Quince, Pumpkin and Chickpea Stew
What do you do when you find a recipe online that has multiple pluses – it uses quinces, an ingredient I’ve only ever made dessert with; it’s chock-full of vegetables; it has a delicious-sounding mixture of herbs and spices – BUT 2 big minuses – it was intended as a side dish when I wanted…
Kale and Beetroot Salad
Raw kale can be tough to chew and too bitter for many people’s palates, but lightly baking it makes it crunchy and delicious! I started off with this recipe from One Green Planet and then branched off in my own direction :). Ingredients: 2 large beetroots, scrubbed and trimmed 1 bunch kale, washed and de-stemmed…
5 mistakes new vegans make that sabotage their health and energy
When I first opened my practice in 1995, I didn’t intend to specialise in health problems affecting vegans. Actually, there weren’t that many vegans around in the 90s – most people didn’t even know how to pronounce the word. (Vay-gun?? Vej-un??) However, as the years went by, I began seeing more and more people who…
Keep your brain young with greens
Today, March 12, marks the beginning of Brain Awareness Week, a global campaign to increase public awareness of the progress and benefits of brain research into conditions such as Parkison’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, schizophrenia and epilepsy. Now, I’m a total geek for research, as you probably realise if you’ve been…
Buddha Bowl #2
I know, I’ve already told you I love Buddha bowls… but what can I say? There’s no end to the fun you can have with them, so here’s my latest rendition of the genre. Adjust the quantities below to match the number of diners. Ingredients: Eggplant: slice 3/4 cm thick, and cook in a sandwich…
The oil-free kitchen
Most people who come to see me as a client, or a participant in my cooking classes, can wrap their heads around the basic concept of a wholefood plant-based diet without too much trouble. After all, eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes just makes sense (at least, once you shake off carbophobia and…
Struggling to lose weight? Ditch the salt!
Many people are inspired to try a wholefood plant-based diet by the plethora of anecdotes about the effortless weight loss facilitated by this way of eating. Documentaries such as Forks Over Knives, Eating You Alive and What the Health, along with countless blogs and podcast episodes, feature remarkable true stories of people who have battled…
Saving lives from heart disease starts young
As a health practitioner who sees large numbers of people on plant-based diets, I’m frequently struck by the diligence of vegan and vegetarian parents in ensuring they they are meeting their children’s nutritional needs. Not a week goes by without me seeing a vegan couple planning a pregnancy, or a vegan woman who is already…
Low carb déjà vu
Every now and again, something happens that makes me realise I live in a bubble. You see, for over 25 years, I’ve been completely immersed in the study of human physiology, nutritional biochemistry, therapeutic nutrition, sleep, exercise, psychology and pretty much everything else that relates to helping human beings become healthier and happier. Nerding out…
Can we prevent even more than 40% of cancer deaths?
Last week’s blog post summarising a recently-published article which calculated that 40% of cancer deaths in Australia could have been prevented with simple lifestyle changes prompted some readers to ask the question, “Only 40% of deaths? Aren’t even more cases of cancer linked with diet and lifestyle?” The answer to that question is almost certainly…