AUTUMN 2023 VOL 4 ISSUE 13
The Happy Pear Serving Up Sound Advice Food as medicine Explaining it to patients
Indian cuisine $9.50
A taste of delight We’re building a community of conscious health seekers who want to improve and restore their health and the health of the planet we share
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CONTENTS 53
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General Features 10. DFN conference Putting plant-based nutrition into general practice - how do you make that happen?
14. Food for Life Katarina Tawiri explains Food for Life and how it opens doors to a whole new world.
18. A hard lesson learned Dr Koelmeyer talks whole food & how he came to it.
22. Mind matters Silva Mirovics dicusses the Alzheimer's problem.
30. Local & Vocal
Innes Hope examines the grass roots action.
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34. The Happy Pear Stephen and David Flynn open up on what brought them to whole food.
38. It's just nuts Janice Carter describes the healthful benefits of an iconic US staple - the Pecan Nut.
41. From birth to old age Respected dietitian, Brenda Davis, talks about nutrition.
43. Preparing for autumn Check out what to do in the garden this season.
44. Sporting endurance Some fascinating insights from Dr Michael Greger.
49. Stop Press Just as we went to print, a new study was released. We bring you first insights.
56. Geoengineering Is it rabbit hole science? Is there some sense in it or are we all completely losing it?
References Many of the articles published in this magazine refer to scientific studies. To view these studies use the QR code or go to the url below.
Click or scan QR image for references. wholefoodliving.life/references-autumn-2023
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The inside goss "I could have avoided all those risky situations, if I had only known about whole food nutrition." - Dr Ralph Koelmeyer
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them on all the way." - Katarina Tawri
Recipes A great new version of a favourite Italian classic. Plant based, high protein.
16. Thai salad Katarina Tawiri presents her tasty Thai salad in a jar. Ideal go-to lunch, keeps well.
17. Mushroom pate Walnut and mushroom pate, try it and you'll want more.
27. A touch of India A special food feature on Southern Indian food.
32. Happygut piccalilli Truely tasty, nice and zingy and very gut friendly.
change, I am there to support them and cheer
57 13. Nuovo minestrone
"For those who want to
"I don't sell and I don't
33. Wild rice pilaf A simple rice pilaf made with nutty wild rice, with sweet and tangy cranberries.
37. Homemade ketchup Make your own ketchup and easily control its sodium and sugar content.
42. Kumara fries & gravy Turning a normally unhealthy dish on its head.
47. Butternut squash soup Brimming with seasonal good flavour - a dish of delight!
54. Stuffed capsicum A wonderful mix of flavours and so easy to create!
tell. Nor do I persuade, because that forces them into actions they wouldn't normally take. I inspire." - Dr Martyn Williamson “There is no more powerful step that any human can take towards the preservation of this planet than choosing a plant-based diet. ” - Brenda Davis
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NUOVO MINESTRONE A new version of an Italian classic, plant-based, high protein, and gluten free. Buon Appetito! by Innes Hope
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his soup is different every time - with no set recipe. The classic version contains wheat pasta, and sometimes parmesan rind, lard, and/or meat broth. Our version uses lentil pasta, which is high in protein and gluten free. Our secret ingredient? The protein-rich, surprisingly palatable cooking water from the lentil pasta! INGREDIENTS You decide the quantity according to how much soup you want and how thick or thin you like it. Choose from each of the following x5 groups of essentials. 1. The base: ‘Soffritto’ – chopped carrot, celery & onion (I use spring onion or leek greens). Leftover pulse-pasta cooking water, water or vege stock. 2. Pantry & ‘hard’ vegetables, preferably in season. Favourites are kumera, pumpkin, green beans, peas, and zucchini in season. Tomatoes are key, so canned toms are fine in winter. Frozen veges can be included and leftovers like chopped potato or kumera. 3. Fresh, leafy greens in season. Cavolo nero (Italian kale) is superb. Silver beet and spinach are good too, but any fresh greens are fine. 4. Legumes – cooked beans or canned. Lightcoloured beans stand out against this colourful soup, especially butter beans and cannellini beans. Borlotti beans are popular, and any beans, or chickpeas, are fine to use. 5. Pulse Pasta – lentil pasta is great (it sometimes retains some colour when cooked with tomatoes), but any high protein gluten free pasta will suffice. Optional ingredients – salt and a few herbs, fresh if possible. Bay leaf, rosemary, or oregano work well. Cracked black pepper to sprinkle on top.
METHOD 1. If you’ve no leftover pulse-pasta cooking water, pre-cook the lentil pasta for about half the recommended time, drain the liquid into a jug or pot, and put the pasta in a bowl so it almost reaches the top. Cover with a plate or foil. 2. Finely chop the soffritto vegetables and sauté them in a large pot. 3. Chop the pantry vegetables, add them, plus the herbs, to the soffritto. Pour in enough pasta water to cover the veges, and simmer for 30 mins so the veges ‘melt’ into a creamy texture. Stir occasionally. Add more liquid if needed. 4. Finely chop the leafy greens and stir them into the soup. Add the half-cooked pasta and cook for 3-4 mins. Stir in the beans and cook for another 3-4 mins. If you’re using dry pasta, cook the soup for the length of time recommended on the packet. Serve hot with fresh wholegrain bread and grind some black pepper on top. TIPS Use any seasonal vegetable you enjoy, for example, corn, eggplant, parsnip, yams, broccoli, broad beans. Rice can be used instead of pasta (allow more cooking time). Leftover pulse pasta cooking water adds nourishment to many other dishes too, so make sure you save it each time you cook pulse pasta! Minestrone, minus pasta, can be made in advance – (it tastes even better when it has been rested). Before serving, bring it to the boil then add and cook the pasta. For an instant version, used canned tomatoes and beans, and leftover pasta and vegetables. It won’t be as wonderful, but it’s a good backstop for exhausted cooks! Leftover soup can be stored in the fridge or frozen. If you’re home-cooking the beans, think a day ahead and soak them overnight. For best results and maximum nutrition, cook them in a pressure cooker.
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Janice Carter Lifestyle Medicine Coach
Pecan Nuts: the health benefits significantly outweigh the cost
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When adults consumed a pecan-rich diet for four weeks, they experienced decreases in their LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while beneficial HDL readings increased.
ecan nuts – one of my favourite nuts, but sadly, so expensive. Having dug into some more research on the amazing benefits of Pecan nuts, I quickly concluded that these beautiful nuts are worth every cent. Pecans can grow in New Zealand, but good research into which type for your area and climatic conditions will need to be done before you invest in a tree. Pecans are the only tree nut native to North America and are also No. 1 in antioxidant concentration. When you're on the lookout for a healthy snack, pecans check every box Pecans have a rich history. Wild pecans were an important part of Native American diets in the U.S. and Mexico, and the word pecan comes from the Algonquin Native American word "pacane," which means "a nut requiring a stone to crack." In the wild, pecan trees live to be 1,000 years old, reaching more than 100 feet tall. The first cultivated pecan trees were planted by Native Americans, who also created a fermented beverage called powcohicora, made by fermenting pecan powder. Today, more than 80% of the global pecan supply still comes from the U.S. It takes close to 10 years before pecan trees are able to produce a full harvest, but once they reach maturity, they can produce this nutritious food for a century or more. Health Benefits of Pecans Pecans have a buttery, mildly sweet flavour perfect for snacking, baking and adding crunch to salads and vegetable dishes. They also offer an impressive nutritional profile, providing protein, fibre, healthy fats and more than 19 vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A and E, B vitamins, folate, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. There are many reasons to add them to your diet.
1. Improved cardiometabolic risk factors Cardiometabolic risk factors such as high blood pressure, elevated fasting blood sugar, dyslipidaemia, abdominal obesity and elevated triglycerides signify an increased risk of cardiometabolic disease. This refers to a group of conditions that often begin with insulin resistance and, without healthy lifestyle changes, progress to metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and Type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Only 6.8% of U.S. adults have optimal cardiometabolic health,
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which means the remaining 93.2% do not, instead belonging to the majority whose cardiometabolic health has been "poor and worsening" since 2000. Simply eating pecans is one way to improve your cardiometabolic health, even if you're overweight or obese. In a study of middleaged and older adults who were overweight or obese, eating a pecan-rich diet for four weeks led to improvements in insulin, insulin resistance and beta cell function. The study found that eating pecans also lowered participants' risk of cardiometabolic disease compared to the control diet.
2. Reduce Oxidation of LDL Cholesterol Pecans contain compounds such as asγ-tocopherol and flavan3-ol monomers, which have antioxidant properties. Consuming pecans in whole or blended form led to significant increases in antioxidant defences, suggesting "bioactive constituent of pecans are absorbable." Further, after consuming whole pecans, oxidised LDL decreased. Oxidised LDL is a marker of lipoprotein-associated oxidative stress and is considered to be a risk factor for heart disease. The U.S. Department of Agriculture study revealed that pecans rank No. 1 in antioxidants compared to eight other common tree nuts. Pecans also ranked in the top 20 in antioxidant capacity out of 277 foods analysed for the study.
3. Improve Heart Health With a rich content of antioxidants and monounsaturated fats, pecans are a heart-healthy food. When adults consumed a pecanrich diet for four weeks, they experienced decreases in their LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while beneficial HDL readings increased. Further, improvements to lipid profile were achieved without any weight gain. "Nuts such as pecans that are rich in monounsaturated fat may therefore be recommended as part of prescribed cholesterollowering diet of patients or habitual diet of healthy individuals," researchers wrote in The Journal of Nutrition.
4. Protect Your Brain In an animal study of mice with a condition similar to
Nut consumption, in general, is inversely associated with cognitive decline.
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, pecans provided neurological protection. In those fed a pecan-rich diet, a significant delay was observed in declining motor function compared to mice fed a diet without pecans. This suggests eating pecans could help protect against age-related motor neuron degeneration. Nut consumption, in general, is also inversely associated with cognitive decline. In adults aged 55 and over, those who ate more than 10 grams a day of nuts were 40% less likely to have poor cognitive function, even after adjusting for other lifestyle and behavioural factors. Surely a very valid reason to get into nuts every day.
5. Cancer Protection A systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that eating tree nuts is associated with a lower risk of cancer incidence and mortality. A dose-response relationship was found, such that the more nuts consumed, the lower cancer risk became. Specifically, a five-gram per day increase in total nut intake was associated with a 25% lower risk of colon cancer, a 6% lower risk of pancreatic cancer and a 3% lower risk of cancer overall. For cancer mortality, higher intake of tree nuts led to an 18% lower risk. Extracts from pecan shells have also shown promise against breast cancer and colon cancer cell lines. Whether you're looking for quick, portable snack to fill you up on-the-go or a functional addition to your morning breakfast smoothie, pecans make a health-boosting choice.
New Beginnings
THREE DAY LIFESTYLE RETREAT
Give your health a fresh start with a whole plant-based diet.
12-14 March 23-25 April 21-23 May Camp Columba, Pukerau, Gore
For more information contact josth98p@gmail.com
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LOADED KUMARA FRIES WITH MISO GRAVY This is a good example of taking a unhealthy dish and turning it on its head. by Nicole Morgan - @plant_strong_living | serves 4 INGREDIENTS 1 stock cube "beef" 1 kg kumara washed (skin on) cut into 1cm chips 5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed slightly with the back of a knife 1 Tbsp stock 2 Tbsp dukkah 2 tsp curry powder salt & pepper to taste (optional) INGREDIENTS - Miso Gravy 1 sprig of thyme leaves (picked) 1 tsp sriracha sauce 2 Tbsp maple syrup 4 tsp miso paste 2 tsp arrowroot powder fresh ground black pepper INGREDIENTS - loaded topping 1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed 2 spring onions, sliced thin 1/2 iceburg lettuce, chopped 1/2 red cabbage, thinly sliced 1 avocado, sliced
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METHOD Preheat your oven to 200 C fan bake. Dissolve the stock cube in 2 cups of boiling water. Using a large mixing bowl, toss the kumara chips, garlic, 2 tbsp stock, fries seasoning and a pinch of salt and pepper. Then spread the fries out on a large lined baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip and toss the fries but take out the garlic cloves to use in the miso gravy. Bake for a further 10 minutes. Meanwhile to make the miso gravy, chop the roasted garlic cloves up roughly. In a medium – small pot, combine the garlic, 1 cup of stock, thyme, sriracha, maple syrup and the miso paste. Bring to a light boil, meanwhile in a small bowl, whisk 4 tbsp of stock, the miso paste and the gravy sachet until smooth. Add this to the pot and whisk until the gravy starts to thicken, about 2-3 minutes. Season to taste. Pour the miso gravy over the kumara fries and garnish with black beans and spring onions. Serve with lettuce, purple cabbage and diced avocado. Enjoy.
Garden to Table
Preparations for autumn and beyond
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ith autumn underway, it’s a great time to get a head start on your autumn and winter vegetable garden. Many vegetables are great for planting as the weather cools over the next few months. If you haven’t already, planning your winter crops for how you would like them roughly arranged in the garden is a great idea. Sow some seeds in trays and get a head start on your productive winter wonderland. Meantime, keep enjoying the delicious harvests from your summer garden, and don’t forget to keep on top of any weeds that may have popped up and need attention. If you’re a fan of leafy greens, we have a range of popular options, including Cabbage Red Acre, Cress American Upland, Kale Cavolo Nero, Lettuce Little Gem, Spinach Perpetual, and Fordhook Giant Beet (also known as Silverbeet or Swiss Chard). All of these varieties are ideal for use as baby leaf and can be taken as required to provide you with a sustained harvest for many weeks. Pea WF Massey, the classic garden pea in NZ, is another popular variety for the cooler weather, along with Broccolis and Cauliflowers which are ever sought after. Other great options include root vegetables like Beetroot Detroit Dark Red (typically ready to harvest in about 60 days), or Carrot Tendersweet , which are regarded for their bountiful and delicious harvests.
fully mature. Ripe pumpkins should produce a hollow sound when knocked solidly with your knuckle. Watermelons are much the same, but pay attention to the palecoloured patch underneath the melon; even if it doesn’t sound hollow when knocked, it is ready to eat when its sitting spot has turned yellow. Finally, as your summer garden comes to its seasonal end, don’t forget to clear out dead plants to make room for your fresh autumn seedlings. Getting the jump on the cold weather and shorter sunlight days will pay you back with beautiful harvests you’ll appreciate in the coming time.
We offer heritage vegetable, herb and flower seeds to grow your own gourmet garden. Sowing tips included.
Transplanting has its benefits Many gardeners favour transplanting over sowing direct, as it allows better dependability and control over the initial growing conditions. While root vegetables are best sown direct, most leafy greens can be sown into trays for transplanting into your garden a few weeks later. Leafy greens are generally loved by garden pests like snails, too, so transplanting can help prevent this from being an issue. By sowing into trays and then transplanting once the seedlings have several true leaves, you can enhance your success rates while having more accuracy over where each seedling grows. Regularly harvesting from your summer garden encourages more fruiting and extends your harvesting period. Continue picking your tomatoes and pinching out any lategrowing laterals so the plant’s energy goes into the fruit rather than the leaves. Eggplants should be picked once their glossy skin deepens in colour but before the fruit softens, as it can become bitter. Pumpkin vines will typically start to die back, with their leaves turning yellow and drying up to indicate that your pumpkins are
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