Category: Recipes

Starting Out on Your WFPB Journey

When starting out on your WFPB journey, you may come across some problems with food choices and meal preparation. None of these are insurmountable, but a few handy tips might help you on your way to enjoying the optimal diet for human health.

You will have to excuse me giving some personal advice and examples in this blog. I thought it might be the best way to help.

The three aims of the following tips are to help ensure:

  1. That you never go hungry or panic about where the next meal is coming from,
  2. That you prepare snacks and meals really quickly and efficiently, and
  3. That you eat the most nutritious diet possible – today, tomorrow and every day.

Tip 1. Microwaves are really useful

They are also one of the healthiest cooking methods because they preserve so many of the nutrients. And don’t take any notice of the silly scare stories about their dangers. Listen to Dr Greger’s podcast “Are Microwaves Safe?” or look here if you need further convincing.

Just some of the uses to which I regularly put my trusty microwave:

  • Baked potatoes – soft-cooked from the microwave, then crisped whole afterwards in the oven, or cut in two and toasted under the grill for a few minutes.
  • Reheating meals – stews, soups, pasta meals, etc. Rice needs thorough re-heating and never more than once.
  • Cooking or defrosting from frozen – I heat up the frozen berries that I use as a base for my morning muesli. Frozen peas and corn are always being warmed up for one meal or another. Frozen veg and fruit love the microwave!
  • Cooking all sorts of veg. Place in a covered microwave container and add only a small amount of water. I use the microwave to cook Brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, courgettes (zucchini), onions, the list goes on and on.
  • Heating smoothies and drinks of all sorts – each morning I have quarter of a cup of tomato juice that I warm up in the microwave then add 1/4 tsp (teaspoon) turmeric, tsp amla powder, 1 tbsp (tablespoon) ground flax seeds, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper. Stir it up and drink it down. Thanks to Dr Greger for this one.
  • Starting off dry ingredients in a little water for curries etc.
  • Heating mushrooms for a couple of minutes works really well – add a bit of water, lemon juice or non-salt umami sauce.

These are just a few uses that my microwave gets every day. There are many more imaginative ideas to be found on the internet, for instance here and here (I skip the salt, of course).

Tip 2. Keep the freezer fully stocked

  • Every type of berry – shop-bought frozen mixed berries, berries frozen from fresh. I use these for my breakfasts (see below) and also for making Dr Greger’s nice-cream (peeled chopped bananas frozen with frozen berries).
  • Lots of veg – peas and corn, greens beans and Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower, you name it! Some tastes change when frozen, but nutrient values remain high.
  • Batches of meals you prepare – useful portion sizes of homemade stews, soups, bakes, curries, etc.
  • Homemade bread, flapjacks, brownies, truffles, tortillas, baked goods, veggie burgers.

Tip 3. Make more portions for future use

  • Whenever you make a meal, always consider making loads more of it so you can either freeze, refrigerate or set portions aside for future meals. (“batch cooking“). When I microwave potatoes and sweet potatoes, I generally throw half a dozen in and then they are ready to quickly heat up or use for future meals.
  • Even if you have just a small amount of a meal left over, try to incorporate it as a basis for a future meal. I did this last night with what was left of a bean stew. It found its way into today’s chickpea curry.

Tip 4. Buy and fill lots of containers with dried goods

  • Jars, plastic boxes, tins – all chocked full of every spice, herb and dried food you could possibly use. My larder is full of labelled containers with everything from pinto beans, cinnamon and wholewheat pasta to unsulphured apricots, jumbo oats and Dr Greger’s Savoury Spice. The aim is never to run short of anything needed to make a delicious meal.
  • Breakfast (or anytime) muesli mix – I keep a huge Tupperware container “locked and loaded” for use first thing in the morning with ready-made muesli mix (after my usual microwaved leafy greens). It contains the following ingredients: jumbo oats and rye, ground flax seed, chia seeds, poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chopped nuts (walnuts, cashews, pecans, almonds), raisins, chopped dates, unsweetened chopped cranberries, chopped unsulphured apricots, cinnamon powder and unsweetened cocoa powder (the latter two might be an acquired taste for some…). I put a handful of frozen mixed berries into a huge bowl, add a bit of boiling water and/or plant milk, microwave for 2-3 mins, remove, add a couple of handfuls of the muesli mix, chop up a banana, apple and pear (sometimes also a mango or pineapple), then mix it all together. Ready for a snack at anytime during the day.

Tip 5. Keep your refrigerator full of goodness

  • Some more “sensitive” fresh veg and fruit keep better in the refrigerator – fresh herbs (unless in water), rocket, lettuce, watercress, cucumber, mangetout, mushrooms to name a few. Also, though the skins brown more quickly, bananas last longer when refrigerated.
  • Jif squeezy lemon juice. Opened jars of miso, nut butters, etc.
  • Opened plant milks and tomato juice.
  • Left-overs from previous meals – ready to transform into new delights.

Tip 6. Beans and starchy carbs in profusion

  • Every type of uncooked dried bean and pulse that you can find – see here. Soak a variety overnight (check packs for instructions) and they’re ready to cook the next day. Or stick them straight in the pressure cooker (another vital cooking aid).
  • Non-salted ready-cooked beans. There are issues (see here and here) with tinned goods (and even issues about Tetra-paks because of aluminium linings), so it’s always better to go to a bit more bother and make your own beans and pulses from dried. However, if you get really stuck for time, I would say eat a tin of baked beans (low salt and sugar, of course) rather than have a panic attack about what you can eat! As an occasional short-cut, it’s better than just rushing out for a Big Mac and fries!
  • Buy white, purple and sweet potatoes in large quantities and always have them ready for use.
  • Stock up on interesting and varied wholemeal dried pasta, or make your own (without oil or salt) and let me have the recipe/method. Keep lots of wholemeal rice in stock (ideally red or wild rice, and ideally from Thailand or Sri Lanka and not China or California – see here for explanation). And remember, if you are translating this page from English to another language and so cannot easily understand one of Dr Greger’s spoken videos, he always has a transcript below the video frame that you can run through Google Translate.
  • Other starchy root veg will store well for a long time and offer huge nutritional value. Think celeriac, butternut squash, beets, swede, turnip, parsnip, mooli, kohlrabi, manioc (cassava), etc. The fact that starchy veg last so long when stored, as our ancestors had to during the barren winter months, will come as no surprise when you consider that we humans are really starchivores, according to Nathaniel Dominy PhD, Dr John McDougall and others.

Tip 7. Alternatives to cooking with oil

And I mean ANY oil – just leave it out of your meals, your kitchen – your house, if possible. Why? See here, here and even here from the horse’s mouth, if you have any further doubt.

  • When frying, use a little water or some veg broth to keep from sticking if necessary, See here and here.
  • When oven-roasting, again you can use a little water, veg broth or a tomato juice/spice mix. Here are some ideas.
  • Making bread and other baked goods is simple without oil. See here.

Tip 8. Alternatives to cooking with salt

Salt is not something you should be adding to meals. I suggest you simply do not use it – ever.

  • See here for some alternative home-made solutions.
  • See here for some commercially-available alternatives.

Tip 9. Alternatives to cooking with sugar

Sugar damages the endothelial cells in your blood vessels, ages your skin, rots your teeth, promotes diabetes and so forth. In any event, it represents empty calories and, with diet being a zero-sum affair, every time you put sugar in your body you are not putting in something else which is healthy and beneficial. In any event, it is best to re-educate your palate to enjoy the natural flavours of food, don’t you think? If in doubt, watch this and read this.

  • The healthiest alternative is probably date sugar – not really sugar, just ground up dried dates. I use chopped dates in lots of desserts and breakfasts.
  • One way to make wet date sugar. Another way to make dry date sugar is to stick them in a dehydrator (this is the one I use and then blend and grind until they are a powder).

Tip 10. Use nutritional yeast

I know this was mentioned in one of the links on Tip 8, but it is such useful stuff that I had to give it pride of place. See here for videos (with transcripts) if you need convincing.

  • Some ideas here.
  • I use it in soups, stews, on microwaved/steamed/boiled veg, on baked potatoes – pretty much wherever I can.
  • Here is where I buy it (12 packs at a time).
  • You can buy it with (more expensive) or without B12 fortification. I get enough B12 with my Veg 1 daily supplement, but you can decide if you want fortification based on the amount of B12 you get elsewhere. Here for advice.
  • Do not use nutritional yeast if you have Crohn’s disease.

Tip 11. Buy some recipe books – either on Kindle or paper copies

  • I tend to get both digital versions (on Kindle) and paper copies (soft/hardbacks).
  • The following are some suggestions:

Tip 12. Search the internet for WFPB (no-SOS) recipes and videos

There are lots and lots of wonderful websites with recipes and videos of WFPB non-SOS (no added salt, oil or sugar) meals. Some do have a little salt or sugar in the recipes, and I recommend simply ignoring those ingredients or replacing them with something else (see above).

Tip 13. Plan your meals ahead of time

  • Don’t get caught out with a hungry tummy and no idea of what to eat. You can spend one day a week sitting down for an hour or so and write out the whole week’s meal plan. Saves time and allows you to know what ingredients you need and whether you have them in stock or need to buy them.
  • There are plenty of websites that give you sample meal plans. Theses are just a few: PCRM, CNS, onegreenplanet, forksover knives, veganopoulous.

Tip 14. Use silicone and non-stick cookware

  • Whether baking bread, muffins or flapjacks, silicone bread tins, muffin trays or baking sheets make life a lot easier when you’re not using oil or fat.

Tip 15. Keep unhealthy choices out of sight and out of reach

  • If you really need some sugary or salty “treats”, then realise that they might well be treating your cravings, but your body will always suffer as a result – no matter what the media and your friends might lead you to believe. I have previously explained how research shows it’s a good idea to keep the poor food choices out of sight and out of reach – ideally out of the house!

Tip 16. Experiment and record the results

  • Try things out. Experiment. Have fun with food.
  • When you make something, either from a recipe or not, take a photo of it and write some comments about how well you thought it turned out. I always give new recipes a mark out of 10 – literally writing comments and a score in the recipe book or as a note if on Kindle.
  • Keep a food diary. Jot down what you had and how it turned out. Remember that you ARE what you eat, literally. Food is made of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen, with other minerals thrown in for good measure. Your body was made from this stuff when you were in your mother’s womb, and your body is maintained and rebuilt every day with the food that you eat – and nothing else. If a person is not interested in their food, they are probably not interested in the health of their body.
  • “Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food.” Hippocrates.

Tip 17. Maintain a positive attitude

  • If you have a positive attitude to preparing your meals and snacks, you’ll avoid the voices in the back of your head that try to tell you that this is all too difficult and you should just do like everyone else and buy the ready meals or phone up the local pizza delivery shop.

Tip 18. Be gentle with yourself

  • What you are doing is a truly wonderful thing for your body, for other animal species in general and for our planet as a whole. There may be days when you miss the cheesiness of a pizza or the burnt fattiness of a steak, but that is just a bunch of stubborn pre-programmed neurons that have been badly educated about which sort-cuts you should use to quickly acquire calories. Their effect will diminish with time, just as the smell of a cigarette eventually holds little attraction to an ex-smoker.
  • We are all spurred on by finding that clothes fit, acne and skin conditions clear up, hair is smoother, our bodies and breath smell sweeter, blood pressure and pulse rate drop, BMI reduces, energy increases, stomach aches and heart-burn become a thing of the past. But, these are just some of the benefits your dietary and lifestyle changes are making to your body. Much of it is internal and are only revealed when you have blood tests (something I organise for my clients before they make the transition and also at future intervals, as appropriate) – improvements in cholesterol and triglyceride levels, vitamin and mineral profiles, improved functioning of the endothelium, liver, pancreas and kidneys. The list goes on. And all because of what you decide, on a mouthful by mouthful basis, to put into your body.

If there are any other tips that you can think of that I might have missed, please let me know and I will add them for the benefit of others who are about to make the first steps towards a healthier WFPB future.

 

Dietary Success – Visibility & Proximity

A study nicknamed the Office Candy Dish looked at how our eating choices are affected by how visible and easily available particular foods are. Most of us have a candy dish lurking somewhere – where’s yours?

Dr Brian Wansink’s Study

Questions to answer:

  1. how does the visibility and proximity (closeness) of a food influence consumption volume?
  2. are proximate foods consumed more frequently because they are proximate, or are they consumed more frequently because people lose track of how much they eat?

Research methods and procedures:

  • 4-week study involving chocolate candy consumption of 40 adult secretaries
  • proximity – chocolates placed either on the participant’s desk or 2 m from the desk
  • visibility – chocolates placed in covered bowls that were either clear or opaque
  • chocolates replenished each evening
  • placement conditions rotated once a week
  • daily consumption noted and follow-up questionnaires distributed and analysed

So what results do you think were found?

– More visibility led to more or less candy consumption?

– Closer proximity led to more or less candy consumption?

Results

– more candies were eaten each day when they were more visible

– more candies were eaten when they were on the desk rather than 2 m away

– there was a tendency to underestimate daily consumption of candies when on desk

– conversely, there was a tendency to overestimate daily consumption of candies when placed 2 m away

These limited results bring us no great surprises, but they do reinforce the intuitively obvious notions that proximity and visibility of a food can consistently increase a person’s consumption of it. In addition, these results suggest that people may be biased to overestimate the consumption of foods that are further away, and to underestimate those that are closer.

But so what?

Understanding the psychology in this small study can help to throw light on how best we can manage our WFPBD. It is clear as soon as you walk out of your front door that we exist in a nutritionally toxic environment, with a Pizza Hut, McDonald’s or kebab shop on every corner, and almost every supermarket aisle chocked full of sugary, fatty, largely animal-based processed junk – tempting as they may be to the taste sensors that evolution has given us.

Ensuring that we have a favourable nutritional environment in our own homes seems to make good sense.

The Motivational Triad & The Pleasure Trap

Doug Lisle PhD explains that the Motivational Triad consists of three basic humans motivations:

  1. avoid pain
  2. seek pleasure
  3. conserve energy

It is, therefore, not difficult to understand that we are simply acting in accordance with our evolved nature when we find it difficult to ignore the tub of ice cream looking at us with its sad eyes every time we go into the freezer to take out the bag of frozen berries; or to avoid hearing the enticing song of the cookie jar that’s loitering on the kitchen shelf next to the organic steel-cut jumbo oats. Dr Lisle calls this dilemma The Pleasure Trap.

Our bodies know full well that they can get a bigger hit of calories much more quickly from ice cream and cookies than from a bowl of berries and oats.

What wrong with a bit of self-discipline?

Of course, we can use self-discipline and will-power; but relying on these has never and will never be the best strategy for a successful and enjoyable lifetime of optimal nutrition. Sitting there and struggling with willpower every day for the next 5, 10, 20 or 50 years is not a winning proposition.

What is likely to be more successful and certainly a more pleasurable strategy is to get into mindless habits of achieving and maintaining your nutritional goals. This will then mean that you are letting the motivational triad work for you rather than against you:

  • avoiding any painful sense of loss at not letting yourself indulge in foods you would rather not eat
  • enjoying the pleasure of just focusing on the foods you do want to eat
  • and conserving energy by making it easy on yourself to only do what is in line with your personal dietary goals

So here are a few (pretty obvious) tips

[su_frame] Cookie Convenience #1 – The bad choice should always take a lot more effort. If you need to have a candy jar in the house, store it far away and out of sight – better still, remove it from the house completely.

Fridge Convenience #2 – Keep at least five healthy food options at the front part of the shelf in the fridge, especially at children’s height if you have kids and want them to eat healthily. Make it easy for you and your family to make good choices.

Recipe Convenience #3 – Make sure you have loads of wonderful recipes available, masses of attractively-stored healthy ingredients – frozen, in jars, fresh – and keep readily available all those kitchen gadgets you require to produce really tasty meals as quickly and easily as possible.

Green is Normal – Make it a normal thing to always have green leafy vegetables as a part of every single dinner. So the only choice is which greens to have.

Fruity & Attractive – Don’t stick sad-looking fruit in a dusty Tupperware bowl. Place fresh and varied-coloured fruit in a beautiful and easily reachable glass bowl.

Dishy & Attractive – When you serve up your food, make sure the serving dishes, crockery and cutlery are a pleasure to look at and use, and that the food looks appetising and colourful. Make every meal a special mindful occasion.

Safe Snacking – Keep healthy snacks easily available – fresh or (unsugared) dried fruits, nuts and seeds instead of a biscuit barrel or a tray of candies.

[/su_frame]

More on Dr Lisle’s Pleasure Trap and the Motivational Triad:

[qsm quiz=5]

 

References

Wansink B, Painter JE, Lee YK. The office candy dish: Proximity’s influence on estimated and actual consumption. Int J Obes (Lond). 2006 May; 30(5): 871-875.

Wansink B. Convenient, attractive, and normative: The CAN approach to making children slim by design. Child Obes. 2013 Aug; 9(4): 277-8.

Painter JE, Wansink B, Hieggelke JB. How visibility, convenience influence candy consumption. Appetite 2002; 38: 237–238.

Chandon P, Wansink B. Does stockpiling accelerate consumption. A convenience-salience framework of consumption stockpiling. J Marketing Res 2002; 39: 321–335.

Wansink B. Environmental factors that increase the food intake and consumption volume of unknowing consumers. Ann Rev Nutr 2004; 24: 455–479.

Wansink B, Sudman S. Consumer Panels, 2nd edn. American Marketing Association: Chicago, 2002.

Wansink B, Cheney MM. Super bowls: serving bowl size and food consumption. JAMA 2005; 293: 1727–1728.

Norcross JC, Mrykalo MS, Blagys MD. Auld lang syne: Success predictors, change processes, and self-reported outcomes of New Year’s resolvers and nonresolvers. J Clin Psychol. 2002; 58: 397-405.

 

Thomas PR. Improving America’s Diet and Health: From Recommendations to Action. National Academy Press: Washington, DC, 1991.

Glanz K, Basil M, Maibach E, Goldberg J, Snyder D. Why Americans eat what they do: taste, nutrition, cost, convenience, and weight control concerns as influences on food consumption. J Am Diet Assoc 1998; 98: 1118–1126.

Sporny LA, Contento IR. Stages of change in dietary fat reduction social psychological correlates. J Nutr Educ 1995; 27: 191–199.

Gould SJ. An interpretive study of purposeful, mood self regulating consumption: the consumption and mood framework. Psychol Marketing 1997; 14: 395–426.

Patel KA, Schlundt DG. Impact of moods and social context on eating behavior. Appetite 2001; 36: 111–118.

Oliver G, Wardle J, Gibson L. Stress, food choice: a laboratory study. Psychosomatic Med 2000; 62: 853–865.

Berry SL, Beatty WW, Klesges RC. Sensory, social influences on ice cream consumption by males, females in a laboratory setting. Appetite 1985; 6: 41–45.

Birch LL, Fisher JO. Mother’s child-feeding practices influence daughters’ eating, weight. Am J Clin Nutr 2000; 71: 1054–1061.

Terry K, Beck S. Eating style, food storage habits in the home: Assessment of obese, non-obese families. Behav Modification 1985; 9: 242–261.

 

Bauer PJ, Wewerk SS. One- to two-year-old’s recall of events: the more expressed, the more impressed. J Exp Child Psychol 1995; 59: 475–496.

Hearn MD, Baranowski T, Baranowski J, Doyle C, Smith M, Lin LS, et al. Environmental influences on dietary behavior among children: availability and accessibility of fruits and vegetables. J Health Educ 1998; 29: 26–32.

Baron RM, Kenny DA. The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. J Personality Social Psychol 1986; 51: 1173–1182.

Collier G, Hirsch E, Hamlin PH. Ecological determinants of reinforcement in rats. Physiol Behav 1972; 9: 705–716.

Levitsky DA. Putting behavior back into feeding behavior: a tribute to George Collier. Appetite 2002; 38: 143–148.

Doug Lisle PhD. Article: Breaking Free of the Dietary Pleasure Trap (https://nutritionstudies.org/breaking-free-dietary-pleasure-trap/)

Lee AY, Sternthal B. The effects of positive mood on memory. J Consumer Res 1999; 26: 115–127.

You Will Not Find A Simpler Bread Recipe

For those of you who want to make your own bread but still think it’s difficult, here is the simplest bread I think anyone can make. Of course, I am open to being challenged on this…

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups* of whatever flour you want (I suggest you use a variety of wholemeal ancient grains)
  • 2 teaspoons of yeast
  • 2 teaspoons of soft brown sugar
  • 1.5 cups of warm water

*I know that we get irritated by cup to g/mg/ml or ounce/lb measurements, but I simply grabbed an average-size cup from the drawer and used it. If you want to make more, use more cups or bigger cups. The above amounts made one medium loaf tin plus a random blob of bread that was small but nice.

Method:

  • Set oven to around 220ºC / 428ºF / gas mark 7. Put a metal or cookware dish in the bottom of the oven to heat up.
  • Throw all ingredients except water and sugar into a big bowl and mix.
  • Dissolve sugar in water and add to above mixture.
  • Stir until it forms a ball, then whack it onto a board with some extra flour and “mess around” with it for a couple of mins.
  • Flop it into the loaf tin (silicone is great – IMHO) and spread it out. Any remaining dough can be plonked onto a silicone or floured baking sheet.
  • Place in a warm spot for 15 mins or so (I put it in the top oven where radiating heat would warm it). And cover with cling film if you wish. If you do decide to cover with cling film while rising, be aware that if the cling film comes into contact with the top of the dough, then when you remove it (after dough has risen) the top of the dough will look like the back of a hedgehog. It will, luckily, flatten out in the heat of the oven.
  • When the dough has risen, remove any cling film from the dough (tastes horrible when cooked!) and carefully pour a cup of water into the now-hot dish at the bottom of the oven. This gives the bread a crispy crust.
  • Stick the loaf tin/tray into the oven and cook for 12-15 mins.
  • Take out of oven and remove loaf from loaf tin. Turn bread over and put back in oven for another 5 mins.
  • Take out after 5 mins and check to see if it is cooked all the way through (stick a sharp knife or skewer into it to see if it comes out dry or wet, or just tap the bottom of the loaf and if it sounds hollow, then it’s probably perfect).

Job done.

Olive Oil Injures Endothelial Cells

I know it’s not popular amongst advocates of the so-called Mediterranean diet, but there is a fact about olive oil that has been established in peer-reviewed literature for some time now: Olive oil is NOT as good for you as you might have thought.

So why is it that those eating the Mediterranean diet have had such a reputation for longevity and good health? The answer lies in what other foods are eaten and, equally importantly, which other foods are not eaten (processed junk food).

The traditional Mediterranean diet is fading away as the Western diet – also known as the Standard American Diet (SAD) – spreads its influence across the continent.

But before the golden arches threatened to overshadow the Acropolis, the traditional Mediterranean diet was largely plant-based, consisting of vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, whole grains, pasta, olive oil, wine, and very small amounts of fish, eggs, dairy, and meats. And while heart disease mortality was lower when compared to the UK and USA, for instance, the benefits seem to have been conferred primarily by a high percentage of plant content, the regular consumption of nuts and an avoidance of sugary/fatty desserts, with fruit being the common after-dinner treat.

And, while compared to the modern Western diet, the Mediterranean diet has been shown to be better at cutting heart attack risk, it has not demonstrated the health-promoting power of a purely whole food plant-based diet – whether the latter is with or without SOS (added sugar, oil and salt). As you will know by now, the WFPB diet is the only known diet that has been clinically proven to reverse heart disease.

A major problem with the Mediterranean diet is that it includes three elements that are associated with inflammation and its many harmful consequences in the body:

  • refined grains (pasta and breads),
  • animal products, and
  • olive oil,

and it is the olive oil that concerns us here.

A publication in the Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases journal pretty much sums up its findings in the title of the study:

“Olive, soybean and palm oils intake have a similar acute detrimental effect over the endothelial function in healthy young subjects.”

Objective

Their objective was to evaluate the acute effect of the ingestion of large amounts of olive, soybean and palm oils, fresh and at two different deep-fry levels, on the glucose and lipid profiles and endothelial function.

Method

Subjects were randomly given a potato soup meal containing one of three different vegetable oils (olive, soybean and palm). Flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) was performed and blood samples taken to establish the lipid profiles and plasma glucose levels.

Results

All types of oil tested (including olive oil) resulted in a similar acute endothelial impairment.

Conclusions of the Study

“No difference was found in the acute adverse effect of the ingestion of different vegetable oils on the endothelial function. All the vegetable oils, fresh and deep-fried, produced an increase in the triglyceride plasma levels in healthy subjects.”

What are Endothelial Cells and Why are they so Important?

The endothelial cell layer is a one-cell thick layer within the inner surface of our blood vessels. These cells are of vital importance for vascular health and their damage is what leads to the development of CVD (cardiovascular disease).

When you eat the typical Western diet you develop intracellular adhesion molecules – causing blood to flow like Velcro. This results in the LDL particles in the bloodstream burrowing into the subendothelial compartment. The so-called “bad” LDL cholesterol gets oxidised by free radicals in our diet into small hard dense LDL molecules, so our body sends out messengers called chemokines that recruit white blood cells (monocytes) to sort them out.

These monocytes follow the LDL into the subendothelial compartment in order to scavenge for the LDL particles. Once inside the subendothelial compartment, these monocytes are referred to as macrophages as they try to mop up and clear away all the LDL particles.

The macrophages get bigger and bigger as they absorb the LDL particles and they then change their name again and become known as foam cells.

These foam cells are the really dangerous particles because they release some unpleasant enzymes called metalloproteinases which then gradually erode the plaque on the endothelial cell.

The cap over the plaque is very thin and once it ruptures, the plaque content then oozes out and causes a plaque clot.

The plaque clot then grows and spreads out over the inner diameter (lumen) of the blood vessel and this results in something you really don’t want to happen: the downstream heart muscle loses its blood supply.

The result is that the heart muscle dies. This whole nasty process is thought to account for around 90% of all heart attacks.

 

 

Is it Too Late for Sufferers of Heart Disease?

Fortunately, it is not too late, even if plaques have formed. The cap over the plaque can be strengthened and, if it is sufficiently strong, you become “heart attack proof” as Dr Esselstyn says, but only if you change to a whole food plant based diet.

How is Nitric Oxide Involved?

Initially it was called EDRF, but had its name changed because it was then discovered that EDRF was in fact a gas – nitric oxide (chemical symbol NO), discovered by Furchgott et al in 1998, for which they received the Nobel Prize.

The Functions of NO

  • It prevents intracellular contents from getting sticky – makes the blood flow like Teflon instead of Velcro.
  • NO is the strongest vasodilator in the body. When you run for a bus or climb the stairs, it’s the NO produced by your endothelial cells that dilates the blood vessels and allows you to increase activity level without passing out.
  • It prevents the vessel walls from getting stiff, thickened or inflamed – hence preventing hypertension.
  • Sufficient NO will prevent blockages or plaques building up on the surface of the endothelium.
  • NO will prevent the artery wall from “migrating” into the plaque.
  • NO can destroy the foam cells (referred to by Dr Esselstyn as “Darth Vaders”).

What is the Flow-Mediated Dilation Test?

If you take an ultrasound probe, place it over the brachial artery at the elbow, you can get a readout of the diameter of the artery.

You then put a blood pressure cuff on the upper arm, inflate it above systolic blood pressure and leave it there for 5 mins.

During this time, there is zero blood flow to the forearm and hand (a weird sensation to say the least).

You then release the cuff and once again measure the new diameter of the brachial artery.

In a normal artery it should immediately increase by 30%.

Enter Dr Robert Vogel…

Dr Vogel did a brilliant study by taking a number of healthy young people to McDonald’s and splitting them into two groups.

He gave one group cornflakes and measured their dilation response. It was normal.

He gave the other group hash browns and sausages. Their brachial arteries could not dilate normally – even after two hours. The endothelial cells’ ability to make nitric oxide was so damaged that they could not dilate the artery. They were tested on an off into the evening, by which time they started to recover full function as the evening progressed.

A One-Off or Chronic Problem?

It is not a good idea to repeat this test, but people do – millions of them, day in day out, week in week out, for years and decades. The next day it’s egg and bacon or cappuccino and brioche for breakfast, ham and cheese sandwich or chicken salad for lunch, take-away Chinese for dinner. What was an acute reaction becomes a regular, chronic health threat.

This is why, in the 21st century, by the time our children are leaving school, they already have the foundation for cardiovascular disease.

Best Advice

If you really want to protect yourself as much as possible against these cardiovascular events, do all you can to optimise the health of your endothelial cells.

To do this, start by always avoiding the following:

  • Oils – no matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, palm oil, oil in a crisp/chip, oil in a cracker, oil in bread, oil in a salad dressing.
  • Anything with a face or that had a mother – no matter whether it’s fish or fowl, beef or pork, turkey or chicken, cream or milk, cheese or butter, yogurt or ice cream.
  • Anything with added sugar – no matter whether it’s organic muscovado sugar, molasses, honey, juices* (orange, apple etc), maple syrup or agave syrup.

All of these injure endothelial cells to some extent; and you don’t need a history of cardiovascular disease to already have it developed within your body – in one study, 57% of men who experienced sudden cardiac death had zero history of coronary heart disease.

* Eating an apple or an orange is not the same thing as drinking fruit juices. The fructose is bound with the fibre. But when you make orange juice or apple juice, the sugar is free, goes into your gut and is immediately absorbed, injuring your liver, promoting protein glycation, and injuring those precious and delicate endothelial cells.

I know it is difficult to consider such dramatic changes, but remember that we live in a nutritionally toxic environment in the 21st century, where the all-pervasive “normal” diet is something that has never existed on Earth before. Nowadays, a person who insists on eating a truly healthy diet will feel and probably be treated like an alien from a distant galaxy.

[qsm quiz=2]

 

References:

Rueda-Clausen CF, Silva FA, Lindarte MA, Villa-Roel C, Gomez E, Gutierrez R, Cure-Cure C, López-Jaramillo P. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2007 Jan;17(1):50-7. Epub 2006 Mar 20. Olive, soybean and palm oils intake have a similar acute detrimental effect over the endothelial function in healthy young subjects.

Esselstyn C. Prevent Card. 2001; 4: 171–177. Resolving the coronary artery disease epidemic through plant-based nutrition.

Esselstyn C, Ellis S, Medendorp S, Crowe T. J Fam Pract. 1995; 41(6):560–568. A strategy to arrest and reverse coronary artery disease: a 5-year longitudinal study of a single physician’s practice.

Go A, Mozaffarian D, Roger V, Benjamin E, et al. Circulation 2013; 127: 6–245. doi: 10.1161. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2013 update: a report from the American Heart Association.

van Dam RM, Willett WC. Nutr, Metab Cardiov Dis. 2007; 17(1): 50–57. Unmet potential for cardiovascular disease prevention in the United States.

Ryan A. Harris, Steven K. Nishiyama, D. Walter Wray, and Russell S. Richardson. Hypertension. 2010 May; 55(5): 1075–1085. Published online 2010 Mar 29. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.110.150821. Ultrasound Assessment of Flow-Mediated Dilation: A Tutorial.

Vogel RA, Corretti MC, Plotnick GD. Am J Cardiol. 1997 Feb 1;79(3):350-4. Effect of a single high-fat meal on endothelial function in healthy subjects.

Kannel WB, Doyle JT, McNamara PM, Quickenton P, Gordon T. Circulation. 1975;51:606–13. Precursors of sudden coronary death: Factors related to the incidence of sudden death.

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How to Get Flavour Without Adding Salt

We are so used to pouring on the salt that it can seem daunting when we are advised to cut it out either completely or almost completely. I also don’t advise using a commercial salt substitutes like Lo-Salt or any other potassium chloride alternatives. They are unnecessary and potentially unhealthy chemicals that your body doesn’t require for optimal health.

If in doubt about eliminating salt from your diet, speak to your doctor.

For my part, I suggest that you simply do not ever get into the habit of adding salt to any meals. This is of particular importance if you have a history of heart disease or high blood pressure. Some of the populations with the lowest blood pressures in old age are those who have hardly any added salt in their diet. Remember that whole plant foods contain a natural amount of salt ideal for each individual plant.

It is so much better to get used to life without added salt and this is what I recommend to all my clients.

But if you have always piled on the salt (often before you even bother to taste the food first), how do you make meals tasty? And can you ever get used to life without added salt?

Your expectation of taste will adapt within days or a couple of weeks at the most, so that you start to appreciate and enjoy the natural flavours of different foods – whether plump tomatoes, crisp cabbage or a juicy mango. And we are talking exclusively here about whole plant foods – not animal foods or processed foods. To get an idea of this, have you ever changed your tea and coffee to having it with/without sugar or milk? You get used to it really quickly and then, if you try having it how you used to before, it tastes awful! Same to a large extent with salt.

Without salt, we start to savour the subtle and natural flavours of individual foods. But we can still benefit from the gloriously wide variety of flavours that can be added to recipes via spices and herbs. What’s more, spices and herbs are some of the healthiest and most potent sources of phytonutrients that humans can consume.

So let’s take a look at how you can spice up your meals and, at the same time, add benefit from some of the healthy compounds that herbs and spices contain.

Chilli

Capsaicin is the active hot ingredient.

Adding some heat (not too much, of course) can enhance many savoury meals.

Nutritional Yeast*

This is a really wonderful item to keep available. I buy it in bulk and use it a lot. You can buy it with or without B12 added fortification. If you are already taking a B12 supplement as recommended by your doctor or nutritionist, then go for the non-fortified version.

B12 fortification or B12 supplementation – see here.

Being rich in niacin, folic acid, zinc, selenium and thiamine, as well as containing a number of essential amino acids, nutritional yeast is a healthy option. It is also claimed by Dr Greger that it helps the body recover more quickly from strenuous exercise.

Nutritional yeast adds a deep “nutty” or “cheesy” flavour and it tends to find its way into most of the savoury meals I make. It is great in soups and stews, sprinkled on wholewheat pasta, baked potatoes, and the list goes on and on.

Best advice: get some and experiment.

*Avoid nutritional yeast if you have Crohn’s disease. If in doubt, speak to your doctor.

Non-Salt Spice Blends

Either commercially-available or home-made varieties are very useful and flavoursome.

Experiment with commercial brands, if you prefer to have them made for you but try to ensure they really are salt-free. In particular, if they have onion or garlic powder added, check that it’s the powder and not some form of onion or garlic salt.

But if, like me, you enjoy being independent, knowing exactly what goes into your blends and also enjoy the process of making things, then have a go at making your own.

The following are two suggestions.

Standard Non-Salt Spice Blend

INGREDIENTS (play around with quantities to suit your personal taste)

  • black pepper
  • cayenne pepper
  • cumin
  • garlic powder
  • lemon peel
  • onion powder
  • oregano
  • paprika (I prefer smoked paprika)
  • rubbed sage

METHOD

Just mix them together and put in either a grinder or a food processor. Store in an easy-to-use sealed container and add to meals whenever needed.

Dr Greger’s Savoury Spice Blend

This is one of my personal favourites. I tend to have a jar full of it in the larder ready to add to meals.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (or yeast flakes)
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • tablespoon dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons mustard powder
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon celery seeds

METHOD
Combine all the ingredients in a spice grinder or blender to mix well. Transfer to a shaker bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid. Store in a cool, dry place.

(Greger, Michael. The How Not To Die Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes to Help Prevent and Reverse Disease. Pan Macmillan. Kindle Edition.)

I usually double the above quantities since I use it up so quickly. It is really moreish and, like everything Dr Greger suggests in his How Not To Die Cookbook, it contains 100% healthy ingredients – GREEN LIGHT FOODS.

Curry Blends

The usual garam masala spice blend is a good option:

  • Black and white peppercorns
  • Cloves
  • Cinnamon or cassia bark
  • Mace (part of nutmeg)
  • Black and green cardamon
  • Bay leaf
  • Cumin
  • Coriander

For a rich curry flavour, it is not a bad idea to have a go yourself at making curry blends. This is one blend that works well, but experiment and find what suits you best:

  • 2 tbsp ground coriander
  • 2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 tbsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamon
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or ground chillies

Ginger

Ground or freshly minced/finely chopped can be added to give a flavourful kick to a recipe.

Coriander & other Herbs

I tend to use a lot of fresh coriander in meals in place of fresh parsley, although both work well. It’s down to personal preference of course. Basil is a lovely flavour in the right place – tomato sauce-based vegetables on wholewheat pasta benefit from fresh basil. You can even make your own non-oil pesto sauce using it.

Non-Oil Lemon Pesto Sauce

If you don’t want lemon, then don’t add it and just have a non-oil pesto sauce.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 cups (80 g) fresh basil
  • 1/2 cup (70 g) lightly toasted pine nuts
  • 4 cloves of minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 3-4 tbsp water (more or less just to thin mixture)

METHOD

Place pine nuts into a pan on medium heat. Lightly toast them, they burn quickly so watch them carefully. Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend. Use immediately or freeze in ice cube trays. (To do this, place tablespoons into a tray. Freeze, and then remove from trays. Store in a freezer bag for later use.)

You can use pesto on wholegrain pizzas/pastas, in stuffed peppers, on lightly sauteed vegetables, or anything that takes your fancy.

Non-Salt Liquids

Pretty much all commercially-made soy sauces contain either a lot or some added salt. Again, I don’t recommend this. However, in terms of liquids that can be added to meals, it is possible to make your own umami sauces. Dr Greger explains how he uses it and what “umami” means:

“Use this sauce in sautés or stir-fries to boost flavor without adding all the sodium of soy sauce. Umami is one of the five basic tastes, even though many people are only learning about it now. This word was created by a Japanese chemist named Kikunae Ikeda from umai, which means ‘delicious’, and mi, which means ‘taste’. The perfect name, as it is a delicious taste!” (Greger, Michael. The How Not To Die Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes to Help Prevent and Reverse Disease. Pan Macmillan. Kindle Edition.)

Here are two umami recipes:

Dr Greger’s Umami Sauce

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup/ 250 ml vegetable broth (made from the water left over from boiling your favourite vegetables – just store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for future use. See 1. below)
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
  • 1½ teaspoons date syrup (see 2. below) or date sugar
  • ½ teaspoon tomato purée
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1½ teaspoons white miso paste blended with 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 teaspoons blended peeled lemon (see 3. below)
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

METHOD
Heat the broth in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the molasses, date syrup, tomato purée and black pepper and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, and then stir in the miso mixture, blended lemon and rice vinegar. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Allow the sauce to cool before transferring to a jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid or pour the sauce into an ice cube tray.

1. VEGETABLE STOCK
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 1 carrot, cut into 1-inch/ 2.5 cm pieces 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 dried mushrooms ⅓ cup/ 10 g coarsely chopped fresh parsley ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 2 tablespoons white miso paste Savoury Spice Blend (see above). In a large pan, heat 1 cup/ 250 ml of water over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, parsley and black pepper. Add 7 cups/ 1.6 litres of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Let cool slightly and then transfer to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Return the blended broth back to the pan. Ladle about ⅓ cup/ 80 ml of the broth into a small bowl or cup. Add the miso paste and stir well before incorporating into the broth. Add the Savoury Spice Blend to taste. Let the broth cool to room temperature; then divide among containers with tight-sealing lids and store in the refrigerator or freezer. Properly stored, the broth will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.

 

And do most ready-made vegetable broths, bouillon, stock cubes/pots have salt? Oh yes. Usually lots of it. For instance, Knorr vegetable stock cubes contain 42.% salt; Marigold Vegetable Bouillon contains 44.6% salt; and even Bisto Vegetable Gravy Granules contain 14.21% salt. Kallø Very Low Salt Organic Vegetable Stock Cubes are one of the better options if you have to buy commercially-prepared vegetable stock, as they only contain 0.1% salt. If you come across a zero-added salt commercially available vegetable stock, please let me know.

2. DATE SYRUP
1 cup/ 175 g pitted dates 1 cup/ 250 ml boiling water 1 teaspoon blended peeled lemon (see 2. below). Combine the dates and hot water in a heatproof bowl and set aside for 1 hour to soften the dates. Transfer the dates and water to a high-speed blender. Add the lemon and blend until smooth. Transfer to a glass jar or other airtight container with a tight-fitting lid. Store the syrup in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 weeks.

3. BLENDED PEELED LEMON
Instead of cooking with lemon or lime juice, use the blended whole fruit to get more nutritional benefit. Peel and blend a whole lemon and then freeze it in 1-teaspoon portions – a small silicone ice cube tray is ideal for this. Then, grab a cube from the freezer whenever you need it!

(Greger, Michael. The How Not To Die Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes to Help Prevent and Reverse Disease. Pan Macmillan. Kindle Edition.)

Simplified Umami Sauce

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup/250 ml water
  • 1 tablespoon cooked rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon molasses
  • ½ teaspoon dark brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

METHOD
Mix all ingredients together and enjoy. Will refrigerate for 1 month or freeze in cubes like Dr Greger suggests.

It’s The Food!

Advice from John & Mark McDougall

Eating foods that taste delicious is a key to a successful lifestyle change. Here are some tips from Mary to help you create flavorful meals.

Seasoning Foods

When deciding whether to use fresh herbs or dried ones in a recipe, consider how long the food is going to cook. If the cooking time is long, dried herbs are used. If the cooking time is short, use fresh herbs, if available. For equal flavor you need more fresh herbs than dried ones because the dried ones are more concentrated. However, in time dried herbs lose their potency.

Particular combinations of spices are identified with various kinds of ethnic cooking. You can take advantage of these spices to vary recipes and create new ones.

  • Mexican – salsa, chili powder, cumin, cilantro
  • Italian – parsley, basil, oregano, garlic
  • Asian – soy sauce, fresh ginger, dry mustard, garlic
  • Greek – lemon juice, cinnamon, cumin, black pepper
  • Indian – turmeric, curry powder, cilantro, cumin

 

Final Word

Of course, there are so many other ways of adding great salt-free flavour to your recipes.

And if you have any suggestions that you would like to share, please let me know.

In view of huge range of possibilities, we’ve only touched the tip of the spiceberg…

References

Suckling RJ, He FJ, Markandu ND, MacGregor GA. Dietary salt influences postprandial plasma sodium concentration and systolic blood pressure. Kidney Int. 2012;81( 4): 407– 11. 34.

He FJ, Li J, MacGregor GA. Effect of longer term modest salt reduction on blood pressure: Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials. BMJ. 2013;346: f1325. 35.

Celermajer DS, Neal B. Excessive sodium intake and cardiovascular disease: a-salting our vessels. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2013;61( 3): 344– 5.

Oliver WJ, Cohen EL, Neel JV. Blood pressure, sodium intake, and sodium related hormones in the Yanomamo Indians, a “no-salt” culture. Circulation. 1975 Jul;52(1):146-51.

Mancilha-Carvalho J de J, de Souza e Silva NA. The Yanomami Indians in the INTERSALT Study. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2003;80( 3): 289– 300. 38.

Mancilha-Carvalho J de J, Crews DE. Lipid profiles of Yanomamo Indians of Brazil. Prev Med. 1990;19( 1): 66– 75.

Greger, Michael; Stone, Gene. How Not To Die: Discover the foods scientifically proven to prevent and reverse disease. (Air Side Edt). Pan Macmillan. Kindle Edition.

It’s The Food! Advice from John & Mary McDougall

 

Isn’t Plant Milk a Processed Food?

I was recently approached by a family friend who rather forcibly challenged me on how I could possibly criticise processed foods (he was specifically referring to olive oil) when the plant milks that “you vegans” drink are also processed. Firstly, I pointed out that I am not a vegan and, secondly, that the biggest issue here isn’t the word “processed” in relation to these two items (olive oil and plant milk) but the word “oil”.

There are good reasons not, and I repeat NOT, to consume oils, but that’s not the issue in question. His concern that the hemp milk he saw next to my breakfast berries and muesli was processed.

This got me to thinking that there are probably a lot of people out there who are unsure whether plant milks are ultra-processed, slightly processed or not really classed as processed foods at all. So here’s the inside line on plant milks:

Did you know you can get all these:

  • Hemp milk
  • Soy milk
  • Almond milk
  • Hazelnut milk
  • Oat milk
  • Rice milk
  • Cashew milk
  • Flax milk
  • Macadamia Milk
  • Brazil nut milk
  • Quinoa Milk

You can, of course, get coconut milk and even almond-coconut milk, but I don’t suggest these because of the >20% saturated fat content and because their flavour is stronger than most people want in their cuppa or on their cereals.

The ideal plant milk is the one with minimal processing, minimal additives and as close as possible to its original whole food nature. And, of course, use organic wherever possible.

Simply put, this generally means home-made is best. But how? Very simple:

Hemp Milk

You can soak hulled hemp seeds (sometimes called hemp hearts) if you want, from 2 hours to overnight. However, this is not necessary. It’s also possible to use non-hulled hemp seeds if you don’t mind having the milk darker and a bit chewier – it would certainly be closer to the whole food in this case. Try it and see which you prefer.

In a blender, combine the 80-100 grams (0.5 cup) of your chosen type of hemp seed with around 450 ml (2 cups) of water. Blend for at least 2 minutes or until you are happy that it is well blended.

You either can get a specific “nut milk bag“, use an ordinary ;large sieve or, as I do, just drink it with some of the bit in it. If you do strain it, the remaining solids can be used in all sorts of recipes, depending on the type of seed or nut used.

Store in a sealed container of your choice. Serve.

You can keep it refrigerated for about 5 days. Shake well before using.

I think this is both the simplest and the most wholesome (that is, closest to the whole food) way of doing this. You will find that most of the recipes for all other plant milks are made in a pretty similar way.

There are lots of videos and recipes for this and other plant milks, but I thought you might like to see just how easy it is to make by someone who doesn’t use anything but the above two ingredients – that is, no salt, sugar, vanilla essence, etc.

Soy, Almond and Chocolate-Hazelnut Milks

Mic the Vegan is a fun guy and has pretty much the same philosophy as I do on all things nutrition. I am going to leave it to him to explain the soy, almond and chocolate-hazelnut milks to you. Of course, you can make hazelnut milk without the added cocoa powder and dates if you want it unsweetened and “unchocolatey”…

Here are his recipes:

Soy Milk

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup dry soy beans
  • 4.5 cups water (4 for extra creamy)
  • If sweet – 3-4 dates (I tend to use medjool dates – soft and plump – and pitted, of course)
  • If sweet – 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Almond Milk

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup of almonds
  • 2 cups water
  • If sweet – 3 dates
  • If sweet – 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate-Hazelnut Milk:

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup hazelnuts
  • 2 cups water
  • 3 dates
  • 1 tablespoon (unsweetened) cocoa powder

Oat Milk

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup / 150 grams rolled oats (not instant)
  • 3 cups (770 ml) water
  • If sweet – 2-4 dates

I have found that if you don’t mind having bits in your milk, then you don’t need to bother pre-soaking oats (or any other nuts/seeds/grains used in plant milk recipes), since the solids that remain in the milk will swell and release their flavour during the time that the milk is stored. However, if you want a really “filtered” final milk, then it is worth soaking for several hours or overnight, as well as sieving the blended results.

When I make most plant milks (excluding soy, which needs soaking and rice, which needs pre-cooking), I don’t bother soaking. I even sometime leave all the blended mixture in the final milk, simply give it a good shake before using, and enjoy the fact that I am eating the whole food with just a bit of water added. It’s up to personal taste, as are most things in life.

Here is a nice video that shows just how easy oat milk is to make without the need for soaking (and he suggests you keep the solids for adding to a porridge:

Rice Milk

Again, really simple.

  • 1 cup / 150 grams cooked brown/red/wild rice
  • 3 cups (770 ml) water
  • If sweet – 2-4 dates
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Cashew milk

Some people soak and some don’t. Experiment and decide for yourself which you prefer.

Here’s one recipe (again, I do not recommend the salt):

  • 1 cup (150 grams) soaked cashews
  • 4 cups (approx. 1 litre) water
  • If sweet – 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
  • If sweet – 3-4 dates

And here’s a video that will give you a good idea of how easy it is (she makes a vanilla-cashew milk):

Flax milk

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 (120 grams) cup flax seeds
  • 4 1/2 cups (approx. 1 litre) water

Directions:

  • Blend flax seeds and water in a blender on high for 1 minute; allow to rest for 2 minutes
  • Blend again on high for 1 minute; allow to rest for 5 minutes
  • Blend again for 30 seconds
  • Pour milk through a nut bag or a strainer (possibly lined with cheesecloth or clean tea towel) into glass korken/kilner jar or any container of your choice. TIP: I wash out and reuse the 1 litre plant milk cartons that commercially-produce plant milks come in – use a funnel to get milks into the narrow top
  • Press solids with back of a spoon to extract liquid
  • Gather cheesecloth/tea towel around solids, twist and squeeze to extract all the liquid
  • Keep the solids to use in other recipes

Another slight variation of the recipe:

Macadamia Milk

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup raw macadamia nuts
  • 3-4 cups (750 ml – 1 litre) water
  • Pinch cinnamon (optional)
  • If sweet – 3-4 dates
  • If sweet – 1 tsp vanilla bean paste/essence

Method:

  • Blend all ingredients for 2-3 minutes or until smooth
  • Either use immediately or refrigerate for later

Brazil nut milk

Dr Greger warns about having any more than 4 Brazil nuts per month! At this level, they are thought to be effective at lowering LDL cholesterol, but at higher levels (say 8 nuts per month) they appear to have the reverse effect. Odd, eh? Also. the high selenium concentration of Brazil nuts is thought to increase the risk of liver and kidney toxicity. So, while they are lovely nuts, I would recommend that this milk is used sparingly, if at all. That’s why I am omitting any recipes or videos on it, since you would have to use more than 4 nuts to get sufficient quantity of usable milk.

Okay the last of the plant milks that I am going to cover in quinoa. Of course, there are more nuts/seeds/grains that can be made into milk, but I have to stop somewhere… If you try one that I have not covered, let me know how it goes.

Quinoa Milk

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (240 grams) cooked quinoa
  • 3 cups (750 ml) water
  • If sweet – 4 dates
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Instructions:

  • Cook quinoa according to package directions
  • Blend the quinoa with the water until well blended and almost smooth
  • Strain the blended quinoa mixture using a cheesecloth or a strainer
  • Pour the quinoa milk in a blender and blend with the dates and cinnamon
  • Refrigerate the quinoa milk in a sealed container for up to 5 days

Finally, I hope you get the idea by now that making your own plant milk is:

  • cost-effective
  • as healthy as it is possible to make it
  • can contain the whole nut/grain/seed if you wish to make it this way
  • contains no additives (for instance, these are the ingredients of Waitrose’s Hemp Milk – Water, Hemp Extract (3%), Grape Juice Extract Concentrate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Emulsifier (Sucrose Ester), Stabiliser (Xanthan Gum), Natural Flavouring (Vanilla), Sea Salt, Vitamin D2)

Happy milking!

 

References

E Colpo, C D de Avila Vilanova, L G B Reetz, M M M F Duarte, I L G Farias, E I Muller, A L H Muller, E M M Flores, R Wagner, J B T da Rocha. J Nutr Metab 2013 2013:653185. A single consumption of high amounts of the Brazil nuts improves lipid profile of healthy volunteers.

 

Lynda’s Flaxi Cauli Pizza

A healthy pizza

  • flaxseeds instead of egg
  • cauliflower instead of flour

You know how there are two styles of chef – there’s those that precisely record and follow recipe quantities to the milligram, and there’s those who instinctively alter everything to taste as they produce their masterpiece…well Lynda is a proud member of the latter. Therefore, I would suggest that you experiment with quantities until it suits your palate.

Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:35 minutes
Servings:4

Ingredients

For the crust:

4 tablespoons ground flax seeds and 8-10 tablespoons lukewarm water
1.5 medium head cauliflower
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons almond meal (ground almonds)
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried onion powder
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried sage

For the topping:

200g organic tomato sauce or passata
1 leek (sliced)
Cup of sweetcorn
10 cherry tomatoes (halved)
1 avocado (sliced)
1 teaspoon dried basil

Sprinkle low-salt soy sauce
200 grams jackfruit (sliced – if you can’t get it, double up on mushrooms. I used this one)
100-150g mushrooms (sliced)
Lemon juice
Black pepper
Clove of garlic, chopped
Sprinkle balsamic vinegar

Garnish after cooking: throw on the top a mixture of fresh green leaves, rocket, baby spinach and basil

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 180°C or 350 F.
2. Prepare the egg replacement: whisk flax seeds and water together until thick, gelatinous and gloppy. Add more flax/water as required to get a really gluey “dough ball”.
3. Prepare the cauliflower: chop the florets into small pieces, place into a food processor and blend until pureed. Put cauliflower in a colander.
4. Put boiling water in a saucepan and steam colander of cauliflower over it (with lid on top of colander) for 5-10 minutes until soft, then place it into paper towels and squeeze all the excess water. Transfer cauliflower to a clean tea towel and squeeze the ‘bag’ of cauliflower (get help if you need strong hands) until no more liquid comes it. Getting it as dry as possible also gives your hands and forearms a nice workout!
6. Combine the cauliflower in a bowl with the remaining base ingredients and hand mix very well, pressing into a ball.
7. Spread the dough into a pizza shape if you have one otherwise on a baking tray. Mine ended up as a square.
8. Bake at 180°C (350F) for about 25/30 minutes, until the top is golden brown then flip and cooked the other side for 10 minute (just be careful not to destroy the dough while you flip it).
9. Then take out of the oven and spread with tomato passata.
10. Combine mushrooms, jackfruit, soy, lemon juice and garlic in a saucepan (or microwave) for a few minutes until soft. Spread this over the tomato base
11. Top with fresh leaves, cherry tomatoes, leeks, avocado slices and sweetcorn.
12. Drizzle with a reduction of balsamic vinegar (just heat the balsamic vinegar in a saucepan till it becomes thick) and enjoy!
13. Back in oven until golden brown.

Finally, throw on the garnish and ENJOY! Mine was served with a seedy/nutty green salad.

Joe’s Comment

I tried this one and it was really nice. Thanks Lynda.

Yuri’s Wholesome Bread Recipe

Another recipe for homemade healthy bread. Making your own bread is a lot easier – and much more satisfying – than most people think. And, to top it all, it is far better for you than the vast majority of prepared breads you will find in shops and restaurants. See here for what manufacturers are allowed to put into your daily loaf.

Okay, over to Yuri:

He used two flours that I have not come across before:

  • Sharpham Park Organic Spelt Wholegrain Flour, and
  • Bacheldre Organic Stoneground Strong 100% Wholemeal Flour.

He mentions that flours from both these makers are available in Waitrose. They are also available at other outlets and online.

 

Ingredients

Yuri’s Suggested Method

1) Mix the flours in a bowl, add 2 leeks finely chopped, the olives finely chopped too, the cumin seeds, the nutmeg, the rosemary (you can also add some chilli powder 0.5 tsp).

2) Put the dry yeast and sugar in a cup with 300 ml of lukewarm water.

3) Add the activated yeast and 1.2 litres of water in the bowl. Mix with a big spoon.

4) Knead the dough energetically until it becomes compact and elastic. If the mix is still a bit dry, add some extra water).

5) Move the dough into separate trays (A silicone tray is ideal – but standard trays are fine, just dust them with extra flour to reduce sticking).

6) Pre-heat the oven to the lowest temperature possible (ideally 50 degrees). Switch off the oven and put the trays into it. Wait for a couple of hours…

7) Bake at maximum temperature (ideally 250 degrees) for 45 minutes.

The outcome is delicious, tasty and crispy!

Joe’s Comment

The ingredients list displayed above is taken from the computer program used with all my clients to reliably and easily record all foods and drinks consumed daily. The program also allows us to monitor your weight, blood pressure, mood, exercise, sleep, medications, supplements, and much more. All macronutrients and a wide range of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are immediately available for you and your nutritional therapist to monitor and check against your optimal calorie and nutrient intake.

If you are interested in finding out more, I would delighted to hear from you.

Finally…

If you try this recipe – or if you adapt it in any way – send me photos and details and I am sure our readers would like to know how you got on.

Thanks again to Yuri for taking the time to share this with us.

I tried Yuri’s recipe myself but didn’t get quite the same results:

I let it rise for too long (actually forgot for over two hours that it was in the warm oven!) and so it went beyond the realms of gravitational possibility, dropped and thus formed a rather crunchy crust. But the taste and texture of the bread itself is really nice. Thanks again, Yuri.

A Fat to Forget

Eating cakes and biscuits appears to impair memory.

Research (1.) suggests that there is relationship between consumption of dietary trans-fats and word-memory.

1018 individuals were given word recall tests that were scored and matched against the amount of trans-fats consumed by each individual.

The results are worth remembering next time you reach for the cookie jar. Every gram of dietary trans-fats consumed per day was associated with an estimated 0.76 fewer words recalled.

Is this causation or just correlation? The researchers consider that the pro-oxidant (2.) and energetic detriments of dietary trans-fats (3.) are evidence of causation. They used triangulation (4.) with other evidence to ensure that other causal factors were not being mistakenly included. (See charts below if you are interested in the statistical data).

Trans-fats are found in many biscuits, cakes and other processed foods. They are made by pumping hydrogen into liquid vegetable oil so that the oil becomes more solid. Food manufacturers do this in order to increase the shelf life of the products and to improve flavour and texture. You will know that they are present in products if you see the words “partially hydrogenated oils” on the ingredients list.

The leader of this study, Dr Beatrice Golomb, said: “Trans fats were most strongly linked to worse memory, in young and middle-aged men, during their working and career building years…From a health standpoint, trans fat consumption has been linked to higher body weight, more aggression and heart disease…As I tell my patients, while trans fats increase the shelf life of foods, they reduce the shelf life of people.” (5.)

What does this mean for our love affair with biscuits and cakes?

Well, it appears that we love them but they don’t love us. Maybe the best thing to do is to forget about eating them before they make us forget that we have eaten them…

 

References, Definitions & Data

1. Beatrice Alexandra Golomb, Alexis K. Bui. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0128129. June 17, 2015. A Fat to Forget: Trans Fat Consumption and Memory.
2. Pro-oxidants are substances that accelerate the oxidation of another substance. This process can produce free radicals which are associated with many chronic health problems such as cardiovascular and inflammatory disease, cataract, and cancer. Antioxidants prevent free radical induced tissue damage by preventing the formation of radicals, scavenging them, or by promoting their decomposition. Berries are a great source of antioxidants.
3. Ascherio A, Willett WC. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997 Oct;66(4 Suppl):1006S-1010S. Health effects of trans fatty acids.
4. Triangulation means using more than one method to collect data on the same topic. This is a way of assuring the validity of research through the use of a variety of methods to collect data on the same topic, which involves different types of samples as well as methods of data collection.
5. https://www.medpagetoday.com/primarycare/dietnutrition/52263.

Hard to Find a Healthier Bread…

 

This is one the healthiest bread recipes I have come up with. It may not have the oily and salty attraction of some other breads – because, well… it has NO OIL OR SALT!

We can all get rather addicted to the convenience, texture and taste of commercially-prepared breads. The tastier and more “spongy” they make the bread, the more they will sell.

But I wanted a bread that provides most of the convenience, texture and taste that we expect from bread, but without the fragmented food elements and chemicals that may be added, including: salt (1.), sugar, (my recipe contains a small amount but commercial bread can contain lots), trans fats (“partially hydrogenated oils” – linked to serious health risks (2., 3.)), potassium bromate (oxidising agent), azodicarbonamide (dough conditioner/bleacher), monoglycerides & diglycerides (emulsifiers E471), butylated hydrocyanisole (BHA preservative linked to cancer (4., 5.)), caramel colouring (linked to cancer (6., 7.)), high fructose corn syrup (HFCS linked to heart disease and diabetes (8.)), Undeclared GMO Soy oil (9.), vegetable oils (10,. 11,. 12,). And this is not a definitive list..

And if you still think that adding vegetable oils (even really expensive extra virgin olive oil) is a healthy option, you may want to check out some of my future blogs. In the meantime, a brief word from Dr Caldwell Esselstyn.

So, after all that waffle, here’s the recipe:

Whole Wheat Seeded Health Bread.

This basic recipe forms the canvas on which the rest of the health bread recipes I use are formed. This recipe is incredibly versatile, and makes a delicious, moist health bread that can be enjoyed with any kind of meal. It is also delicious served with natural fruit preserves and organic, natural nut butters. These health breads don’t require kneading, as the ingredients form more of a batter than a dough once mixed together.

Preheat the oven to 390 degrees (200 degrees Celsius gas mark 6). This recipe yields three loaves, so you will need three silicon medium-sized loaf tins – silicon so that they do not stick, being that no grease or oils are used.

Ingredients:

4 cups (1kg) organic wholewheat flour. I vary this from time to time by adding differing amounts of wholemeal ancient flours – usually rye and spelt, but also sometimes Khorasan also called kamut (adds sweetness) or einkorn.

35-75ml organic raw brown sugar (I use as little as possible and let it rise for longer).

2 tablespoons (30ml) instant dried yeast.

0.5-1.5 cups (75-200g) mixed seeds (can include pumpkin, poppy, sunflower, sesame, flax, chia).

4 cups (1 litre) lukewarm water.

Instructions:

Dissolve the sugar in the lukewarm water and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Cover tightly with cling film and a dish towel, and set aside for the yeast to activate, it will start to bubble when it has activated.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour and seeds. Add the water, sugar and yeast mixture and mix very well to form a slightly runny batter. Divide the batter equally amongst the loaf tins which should be on a firm metal baking tray. Place the bread tins somewhere warm and draught-free until the batter has risen and the loaves have doubled in size. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a dark crust has formed and the bread sounds hollow when tapped. You can also check that they are completely baked by using a skewer or knife. If there is any batter sticking to the latter, put them back in the oven for another 10 mins or so. Allow the loaves to cool in the tins for ten minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.

Try it. Vary it. Improve on it. And let me know how you get on.

The following is Yuri’s “Flower Bread” – basically the same recipe with added red pepper and garlic, but made in a wonderful flower-shaped silicone bread/cake tin that he found in Italy.

Fantastico!

 

References

  1. https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/salt/ “Dozens of similar studies demonstrate that if you reduce your salt intake, you may reduce your blood pressure. And the greater the reduction, the greater the benefit may be. But if you don’t cut down, chronic high salt intake can lead to a gradual increase in blood pressure throughout life.”
  2. Vandana Dhaka, Neelam Gulia, Kulveer Singh Ahlawat, and Bhupender Singh Khatkarcorresponding. J Food Sci Technol. 2011 Oct; 48(5): 534–541. Published online 2011 Jan 28. doi: 10.1007/s13197-010-0225-8. Trans fats—sources, health risks and alternative approach – A review
  3. Trattner S, Becker W, Wretling S, Öhrvik V, Mattisson I. Food Chem. 2015 May 15;175:423-30. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.11.145. Epub 2014 Dec 3. Fatty acid composition of Swedish bakery products, with emphasis on trans-fatty acids.
  4. Otterweck AA, Verhagen H, Goldbohm RA, Kleinjans J, van den Brandt PA. Food Chem Toxicol. 2000 Jul;38(7):599-605. Intake of butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene and stomach cancer risk: results from analyses in the Netherlands Cohort Study.
  5. https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/content/profiles/butylatedhydroxyanisole.pdf.
  6. https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/UCM517402.pdf.
  7. Garima Sengarcorresponding author and Harish Kumar Sharma. J Food Sci Technol. 2014 Sep; 51(9): 1686–1696.
    Published online 2012 Feb 9. doi: 10.1007/s13197-012-0633-z. Food caramels: a review.
  8. James M. Rippe Theodore J. Angelopoulos. Advances in Nutrition, Volume 4, Issue 2, 1 March 2013, Pages 236–245, https://doi.org/10.3945/an.112.002824. Sucrose, High-Fructose Corn Syrup, and Fructose, Their Metabolism and Potential Health Effects: What Do We Really Know? N.B. The symposium was supported in part by an educational grant from the Corn Refiners Association (I ALWAYS SUSPECT BIAS WHEN THUS FUNDED).
  9. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/gmo-soy-and-breast-cancer/. “The bottomline is that there is no direct human data suggesting harm from eating GMOs, though in fairness such studies haven’t been done, which is exactly the point, critics counter. That’s why we need mandatory labeling on GMO products so that public health researchers can track whether GMOs are having any adverse effects.”
  10. https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/vegetable-oil/. “Research confirms that ingestion of oil, no matter which type of oil or whether it was fresh or deep fried, showed a significant and constant decrease in arterial function.”
  11. https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/aug/oils.htm.
  12. http://nutritionstudies.org/plant-oils-are-not-a-healthy-alternative-to-saturated-fat/