peeled & cubed) 1 finely grated parsnip 2 sticks of celery (chopped finely) 1 bay leaf 6 cups of water

METHOD Place all ingredients in a large stock pot.

Nothing needs to be precooked and the grated veges don’t need peeling. Simmer over low heat for two hours or place in a slow cooker overnight.

Note: the cubed potatoes and carrot are optional if you prefer a more chunky soup.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 39

40 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

Hummus & crackers Quick & Easy Hummus INGREDIENTS 1 x can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 x large garlic clove (peeled) 2 x Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 x Tbsp wholegrain mustard 1 x Tbsp Dijon mustard Ground black pepper for taste

METHOD In a food processor add all ingredients with 2 Tbsp of water, and process until smooth, stopping process to remove mixture from the sides and to add more water in small amounts to help get the right consistency.

Home Made Five Seed Crackers INGREDIENTS 1 cup sunflower seeds 3/4 cup pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup chia seeds 1/2 cup sesame seeds 1/4 cup Flaxseed (Linseed) 1 1/2 cups water 1 Tbsp dried herbs (I have used Thyme but my friend Fiona prefers Rosemary) 1 Tsp Chili flakes (or more if desired) METHOD Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) on fan bake. Mix all ingredients and leave for around 20 mins to gel.

Line two baking trays with baking paper and split the mixture evenly over both. Bake for 30mins each tray.

Remove from oven and allow to cool before breaking apart and storing in an airtight container. wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 41

they came OUT

42 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

PLANT STRONG LIVING:

There's a revolution happening in food

W

FOR PLANET EARTH

e are currently amidst a transformational food revolution, and it doesn’t appear to be letting up.

For the last 100 years, we have been somewhat hoodwinked for profit believing that what the media says about the food we eat, is the gospel truth.

There has been a slow migration from the natural world to a modern society where billions of dollars have been spent on framing specific, well marketed messages.

And of course, these messages are perfectly designed to induce irrational decisions and emotional responses especially when it comes to food. Cue food addiction. And to be perfectly honest, we must be the only species on this planet actually confused about what we should be eating.

Fortunately however, there have been a small but growing number of nutritional advocates, doctors, dietitians and health practitioners all over the world, who have been shouting from the rooftops and with very good reason.

Plant Strong Living (PSL) is one of them. A small start-up team from Otago who sparked an interest late last year in promoting the benefits of whole food plant-based nutrition.

What started with a talk to a group of locals interested in nutrition, has grown to a large community of people willing and committed to making a change for a better life.

Through talks, events, seminars and cooking workshops, It soon became a question of how to keep up the momentum, advance people’s understanding of nutritional health and wellbeing, and reinforce the message for those already on the plant-based journey.

PSL aligns itself with the unanimous message already imparted by top physicians and scientists from all over the world who have spearheaded this movement for over 25 years. What they all conclude, is that the food we choose to eat, each and every day, plays a much bigger role in determining whether people will develop chronic illnesses like heart disease, auto-immune diseases, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Plant Strong Living want to make the transition to a plant-based diet as easy as possible for you.

Now, with the launch of their long awaited whole food plant-based no added oil food box, Plant Strong Living are dedicated to creating positive change for so many struggling to overcome chronic and debilitating health conditions.

www.plantstrongliving.co.nz wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 43

Le

a e k a m ts Smoothie!

S

moothies are enjoyable and can be very tasty but it’s a mistake to think they replace eating the real thing.

According to Dr Michael Greger, it’s important to make your smoothie from whole fruits and vegetables not just from their extracted juice alone.

So, throwing in a banana and whizzing it all up with a few packets or bottles of commercially extracted fruit juice just doesn’t cut it.

Why? Because, when we create juice alone, we lose the fibre and all the phytonutrients bound to it.

Smoothies do have a health benefit but they’re not as healthy as eating the fruit itself because, according to Dr Greger, they provide an almost instant overload and can also damage our tooth enamel.

To help counteract the overload, smoothies should be consumed slowly. This helps the body to process the liquid more efficiently.

“It’s been shown that you can drink fruits and vegetables in smoothies at about two cups per minute, which is ten times faster than what it may take to eat them in solid form,” Dr Greger says.

“Since liquid calories can be consumed so quickly, they have the ability to undermine our body’s capacity to regulate food intake, so sip smoothies slowly rather than gulping them down so our brain and body can be in sync as to how full we are.”

But what about my teeth?

Adding a touch of lemon or other acidic fruit or vegetable to your smoothie may temporarily soften tooth enamel.

If your smoothie is on the sour side it would pay to drink it through a straw and avoid swishing it around your mouth. Rinsing afterwards with water may also help to reduce enamel erosion.

For some people, green smoothies can take time to get used to.

A good way to start a love for them is to include a few leaves of baby spinach.

The secret here is to keep it sweet initially by choosing sweeter fruits and greening it up over time.

Everyone’s taste buds are different so there’s no measure on the time it will take but there’ll come a day when you will easily enjoy them just as much as any other.

44 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

Blueberry magic 1 ripe banana 1 pear 2 apples 1 cup frozen blueberries 1 cup unsweetened Almond milk 1 tsp Cinnamon

Carrot Ginger Turmeric 1 frozen banana 1 cup pineapple 1/4 tsp fresh ginger 1/4 tsp fresh turmeric 1/2 cup carrot juice 1 apple

Go Green 1 cup of spinach 1 frozen banana 2 kiwifruit 1 cup frozen mango 1 cup pineapple 1 cup of water

Red Beet and Ginger 1 small beetroot, peeled 1 large apple 1 stalk of celery 1/2 frozen pineapple 1 inch of ginger 1 cup almond milk 1 cup of blueberry

Sweet Banana pear and cinnamon smoothie 1 frozen banana 1 pear 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup almond milk 1 teaspoon maple syrup Add a tbsp of chia seeds if desired.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 45

All foods are a biologically active collection of molecules which will either reduce or cause inflammation in the body within 2-4 hours of eating them, depending on what they are.

Following the diet doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the medications for MS if you feel they are beneficial. However, I would say if you are taking the medications then you should certainly be following the diet.

Click or scan QR image for more details. truesouthmedical.co.nz

46 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

Dr Mark Craig

FRNZCGP MRCGP MRCS MBChB Bsc.

True South Medical, Auckland

T

here is very good evidence from many studies that Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can be put into remission, or at least the rate of progression slowed, with the right nutrition.

Thousands of patients have put their MS into remission by eating a diet consisting of the foods which have been shown to reduce the incidence and severity of MS. The foods which reduce MS rates and progression are from the groups fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes (pulses such as beans, peas chickpeas, lentils and split peas).

Those that have been found to be associated with increases in MS rates are fats (especially saturated fat) such as is found in dairy produce, animal meats including red and processed meats (sausage, bacon, cured meats, cold cuts and canned fish), and also likely eggs and poultry by extrapolation and case studies.

Genes are thought to account for 25% of the risk of developing MS so MS is more related to environmental factors than genes.

The good news therefore is that your genes are not your fate and in the greatest part, may be amenable to lifestyle factors. Exercise, stress

reduction, avoiding or minimising harmful things like environmental and food toxins, smoking, alcohol and excess caffeine are important, but food is paramount.

Where MS is concerned the first observations were that poorer people who ate less fat and more vegetable and starchy foods had lower MS rates.

Then, during the war years, it was noted that with the reduction in animal product foods eaten, MS rates dropped significantly.

Interventional studies are where you change people’s diets and see the effect over time. The best known by far is the incredible study done by Professor Roy Swank of Oregon University which lasted 34 years, starting in 1952.

The only reason you can do a study lasting this long is because the diet works really well. It is one of the most impressive studies in medicine and it’s a travesty that we aren’t taught about it in medical school, amongst many other topics about nutrition that are omitted.

Professor Swank asked 144

Treating Multiple Sclerosis one mouthful at a time patients to follow a very low-fat diet and analysed them in two groups at intervals, according to how much fat they ate.

The lower fat eating group had greatly reduced rates of progression of MS compared with the higher fat eating group. In fact, in the least disabled group analysed, the ‘mild’ MS patients, there was no significant worsening of their MS over all those 34 years.

He also caught up with some people after 50 years and the results were the same.

I almost fell off my chair when I first read this. It leads to the solution for MS - a very low-fat diet is your best chance, and a very good chance at that, of beating this disease.

There have been many other studies showing similar indications that the more animal product foods (they all have saturated fat, even if ‘lean’), and the higher amounts of plant-based foods, especially fruits and vegetables, the lower the MS relapse rates.

Professor George Jelinek runs the Overcoming MS organisation, which many people with MS will have heard of, and following this programme has

led many people into slowing or putting their MS into remission.

It is noted that this diet includes fish and other seafood. These contain significant amounts of fats which may worsen MS. There are many people who go further and adopt a fully whole foods plant-based (WFPB or ‘healthy vegan’) diet and obtain as good if not better results.

MRI results have shown a regress of sclerotic (scarring) lesions on brain and spinal cord with this diet.

So how could the diet work?

Suggestions from studies include: • decreased fat inside red blood cells and brain • decreased oxidative stress from the saturated fats • higher levels of antioxidants • decreased clotting of capillaries around myelin cell and change in the microbiome (healthy gut bugs).

Can you do it?

What I can say is that these dietary lifestyle changes are very doable. I have had many case stories from patients who have put their MS into remission or slowed progression.

There are web site support groups, meetup potluck groups, Facebook group

supports, and menu and meal plans to help make changing to this diet much easier. After a short time, people find it easy to do in general.

Other benefits of the diet I work in lifestyle and nutrition medicine and the evidence for a very low fat, plant-based diet for all our chronic diseases is overwhelmingly convincing.

It has been shown to prevent and reverse heart and stroke disease, our biggest diseases and causes of death.

It can prevent and slow progression of some cancers, and even reverse prostate cancer and diabetes.

Many other autoimmune conditions (MS is designated as one) also respond to the diet, including Rheumatoid Arthritis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease.

I have many case stories from patients who have done this and plan to publish them.

The reason eating this way is beneficial in treating and preventing these diseases is because we evolved eating foods which mainly came from plants. Nearly all our anatomy, physiology and biochemistry has evolved to eat, digest and run on these foods.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 47

The black cat in W the basket syndrome hy did I change to a plantbased diet? How long have I been on this diet? Am I ever tempted to go back to my old vegetarian diet? Am I seeing any benefits since the change? How did I fight my dairy addiction? Where do I get my nutrients from? Do I take any supplements? These are some of the questions I am asked regularly. To answer them, first here’s my background.

My name is Rajaram and I come from an ethnic Indian background, born in South India, raised as a vegetarian.

My diet predominantly included milk, yoghurt (curds), buttermilk and ghee.

For the first 35 years of my life, I didn’t know the taste of cheese.

When I moved to the UK, in addition to the normal dairy infused vegetarian diet, the next 20 years saw a steady increase in cheese consumption, particularly cheddar, mozzarella and feta. However, my ghee consumption waned off towards complete exclusion.

Being an IT professional, my work life was desk bound.

Coffee intake was 2 to 3 cups per day. I have always been a non-smoker. Exercise was scant or none at all.

In 2010, I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes, high triglyceride level and high cholesterol level. With medication

alone, it took three years to achieve a normal cholesterol level, seven years to control blood sugar levels and to regulate triglyceride. It was more than a roller coaster ride.

Maximum potency of medication, combined with regular exercise didn’t result in any dramatic change.

Frustration prevailed.

On December 14, 2017 my wife, after many repeated requests, finally

away from dairy.

In an article by Dr Michael Greger titled – How much pus is there in milk?, I learnt that the average somatic cell count in a spoonful of milk was 1.12 million. The EU allows 400 million pus cells per litre of milk! And the industry says this is Ok because the milk is pasteurised.

To me, it was disgusting. By introducing and constantly reminding myself of this “YUK Factor”, I was able to keep all dairy products at bay. I started telling myself that yoghurt was “fermented pus” and cheese was “concentrated pus”. Thus a new path of resistance opened up in my mind.

My wife had already switched to a plant-based diet because of her intolerance to the cruelty meted out to the dairy cows. My son, then 10 years old, also switched to a plant based diet to support me.

My mother, then 76 years old, who was living in India, with its heavy dairy consumption, also switched to a plantbased diet. I was, thankfully, surrounded by family who helped me stick to my new diet. This played a key role in the change process.

It wasn’t difficult to cook meals without dairy. Some traditional Indian dishes use butter, ghee and yoghurt.

Today, these can be easily substituted with non-dairy alternatives. I use Nuttelex for “butter” spread on bread.

Virgin coconut oil is used for cooking.

I eat a healthy balanced meal every day. Heavy breakfast – mushrooms on toast, hummus on toast, avocado & tomatoes on toast, scrambled tofu (tofu burji) on toast, to name a few.

This keeps me going for a good 4 to 5 hours. Moderate lunch – chickpeas, red kidney beans or butter beans, seasoned with mustard, ginger and curry leaves in coconut oil, with salt and ½ a lemon juice.

I think the time has come for each one of us to step back and question whether we have been trapped by this syndrome.

48 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

convinced me to sit and watch What the Health on Netflix. That was the first time I learnt about the benefits of a plant-based diet and decided to give it a go.

December 15, 2017 is a major milestone in my personal calendar. I gave up dairy for good. The decision was difficult. I loved my yoghurt, much more than milk or cheese. The fridge was always stocked with natural set yoghurt.

If I chose to gradually reduce eating yoghurt, I knew that would be a failing battle. So, I decided to take the plunge, make a binary switch to a plant-based diet. I emptied the fridge of all dairy products. There was no source of temptation in my immediate surroundings.

The change reflected well in the medical tests repeated eight months down the line. Sugar level, cholesterol and triglyceride levels all showed a significant change towards the better.

That made me never look back at dairy.

But, I must confess, it was very difficult to keep myself from digging into a pot of yoghurt. Will power held me back. I had to devise a method to keep

I finish my lunch with a glass of “buttermilk” made from a couple of tablespoons of coconut yoghurt, a pinch of salt, a pinch of asafoetida and two to three crushed fresh curry leaves in a glass of water.

Dinners include salads with soft toasted bread and cheese made from cashews. I end my dinner with a bowl of fruits or a glass of fruit juice. I still have two long blacks a day with a spoon of coconut sugar. Sunday is the only day we, as a family, enjoy a traditional Indian meal but with no dairy products.

I take B12 supplement as sub-lingual drops. Recommended to one and all.

My uncle who was a vegetarian, is now on a plant-based diet, had B12 deficiency despite consuming dairy.

A couple of my friends had to take a B12 injection. Their diet included red meat and fish. This convinced me that B12 supplementation is essential for everyone, not just for those on a plantbased diet.

I now advocate a plant-based diet to anyone who is willing to listen to my story. Some of my friends and older relatives say “we have been consuming dairy for hundreds of years. So, why should I change now?”

I share two points with them, which I would like to share here.

Our food habits are often tainted by traditions we’re not always aware of, Rajaram Raman explains how.

1. The dairy industry today is not the same as it once was.

2. The impact of dairy on our health hasn’t been well understood.

For those of you consuming animal products because of tradition, I would like to quote my father who taught me to step away from the “Black cat in the basket syndrome”.

The story goes like this.

It had been a tradition for an Indian family to place a black cat in a covered basket before performing a religious ceremony.

But then, it became a struggle to find a black cat before each religious ceremony. Not only was it proving difficult to find a black cat but the process was becoming something of a logistical nightmare and it was expensive too.

Stepping back, when he was asked why he wanted the cat, his response was that he was following a procedure laid

down by his father.

He spoke to his father about this and discovered that he practised it because his father did so.

Finally, on reaching the grandsire and asking him why he did what he did, he replied that the household had a black cat, which was a big nuisance during the ceremony and had to be placed in a basket in order to progress with the ceremony uninterrupted!

I think the time has come for each one of us to step back and question whether we have been trapped by this syndrome.

There is more than enough research articles not funded by the dairy industry, which throws light on the negative impact on our health.

I have read some of these articles and have watched talks by Dr Neil Barnard, Dr Michael Klaper and Dr Garth Davis on YouTube. I am convinced beyond doubt that my decision to change to a plant-based diet is irreversible.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 49

Tofu burji Scrambled Tofu INGREDIENTS:

• Firm or extra firm tofu, 500 grams, pressed such that all water is squeezed out • Large onions: 2, chopped fine • Clove of garlic: 1, chopped fine • Green chilli: 1, chopped fine • Vegetable stock: 1 tbsp Cumin powder: 1 tsp • Turmeric powder: ½ tsp • “Kala namak” (black mineral salt): ½ to 1 tsp (to taste), available in all Indian grocery stores • Fresh coriander to garnish

METHOD:

Heat vege stock in a wok or pan on medium flame.

When hot, add cumin, chopped onions, garlic and chilli.

Sauté till soft and onions are translucent.

Scramble the tofu by hand and add to the wok. cook the tofu with the onions until all liquid evaporates. Keep stirring.

Add all the remaining spices including the mineral salt. Stir well. Take wok or pan off the stove.

Garnish with coriander. Serve on top of a toasted bread or bun. Serves two.

50 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

t e g s ’ t e L g n i n e ! d Y HE gar

W

ell before the apartments in this north Auckland development are complete, its community garden is almost fully established.

It all helps with initial sales of course but, once occupied, the tenants of this complex have the makings of a social life ready and waiting to happen.

Digging in the dirt might not be to everyone’s taste of course however, with backup assistance from body corporate fees, residents can be assured it will be cared for and there will almost always be something available.

Community gardens aren’t always as sophisticated but there is considerable evidence attesting to their value.

Gardens like these encourage social interaction, relieve stress and increase a sense of wellness.

Even though its beds may be raised off the ground, there is still a measure of physical effort required as new planting takes place and scrap is removed.

And it isn’t always just about

the growing. People involved in a community garden often combine in group cooking and food sharing as well.

Unfortunately they don’t always work for everyone.

What gets a lot less press are the issues that can arise and this includes everything from debates about soil

quality to theft and cultural clashes. The list is long.

Unless the project is driven by say a professional appointed by a body corporate then there are two key elements to be wary of before you turn a sod.

First, set up an admin system with a few basic rules. These could be really basic like, organic only, all tools must be put away at the end of the day etc.

Second, create a layout plan and divide the space. By dividing the space you can more easily allocate who goes where and when.

Set up your own Facebook page.

That way messages and pictures can be shared and the sense of community further developed.

And make it interesting.

Make an effort to grow a wide variety of vegetables and maybe even some flowers.

By creating an interesting place you will develop something people can enjoy and will want to be involved in.

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 51

As part of its 150th celebration Otago University held a special symposium on its Wellington campus in September. From Evidence to Everyday covered the history of food in New Zealand and was attended by over 180 groups and individuals.

The legacy of diet M elbourne based, Professor Merlin Thomas, takes an epigenetic interest in what happens to us as a result of the food we eat.

Professor Thomas is firmly focused on what he says is the “lasting legacy of our diet” and in a fascinating address to the recent Evidence to Everyday symposium he outlined some of the pitfalls we face when we eat.

Put simply, epigenetics refers to external modifications to DNA that turn genes 'on' or 'off'.

According to Professor Thomas, the past is the sculptor of the future.

“The past is a biological force that changes our future and the patterns of our future,” he said.

Referring to the Da Ching diabetes study done in the 1980s he said researchers had found that benefits achieved by the study’s focus group were still showing 30 years after the study ended.

This six-year study focused on diet and exercise for some participants as opposed to doing nothing for the others.

It turned out that “those people who changed their ways in the 1980s, even though they are no longer doing those things anymore, they still retain the benefits of a good diet and an increased level of physical activity, three decades later.”

Professor Thomas said a similar effect had been observed in Scotland following

52 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

a study on the use of statin. Cholesterol was lowered but when the trial ended and participants were told return to their normal way of life, the benefits (a lower cholesterol count) continued.

“Interestingly the benefits persist almost until the day you die. My research has focused on how this kind of legacy can come about. I call it, metabolic karma.

He says there are a number of different ways in which the cells in our bodies can remember what has happened in the past. One of them is called ‘lead time.’

“If you imagine the example of two yachts starting at about the same time but one has a slightly greater wind at the beginning, maybe running at nine per cent instead of seven per cent.

“And then the wind changes (subsequent to the trial) well, which one finished first? The one that has the head start toward the finish line.

“So whether the reaching of the tipping point is the progression of a disease process or a shortening of telomeres or some other marker of disease, if you get a head start at the beginning, even if you carry on when you realise that diet and lifestyle is important, the loss that you have at the beginning can mean that you finish first or last as the case may be.

“Really what you want to know about epigenetics is very simple.

“Your diet and lifestyle, with changing

the gene sequence, can actually change the structure of your chromosomes to shape the structure of the future.

“There’s a kind of memory overall. And this overarching level of instruction is actually more extensive than genetic regulation.

“Epigenetic changes are heritable.

The epigenome is not only influenced by your diet, but by your lifestyle.

Professor Merlin also cited a Swedish study which looked at the diet of the grandfathers of certain individuals.

“Their grandfathers’ diet determined their risk of determining obesity and cardiovascular disease. Our choices change our biology as much as they change our waistline.

“At the same time there is a chance to show some intent and take some action. There are many important ways in which we can do that. And the reason we do that is not to shape now but to shape our future.

“There’s a real opportunity that improving our diet and reducing our portion sizes, reducing enrichment can cast a legacy of good karma for our own health and for the health of our own children into the future “Equally, by not making those changes; by delaying or saying ah it’s a bit too hard or we’ll fix it next year, it catches up with us.

“Even brief periods of poor control can have a long-lasting legacy of bad karma into the future.”

Symposium: From Evidence to Everyday

Fibre now seen as essential in the human diet On a recent visit to a Melbourne book shop Professor Jim Mann discovered over 100 book titles on diet and nutrition.

“So, it’s hardly surprising that the public is confused,” he told the recent Evidence to Everyday symposium.

“In fact, it’s not only the public that’s confused its health professionals that are confused. It is in fact dietitians that are confused, and certainly medical practitioners are regularly confused.”

In reference to a slide illustrating health loss in New Zealand he said Nutrition now affected seven of New Zealand’s leading causes of health loss.

The diseases cited on the slice were; coronary heart disease, lung cancer, diabetes, stroke, breast cancer, prostate cancer and dental disorders.

“What I’m saying is that if nutrition is so important in all of these diseases, we need to get right just what nutrition is

contributing and how we might modify nutrition.

Professor Mann is a firm advocate on the need for fibre in the human diet.

Earlier this year he released a major study on its effects.

“There is a strong inverse relationship (negative effect) between dietary fibre and risk. The risk of colorectal cancer, total mortality and type 2 diabetes decreases as fibre intake increases.”

He says the contrast is very striking.

“If you look at people who have relatively high intakes of fibre, roughly over 25 to 30gms a day compared to people who have lower intakes of fibre, down say to 15gms a day, then there is something like a 15 per cent reduction in risk of all-cause mortality.”

He said the proportional difference in fibre intake affected heart disease by as much as 30 per cent and the incidence of diabetes and cancer was

also “dramatically affected” by the volume of fibre intake.

Whole grain carbohydrates were the “right kind” of fibre.

“It’s unsurprising that diabetes and coronary heart disease are reduced when you compare high versus low fibre intake. That body weight is lower in people that eat a lot more fibre, that cholesterol levels and indicators of diabetes are all reduced in people that eat fibre in substantial amounts.”

He explained that a study done in Finland of people eating good amounts of fibre “showed a 60 per cent reduction in the risk of diabetes” and the value continued over the next 18 years.

Finally, he issued a strong warning in regards adopting low carb (Keto) type diets the results for which, initially, can be “pretty darn impressive.”

He said in studies beyond 12 months there was no difference in weight loss and overall, “no proven benefit.”

Farms, food, health and a slow tsunami By his own definition Otago University’s, Professor Hugh Campbell, describes himself as an agri-food scholar.

“We sometimes describe ourselves as people who study food from paddock to plate or from seed to sewer,” he told attendees at New Zealand’s recent Evidence to Everyday symposium.

“There is much to be learned from connecting the world of farming with the world of food and nutrition.

“Scholars in my field have provided compelling accounts of how massive changes in the way we’ve farmed in the 20th century - industrialising, intensifying and focusing more and more technical expertise on a narrowing group of animal and plant species.

“Such things as adding more butter to our date slices and reconstituting through the marvels of food science and engineering into a range of processed, sweetened, enriched, flavour enhanced, marketed, branded and increasingly fast food products has not been good for our societal health.”

He said a large body of scholarly work now exists which links major agricultural changes to ‘nutritional calamity’.

“There is a direct relationship

between us, developing agricultural systems designed to produce large volumes of incredibly cheap basic commodities like sugar, wheat, oil seeds or meat and the parallel emergence of a food industry designing ways to encourage us to consume increasingly damaging volumes of these products.”

This had evolved into complex situations in which we are all deeply embedded.

“They can’t be wished away by better designed education campaigns or better informed consumers at the point of purchase.”

Turning to the dairy industry he cited comments made by Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Morgan Williams, in 2004.

“His imperially prophetic assessment of where the dairy industry was about to take us in terms of environmental impact, talked of a ‘time bomb’ that was primed to go off in rural urban/relations as the environmental impact of dairy

intensification became increasingly repugnant to a wider citizenry.”

Now, and fifteen years later, he said an article published in New Zealand Geographic showed how that time bomb was starting to explode.

Issues around nutrition, diet and farmed environments was creating increasing concerns for public health in New Zealand.

“Farming in New Zealand is having a tricky relationship with its environment, particularly in relationship with freshwater ecosystems. This has led to a problem with extensive historical precedence.

“New Zealand farming has always been unkind to the environment.

Historically New Zealand citizens have had an enormously complacent attitude to our farmed environments."

But a crisis was looming that would “inexorably eradicate” this attitude because “a slow tsunami of nitrate contaminated groundwater is inching towards the Christchurch water supply.”

It represented nothing less than “a massive failure of local government to reconcile the interests of farm profitability with the future health of the public.”

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 53

To keep healthy just T

he poke bowl is a fantastic way of eating the full range of food groups in one sitting. They should be high in protein, fibre, and nutrient rich vegetables.

Easily made in the morning and placed into a sealed bowl for an all round healthy lunch.

We have listed out some ingredient suggestions in their different food groups to give you some examples on how easy it is to eat a balanced diet.

It is simple to change the ingredients each time you make it and to have bowls from different regions of the world.

Add edamine beans, seaweed, brown rice noodles and tofu with some wasabi and ginger gives it an Japanese theme.

Adding black beans, corn, chilli, coriander, avocado and salsa creates a more Mexican flavour.

Watch the sauces that are added to the bowl, too much fat, oil or sugar in your dressings takes away the true flavour of the dish. You can go as simple as lemon juice squeezed over the contents or hummus, mint sauce, Italian or French dressings.

Don't forget fresh herbs are always a bonus and ideal in this type of dish

54 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

follow the food groups Wholegrains Whole grains usually make up the base of a poke bowl, this gives you the fibre as the foundation of the dish, try some of the following: • Brown, black or wild rice • Quinoa • Couscous • Brown rice noodles • Whole wheat pasta

Vegetables Now you can go to town on the vegetables, the more colour the better it is for you, try and fill your bowl with all colours of the rainbow. Some suggestions are: Corn • Lettuce • Radish • Red onion • Carrot • Red cabbage • Asparagus • Capsicum • Roast vegetables from the night before (Kumara, potato, pumpkin)

Legumes Adding legumes is easier than you think , and can really change the texture of the bowl. Some suggestions are: • Snow peas • Tofu • Edamine beans • Black beans • Chickpeas • Hummus • Red kidney beans • Fava beans

Fruits Now this really makes the bowl pop. Adding in the sweetness of a fruit with all the other flavours takes this to the next level. A few suggestions are: • Avocado • Tomato • Eggplant • Cucumber • Gherkins • Mango • Pineapple • Orange • Kiwifruit • Watermelon • Rock melon • Apple • Blueberry • Strawberry • Grapes • Jalapeño, red or green chilli

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 55

Dr Martyn Williamson H

i there. My name is Martyn Williamson and I’m a plant-based doctor. I work as a part time rural GP at Health Central in Alexandra, Central Otago and I also work as a senior lecturer at the department of general practice and rural health at Dunedin Medical School.

I became a plant-based doctor about four years ago. In this article I’m going to share my journey with you, and what I’ve discovered about the power of whole food plant-based (WFPB) nutrition to improve health and cure chronic disease.

My journey started one day in the late 1950s when I was born at home in a terraced house in North East England making me technically a Geordie. My parents were both professional people and had come from working class homes.

They had experienced the deprivations of the war and post war years as their parents had experienced the same in the Great War and the depression. In those days, the big nutritional challenge was getting adequate calorie intake and a range of nutritious foods.

I was brought up to always clear my plate, and any other leftovers plus eating a sweet pudding for energy. I was a very active boy fortunately and was able to run off the vast quantity of food I consumed.

Meat was expensive and regarded as a luxury for the well off. While greens were promoted as healthy, the consumption of milk and eggs was encouraged for good health.

When the low-fat message was released my mum, made sure we ate in a healthy fashion, minimising fatty foods.

As we became better off we started to eat more meat.

Only poor people couldn’t afford this, and it was important to mum and dad that they left the diet of their childhoods behind as they moved up in the world.

I retained these habits throughout my adult life, still trying to eat low fat

56 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

Why I’m a plant based doctor and why you should consider being plant based yourself! healthy foods, having plenty of low fat milk and cheese as part of my diet, and now processed foods had crept in, and from time to time, I would binge on potato chips, or chocolate chip cookies.

I definitely sported an extra kilo or two, despite maintaining an interest in competitive sport and being active for my age.

Then one day my wife Liz, suggested that we stop eating meat, extra sugar, milk, eggs and fish! Whoa! She was interested in added sugars and their effects on teeth and had watched two documentaries “That Sugar Film” and “Forks over Knives”.

Since she did most of the cooking and shopping, I really had to agree to try this, or risk it happening anyway. I watched the documentaries. Firstly, I

was astounded at the amount of sugar which was in lots of the foods I was consuming!

I was easily having between 9 and 10 extra teaspoons of sugar daily over what I thought I was eating, which considering I didn’t use sugar at all was both eye-opening and annoying. It was stuffed into everything, breakfast cereals, sauces, dressings a whole host of foods which didn’t taste sweet and those which did such as yoghurts.

Milk of course contains plenty of its own sugar. Food companies had been adding this to their products and you could only tell if you actually read the small print on the labels and understood what the figures meant. 4g of sugar is the equivalent of a teaspoon.

Have a look for yourself and see how

much sugar is in your favourite foods per 100g. I aligned myself with ridding our diets of this particular hidden addition! Then I watched Forks over Knives.

In this documentary I learned about the China study and its impressive database of associations of disease rates with high animal food consumption. I also learnt about the remarkable power of whole food plant-based nutrition to

reverse even advanced heart disease, in ways which I would have said were impossible.

I was gob-smacked at the results.

I couldn’t understand why this information hadn’t been circulated more widely amongst the medical profession.

Incredibly most doctors are completely unaware of the evidence. (So much for the evidence-based medicine we are supposed to practice)

Ethically I believed patients had the right to know that this way of eating had the power to dramatically improve their health. If they didn’t want to change that was their choice, but there should be no need to suffer or die in ignorance.

So, I started looking up the studies in the medical literature, assisted by my ability to access the University library. I was able to verify the impact on heart disease and dismayed to find out that one researcher Dean Ornish had published his results in The Lancet, a major medical journal, in the 1990s without it ever making it into guidelines or being offered as a treatment option He had performed a randomised controlled trial which is the highest quality of evidence. Patients on his lifestyle intervention of diet and meditation improved the blood flow in their heart arteries without medication while those who were on standard medical treatment deteriorated slowly in the fashion I had grown to assume was normal.

Dr Caldwell Esselstyn published a series on heart disease patients who achieved amazing results by using WFPB nutrition in addition to their normal care. Results way past any possible influence of placebo effect or any other conceivable mechanism.

Enthusiasm whetted I searched the literature around other disease states, to discover similar results with type 2 diabetes, cancer prevention, (breast, bowel and prostate) even reduction in cancer cells in prostate cancer courtesy of Ornish again, and a sizable literature linking higher consumption of fruits and vegetables with cancer survival rates.

Autoimmune diseases which we blithely say, is the body’s immune system attacking itself without really knowing why, are also amenable to improvement and cure through nutrition - completely the opposite of what I had believed and was taught.

The list went on, glue ear and asthma in childhood, depression, polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, fertility, even Crohns disease and Ulcerative colitis, reduced risk of osteoporosis without consuming milk! and protection against dementia.

I came across the Broad study which is one of the few trials of WFPB nutrition conducted outside the United States and was performed in Gisborne NZ. The Broad study confirmed that NZ patients could lose weight through eating an unrestricted WFPB diet (so no going hungry) and improved their diabetes, often being able to reduce insulin requirements.

I contacted Nick Wright, one of the researchers, to find out his background in plant-based nutrition. I discovered he had gone over to the USA while at Otago med school to work with some of the main plant-based doctors in the US who were developing the field.

Nick and his partner Morgen who assisted in the research also put on a conference in Gisborne which has been held for the last two years now. There we were able to hear powerful stories from patients whose lives and health had been turned around by eating plants! Needless to say, I had agreed with Liz a while back that we should try this for ourselves. The other evidence I sought out was on the safety of WFPB

nutrition, and to my pleasant surprise discovered that indeed this totally plant-based diet, minus processed foods, was completely safe for any stage and age of the human life cycle. Totally contrary to my prior beliefs and medical school teaching!

All you need is a vitamin B12 supplement and to eat a calorie sufficient, wide range of fruits and vegetables. Do this and you get all the protein, calcium iron and nutrients you need for a healthy life.

You nurture your healthy gut bacteria through the extra fibre you consume, and you protect your arteries from the ravages of fat build up.

So, an incredibly effective medical treatment was now at my disposal and importantly one which was completely safe, and much safer than any of the pharmaceuticals I was prescribing. Next step was to assess side effects.

These turned out to be quite pleasant.

Weight loss, a feeling of energy, feeling good after meals, reduction in aches and pains, and the main drawback an increase in wind, usually a result of increased consumption of beans and legumes and importantly this settles over time as your gut bacteria adjust.

Cholesterol and blood pressure also almost always improve.

It turns out there are a few tricks to changing to WFPB nutrition with particular disease states when you are looking for cure, which any plant-based doctor should be able to help you with.

So why wouldn’t you give it a try, and why wouldn’t you let your friends and loved ones know about this? My tips for starting are to seek support from a plant- based health professional if you have a disease to cure and to also seek support from your family. Let them know why it’s important for you to change and ask what way they can help you. Give them space to make their own minds up about what they want to do.

Check out recipes and try them out so you know what you will like, and then get started. Remove non-compliant foods from the house and pantry to avoid slip ups. The meals are so tasty and attractive that family members will probably start to enjoy them as much or more than their usual fare! I now enjoy eating even more than I used to! And I didn’t know that was possible!

Oh, and by the way, you’ll help save the planet at the same time as saving yourself and your family. Harmony for the cells in your body from plantbased nutrition, goes hand in hand with harmony between us and our environment. Isn’t that just beautiful!

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 57

B

Beans, Peas & Lentils

eans, lentils and peas are collectively known as pulses from the Leguminous plants or more fondly known as Legumes.

They have been a staple diet in many parts of the world for centuries, archaeologists in the Middle East have found lentils on sites dating back 9000 years and the common beans of kidney, navy and pinto beans were farmed in Central America as far back as 5000 BC. They have been used as a protein rich staple in the winter diets of the poor the world over for thousands of years.

In India for example there is a wide range of fragrant full bodied soups made with lentils called Dals; the Middle East use chickpeas or fava beans with herbs and spices to make Falafels and Mexicans use Pinto and Black beans for

chilli.

Legumes are a significant source of protein, dietary fibre, carbohydrates and minerals such as potassium and magnesium.

They are an excellent source of resistant starch which is broken down by bacteria in the large intestine to produce short-chain fatty acids used by your intestine cells for energy.

There is clear evidence that just one cup of pulses daily helps lower blood pressure and reduce LDL cholesterol levels. This is one of the reasons why Dr Michael Greger in his book How Not to Die lists legumes as one of the “Daily Dozen� foods for health and the prevention of diseases.

In his book, Dr Greger says while eating a bowl of pea soup or dipping

BLACK EYE PEAS

ADZUKI PEAS

Were widely grown in Asia and introduced to the Southern US as early as the 17th Century. Try hot, classic, Southern Black-Eyed Peas from the USA. These peas can also be used for burger patties, hummus, or in chili.

These beans are familiar to many for their strong nutty, sweet flavour and soft texture. Used in Japanese cooking, the red bean paste called Anko is the most popular food made with Adzuki beans. Also good for hummus, Dhal, and soups

carrots into hummus may not seem like eating beans, it is. You should try to get three servings a day.

A serving is defined as a quarter cup of hummus or bean dip; a half a cup of cooked beans, split peas, lentils, tofu or tempeh; or a full cup of fresh peas or sprouted lentils.

Listed here are some beans, peas and lentils most commonly used with suggestions for the type of meals they are mainly found in.

No matter if you prefer to use the dried variety or tinned, Legumes are an important ingredient to have abundantly in your pantry. If optimal health is what you really seek, there is no excuse not to get your three servings a day.

BLACK BEANS

Known to be salty, spicy and with a hint of sweet, the black beans are used make a regular appearance in Mexican recipes. Great in burritos, hearty soups, salsa's fajitas and chipotle chilli. See our Mexican Jackfuit recipe on page 17

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CHICKPEAS

FAVA BEANS

MUNG BEANS

Chickpea is a very versatile legume.

They are the key ingredient in hummus; in chana masala and can be ground up into flour to make falafel.

They can be used in salads, soups and stews or roasted with spices for an afternoon snack.

More commonly known as the broad bean. Normally eaten when they young and tender, by boiling or steaming. In Asian countries they are often fried until they pop open, spices are then added and they are consumed as a crunchy snack.

Mainly used in Asian cooking this bean is great in both savory and sweet dishes. It is used in Dhal, stir frys or in Indonesia as a stiffing for tofu.

Western society know them more for their sprouted form "Bean Sprouts".

They are easily sprouted at home.

RED KIDNEY BEANS

CRANBERRY BEANS

SOY BEANS

Native to the Americas, this very common bean is used in making chilies in western diets and is an integral part of Indian cuisine with curries (Rajma). It is a great source of iron without the fat and calories commonly found in meat.

Used in Italian, Portuguese, Turkish and Greek cuisine. Their cranberry specks are lost when cooked as they turn a more darker colour. They are similar to pinto beans and can be used in chili, baked beans , salads and pastas.

Very high in protein traditionally this bean is used to make soy milk from which we get Tofu. It is also fermented to create soy sauce, bean paste and tempeh. Japanese foods from Soy are Miso, Natto, Kinako and boiled pods called Edamame.

SPLIT PEAS

LENTILS

Green and yellow split peas are commonly used in split pea soup and vegetable soups. Yellow split peas are used to prepare dal in Indian cuisine and they are an important ingredient in the northern Iranian Tabriz Kรถftesii, kofta.

CANNELLONI BEANS

Lentils come in a variety of colours and are mainly bought dried. In Indian subcontinents the split yellow lentils are cooked into a thick gravy and eaten with rice or rotis. Available in cans they are easily used in salads and casseroles.

Kidney shaped white bean. When cooked they have a fluffy texture and slightly nutty mild flavour.

These beans are great for vegetable soups including the classic Italian minestrone soup. Great in winter casseroles and summer salads.

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a body to die for A

t some stage he may wake up and admit that his body is not the well sculpted form it once was. He knows that side view in the mirror is becoming more than a little rotund, but he dismisses any closer examination because his ego overrides a misplaced sense of ‘achievement’. It’s a milestone moment. He finally has a Dad Bod. The real origin of the Dad Bod phrase is a little vague, but it took social media by storm a few years ago and today, for more reasons than body shape alone, the phrase has also come to reflect a problem with male health.

The viral spread of the term is attributed to Mackenzie Pearson, who wrote the blog post “Why Girls Love the Dad Bod.” “The dad bod is a nice balance between a beer gut and working out,” Pearson explains. “The dad bod says, ‘I go to the gym occasionally, but I also drink heavily on the weekends and enjoy eating eight slices of pizza at a time.’ She says, “it’s not an overweight guy, but it isn’t one with washboard abs, either.”

She noted that men who aren’t overly focused on keeping up appearances help put their partners at ease and provide a sense of openness, whereas “ripped” bodies may seem intimidating.

A big feature of the Dad Bod is a midriff that overhangs the trouser belt and along with it, a disturbing sense of complacency. Is it too much food, too much of the wrong food, or not enough exercise?

Here at Whole Food Living we say the food comes first. Dad Bods are the result of consuming too much protein and not enough fibre.

He might be dancing now, but he’s heading towards death’s door.

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Mighty Muesli

INGREDIENTS 1 cup desiccated coconut 4 cups wholegrain oats 1 cup bran 1 cup sunflower seeds 1 cup pumpkin seeds 1/2 sesame seeds 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed (linseed) 1 cup chopped nuts (suggest: Brazil, almond, walnut) 1 cup dried fruit (suggest: Apricots, cranberry and dates)

METHOD Preheat oven at 180°C (350°F).

Place into a roasting pan the coconut, oats, bran, sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds.

Drizzle over maple syrup and toss.

Place high in the oven and bake for 15 mins stirring every four or so minutes.

Remove from oven and add all other ingredients and mix while hot. Allow to cool before moving to an air tight container.

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No Oil Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS

3 ripe bananas 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 cup ground flax seed (linseed) 1 1/2 cups wholewheat flour

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METHOD Preheat oven 180°C (350°F) fan bake. Put bananas into a large mixing bowl and mash. Add the maple syrup, apple sauce and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, flax seed , cinnamon and baking soda and make sure it is throughly combined. Pour into standard loaf pan and bake for 45 mins.

Mum's traditional baked apple

INGREDIENTS 4 large apples

1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup wholegrain oats 1/4 chopped walnuts 1 tsp cinnamon 3/4 hot water

METHOD

Preheat oven 180°C (350°F) fan bake.

Use an apple corer or sharp knife to remove apple core leaving a hole through the centre of the apple.

Mix the maple syrup, oats, nuts and cinnamon into a bowl.

Divide the mixture between the centre of the apples, packing the mixture down tightly.

Place all four apples into a baking dish, pour the hot water in the bottom of the dish and bake for 45 mins. The apples should be tender but not mushy. Serve with some plant-based milk over the top if desired and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

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Take a break - Colour me in

64 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

Heart healthy crossword

ACROSS 1. Red taproot (4) 3. Organisms with leaves (6) 7. Dark leafy green (4) 8. Vege containing pods (5) 9. First meal of the day (9) 13. Lack, want (10) 15. Bean casing (4) 16. Eats no meat or dairy (5) 17. Bad fats (9) 19. First word in WFPB (5) 21. Dr Caldwell .... (p. 8) (9) 25. Type of farm (5) 26. Serious ailment (7) 27. Edible fungus (8) 30. Japanese soup (4) 31. Vital organ (5) 32. Without further ... (3)

33. Type of vinegar (8) 35. Dish of raw vegetables (5)

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Physical fitness (8) Check your blood ..... (8) Mini stroke (1,1,1) One of two equal parts (4) Body tumour (6) Exhaled air (6) Gisborne study (p. 9) (5) Forks Over .... (p. 25) (6) Common sweeteners (6) Director of The Big Fat Lie Grant .....(p. 24)(5) 14. Engrave (4) 18. Protein acid (5) 20. Weaving device (4)

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Cooked over hot water (7) Lessens, as pain (5) Knock gently (3) Way of eating (4) Make well again (4) Servings of food (5) Apply warmth (4) Tennis serve (2) Vegans refuse to eat (4)

Go to link below for solutions Click or scan QR image for more details. wholefoodliving.life/references

wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 65

It’s all about

66 wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019

R

egular checkups on things like blood pressure or a blood test itself can provide essential information on the state of our health.

And even before that, the simple act of standing on a good set of bathroom scales can be enough to warn us that something needs to change.

Taken together, these results are the first indicators of what we at Whole Food Living call ‘evidence.’

This magazine is all about evidence-based eating and as time moves on, the evidence of what we’ve eaten invariable shows up on the bathroom scales, a blood test or blood pressure measurement.

Professional health advice should be used to interpret these results.

The term evidence-based eating is very broad because it also covers an overwhelming body of scientific evidence which shows the extent to which we are affected by what we eat.

We invite you to consider this evidence as we explain why we are what we eat.

what we eat. wholefoodliving.life | Spring, 2019 67

There is no Planet B

There is only

wholefoodliving.life