Banana Bread
I adapted this recipe from one of Mary McDougall’s, which I found in The Starch Solution. It’s everything banana bread should be – moist and satisfying… but without the refined sugar and oil of typical banana bread recipes. Ingredients: 1 tbsp ground linseed 3 tbsp water 3/4 cup plant milk 1 tbsp lemon juice 1…
‘Cheat days’ and the diet mentality
Last week I gave a presentation on wholefood plant-based eating at an employee wellness event. After describing all the health benefits of a way of eating based on minimally processed plant foods, a man in the audience raised his hand and asked “Does this diet allow for cheat days?” I explained that he was free…
Pumpkin, Fennel and Red Lentil Soup
I LOVE pumpkin soup. Recently I discovered that pumpkin and fennel are a match made in heaven. Here is one of the fruits of that marriage :). Ingredients: 1 medium onion, peeled and diced 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 2 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced 1 cup water or low-sodium vegetable stock…
Orange-Mustard Sauteed Greens and Mushrooms
Sautéing greens makes them much tastier than steaming them, and a simple sauce of orange juice, mustard and vinegar takes their flavour to a whole new level! Ingredients: 1 bunch kale, destemmed and finely chopped 1 head broccoli, cut into florets 1 tsp Mrs Dash Garlic & Herb Seasoning Blend (order from iHerb) or garlic…
Why vegans’ health matters
As a health practitioner, I see two broad groupings of people: those who adopted a vegan diet for ethical reasons, and those who are eating (or would do well to adopt) a plant-based diet for health reasons. Full disclosure: Personally, I have a foot in both camps. I went vegetarian at the age of 15…
Broccoli and Corn Frittata
Once you have the basic formula for a tofu frittata sorted out, you can adapt it for whatever vegetables you have on hand. This week I had a glut of broccoli, corn and rainbow chard from my organic co-op, so guess what ended up in the frittata? Ingredients: 1 onion, peeled and diced 2…
The futility of risk factor management: Cholesterol-lowering drugs cause diabetes
A meta-analysis of observational studies published in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases has found that cholesterol-lowering statin drugs raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 44%. Statins remain the most-prescribed drugs in Australia: atorvastatin (Lipitor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor) led the top 10 drugs by prescription count in 2015, with 10 557…
Kale Streamer Salad
The colours in this salad are just so pretty! Be sure to leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving to allow the kale to soften. Ingredients: 1 orange, peeled 3 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1/3 cup raw cashews 1 bunch kale, tough stems removed 1 large carrot…
Want your child to do well in school? Pass the broccoli…. and hold the cordial
Every parent wants their child to have the best chance at success in life, and like it or not, how well a child does at school is an important determinant of their future employment opportunities and earning capacity, which in turn affects health status, personal fulfillment and life satisfaction. Parents often invest considerable amounts of…
Spiced Apple Polenta Cake
I currently have a bit of a fetish for polenta. I don’t know why; there’s just something about this traditional Italian cornmeal porridge that is really floating my boat right now! Polenta is typically a savoury dish, but today I had a hankering for a sweet incarnation of it. This layered apple cake is not…