Aussie plant-based doctors spill the beans
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article and made a video, both called ‘A Matter of Trust’, on a systematic review that was published in JAMA Internal Medicine. This review in a nutshell concluded that doctors accurately assess the risks and benefits of medical treatments, diagnostic tests and screening tests only about 1/3…
When to say ‘sometimes’ and when to say ‘never’
Conventional wisdom has it that ‘a little of what you fancy does you good’, and that ‘everything in moderation’ is the key to good health. If this approach is working well for you – if you easily maintain your ideal weight, have a healthy relationship with food, and have no health problems – then…
A matter of trust
One of the most essential elements in the doctor-patient relationship is trust. Because you are unlikely to know as much as your doctor does about your body, your symptoms and what they mean, and how you should be treated, you place trust in your doctor to diagnose you properly and prescribe an appropriate course…
Pumpkin Passionfruit Pie
I know, I know – it sounds like a really unlikely combination. But the contrast between the rich, sweet pumpkin and the sharp tang of passionfruit is quite irresistible! Be sure to use a very sweet pumpkin for this recipe; I used a jap pumpkin, baked until it was practically melting away from its skin.…
Mustard Glazed Potatoes and Kale
I adapted this recipe from Kim Campbell, the extraordinarily talented author of one of my favourite wholefood plant-based recipe books, The PlantPure Nation Cookbook. Kim’s recipe used maple syrup, for which I substituted soaked medjool dates. Ingredients: 4 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cubed (mine weighed 740 g in total) 1 onion, diced 5 garlic cloves,…
Vaccines: Science, Undone Science and Anti-Science
13 March 2017 Vaccination policy is in the news again, with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s comment on the ABC’s Insider’s program that “I think people have a right to investigate [the vaccination issue] themselves” generating a firestorm of criticism from both sides of politics, medical and public health associations, media outlets, bloggers and just…
Chocolate Mint Sweet Potato Brownies
A burgeoning crop of fresh mint inspired this week’s recipe for a wholesome sweet treat. Ingredients: 330 g Medjool dates, pitted 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves 1 cup water (I used water saved from steaming the sweet potatoes) 200 g sweet potatoes (steamed, mashed with a bit of the cooking water) 1/2 cup cacao (raw…
The final nail in dairy’s coffin? Drinking milk makes you die sooner
Ask most Australian adults how much milk they drink, and they’ll answer ‘I really don’t drink milk – I just have a bit on my cereal and a dash in my coffee’. But consumption data gathered by the dairy industry tell a different tale. Annual fluid milk consumption stood at 105 litres per person…
German Apple Cake
My son Mitchell, who just turned 16, chose this recipe as his birthday cake. The original recipe was vegan, but still contained non-wholefood ingredients such as oil and sugar. All it took was a few tweaks… and the results were so spectacular, my husband has already put in his order to have this as his…
Making Stuff Up: Popular internet ‘wisdom’ about healing leaky gut
As I always do when preparing to give a seminar or workshop, I’ve been delving deep into the scientific literature on how fats and oils affect the human body to prepare for the Plant-Powered Oil-Free Cooking workshop that I held last Saturday. As I explained to workshop participants, consuming oils has adverse effects on…