In search of answers and proof for the doubts I had, I followed several courses. At the Wageningen University and Research I followed a MOOC entitled “Plant Based Diets – Food for a Sustainable Future”. At the European Academy for Natural Healthcare in Antwerp I became a food coach. With the online courses of PNI Europe and Natura Foundation I delved into the evolution of Homo sapiens, explored the insights provided by orthomolecular medicine and by clinical psycho neuro immunology (cPNI). Today I present the conclusions I reached after this journey.

The Evolutionary Perspective

The most important insight I developed the past year is to take an evolutionary perspective to understand how we should live. The modern human arose about 300,000 years ago in Africa. Our DNA has not evolved much since then. To comprehend our dietary requirements, we must look at our evolutionary roots. Throughout our history, animal proteins have played a crucial role in shaping our physiology and cognitive development. As hunter-gatherers, our ancestors relied on animal sources for sustenance, which provided essential nutrients, such as complete proteins, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, iron, and vitamin B12, that were vital for our survival and flourishing. Red meat became only relatively recently a frequent source of protein. This also applies to grain-based foods like bread.

Orthomolecular Medicine

Orthomolecular medicine emphasizes the significance of optimal nutrition for achieving and maintaining good health. It recognizes that everyone has unique biochemical needs so a one-size-fits-all approach does not suffice. The Natura Foundation also promotes an evolution-based approach in which animal proteins offer a highly bioavailable and complete source of essential amino acids. Proteins are the building blocks of life, enabling numerous vital functions in the body, including tissue repair, hormone synthesis, and enzyme production. The course I followed strongly encourages the consumption of vegetables and fruit in combination with fish and other seafood as well as of eggs and poultry.

Clinical Psycho Neuro Immunology

Clinical PNI (or “KPNI” in Dutch) explores the intricate interplay between the mind, body, and immune system. I love the holistic approach of this school of thought and its strong basis in science. It highlights the impact of psychological and emotional well-being on overall health. While plant-based diets can certainly provide adequate nutrition, it is crucial to consider the potential psychological and emotional effects of dietary choices. cPNI highlights several potential health risks associated with the consumption of soy and legumes (e.g. Anti-nutrients and digestive issues). For some individuals, the inclusion of animal proteins in their diet may positively influence their mental health and overall well-being.

Stay Off Mammals

Both cPNI and orthomolecular medicine raise concerns regarding the consumption of red meat and dairy because of Neu5Gc (N-Glycolylneuraminic acid). This is a type of sugar molecule found in these animal products. Neu5Gc is considered a non-human antigen as our bodies do not naturally produce it. When you consume red meat and dairy products containing Neu5Gc, your immune system may recognize it as a foreign substance, potentially leading to chronic inflammation and triggering autoimmune responses. Red meat and dairy are also known for increasing other health risks. For one I’ve chosen to stay off red meat and considerably limit my consumption of dairy… even cheese !

Ethical Dilemmas and Considerations

I have great respect for those who live a vegan life. Ethical concerns surrounding animal welfare have prompted many to adopt this lifestyle. The ethical argument against the consumption of animal proteins is compelling, as factory farming practices often involve cruelty and environmental harm. Acknowledging these concerns, it is essential to promote ethical and sustainable farming practices that prioritize animal welfare, such as free-range, grass-fed, and organic farming.

Striking a Balance: A Healthy and Sustainable Approach

While acknowledging the ethical dilemmas surrounding animal protein consumption, and the implications on the environment, it is in my opinion realistic to consider the negative health aspects of veganism. A healthy and sustainable approach to diet should consider individual biochemistry, cultural diversity, as well as the environmental impact of our choices. Incorporating a variety of protein sources, including both plant-based and animal options, can provide the necessary nutrients for optimal health while minimising ecological impact.

Conclusion

The question of whether the human diet needs to include animal proteins is multifaceted and requires careful consideration. Exploring the evolutionary perspective, orthomolecular medicine, and clinical psycho neuro immunology reveals the significant role that animal proteins have played in our development as a species.

To achieve optimal health while fostering a more sustainable future, my recommendation is to embrace a diverse diet that focuses on the following basic rules:

• Eat natural: steer away from processed foods.
• Eat the rainbow: consume mostly foods that are alkaline (ph > 7), veggies and fruits.
• Mind your proteins: limit your consumption of acidic foods (ph < 7) but make sure you get enough proteins.
• If you eat animal proteins, ensure the inclusion of ethically sourced produce, preferring fish, eggs and poultry.
• Minimise dairy, avoid eating red meat altogether (for many reasons, more than mentioned above).

Apart from all this: relax, take enough rest, sleep well (check out “the healthy big five“)!

1. Live healthier by following a 100% plant-based lifestyle
2. Reduce in the process our impact on the planet’s resources
3. Eliminate animals’ suffering and stop the huge scale production of animal protein. 

The win-win-win is ideal in multiple ways. For instance, by cutting our consumption of animal proteins, we reduce the impact of massive meat production on the environment such as deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions AND we improve our health e.g. lower the risks of heart-related diseases and cancer. Also, by reducing the massive scale of animal farms, we reduce the risks of pandemics for humans AND we improve animal welfare.

Hence, my reasoning has been: “let me demonstrate that I become healthier on a plant-based diet and hopefully in the process I’ll inspire others to contribute to the triple win.” 

To validate this reasoning I went back to school, graduated as a food coach in June 2022, and followed a course from PNI Europe (introduction in “clinical psycho neuro immunology”, “KPNI” in Dutch). Both courses have convinced me to revise my standpoint to some extent.

I still do not eat meat!

However, I have reintroduced animal protein in my regimen. This is a departure from my idealistic win-win-win standpoint, so I feel the need to explain what and why I changed.

What Has Not Changed: A Solid Plant-Based Foundation

I still believe that a mostly plant-based approach to life is the way to go. From a human health point of view, our menu should be based on 80% alkaline ingredients, vegetables and fruits! This still needs to form the bulk of man’s diet. Why is explained here.

Considering the amount of unhealthy crap (sorry!) in processed food, I still believe that organic, pure, non-processed food is the way to go. Please read the ingredients of what you buy before you put in your mouth. Wheat? Avoid – see why here. 

Vegetable oils, like sunflower and peanut oil, beware! They contain Omega 6 fats which are responsible for low-grade inflammation.

To lower the logistics impact of the food system, I still go for mostly seasonal and local produce. That’s why I’m a customer of Boerschappen.

Still No Steak For Me!

Red meat like beef, pork, lamb… are still on my black (or red) list. I strongly advise against eating these foods. The biggest issue: they contain a molecule, Neug5Gc, which humans cannot synthesize, and that presents many issues. The largest risk is that Neu5Gc results in low-grade inflammation. See for instance “A red meat-derived glycan promotes inflammation and cancer progression”. Or just Google “Neu5Gc”.

Additionally, the molecule resembles the human Neu5Ga and that means that pathogens (viruses and bacteria) can sneak in our bodies and make us sick.

Bottom-line: red meat lowers your immune defences. 

Not Fake Meat Either!

I occasionally order a veggie hamburger in a restaurant but I don’t buy the fake meat products you find in supermarket. That’s 100% processed food, and the ingredients are most often unhealthy. 

Only exception: tempeh because it’s mostly pure and it is fermented. Fermented vegetables contain bacteria that are good for one’s microbiome.

What Has Changed: Some Animal Protein

This has been months in the making but here it is… I am no longer a vegetarian. Let alone that I have adopted a vegan lifestyle. I have not joined the dark side completely either. I still don’t buy meat and I very rarely eat it. However, I am back eating animal protein: a bit of cheese, eggs, fish, and seafood. 

Note, by the way, that the awful Neug5Gc molecule is also present in milk and cheese, in high quantities in goat cheese. Eating that from time to time is a risk I’m willing to take occasionally. Cheese 🧀 and wine 🍷remain my drug of choice. Oh yes, and chocolate 🍫 as well.

What Happened?

Let’s go back to the beginning. When I engaged on my “French Food Philosopher” journey I was convinced that going vegan was THE solution for the sustainability challenges our planet is facing. A great win-win-win was the ideal that motivated me: better human health through good food, much lower impact on natural resources, far less animal suffering.  

Doubt however was gnawing at me. My professors made it clear that vegans do not get enough vitamin B12 and Omega 3 fatty acids. And as I’m against industrial, processed products, I found it weird that one of the “wins” meant compromising with an important principle: having to eat processed foods. 

Furthermore, I found that eating legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas) to get to my daily intake of proteins felt unpleasant. After all, flatulence is not only socially awkward, but also a sign that your body is struggling to digest something. And in my case, there is a clear indication that I struggle to digest legumes. One of the reasons for that can be found here.

The PNI course has made it clear to me that lectins, one of the substances contained in legumes, are not a human’s friend. See for instance “The Problem With Lectins” in this article.  

As always, it’s not an “all of nothing” law. The point is that we cannot rely on legumes, grains, seeds and nuts to live healthy lives. We also need some intake of animal protein.

Changed Menu

Long story short: everyone’s body is unique. It’s up to you to find out what best works for your health. I won’t deny that animal proteins can be needed in a human’s diet. In my case I eat fish or seafood twice a week. Poultry? I’m still seating on the fence.  

Additionally, I use ghee (clarified butter) to cook – next to coconut and olive oil. And you’ll find butter, a bit of cheese and a little dairy on my menu. Not a humongous change, but a departure from my ideal “win” based on a 100% plant-based lifestyle. 

Should you want more information, scientific sources or otherwise, please drop me a note.

What common sense has known for centuries is increasingly demonstrated by scientific research. A well-maintained microbiome, having a wealth of bacterial bugs in your belly, is clearly positive for your body’s immunity. Reversely, an unhealthy gut is known to be the source of many physical and mental diseases. This list is very long, from benign or mild (skin rash, burping and farting, acid reflux, stress…) to serious and even life-threatening issues (Crohn’s, various cancers, Alzheimer’s…). 

The short of it is: want to leave a healthy, preferably long, life? Take care of your gut!

Have Chronic Pains? Pay Attention!

Here’s something you might want to try. It’s called food combinations.  I have tried this for a few weeks, and I see results already: I’ve lost a few pounds, my belly is flatter, I sleep better, my feces look better…

The theory behind food combinations is very simple. Macronutrients (carbs, proteins, fats) are digested differently. Your body produces different enzymes for each sort of foods. Starches are digested by the enzyme amylase, among others. Amylase is present in your saliva. Fat is broken down by the enzyme lipase, made in the pancreas. Lactase breaks down dairy products. Proteases help digest proteins, like meat products and are produced in the stomach and pancreas…

Hopefully you get the picture: digestion is a complex process. The production of enzymes calls upon various organs: glands in your mouth, pancreas, liver, intestines. For each sorts of food various organs are used differently.

For more information, consult this article or this one.  

Food Combinations

For the body to process food efficiently and effectively we need to combine macronutrients wisely. This helps your body use a minimum amount of energy and absorb nutrients optimally. If you combine foods poorly, you exhaust your digestive organs AND miss nutritional benefits.

The bad news is that combining food healthily requires a radical new approach to preparing meals. There are a few good combinations and unfortunately, many bad ones. See below the illustration.

I am not making this theory up. It has been documented by Jan Dries, among other people, in various books. Jan is among other things the author of “The New Book of Food Combining: A Completely New Approach to Healthy Eating”. You can purchase this and other books by Jan on Amazon.com and Bol.com.

Good News!

The good news is that you can combine most vegetables anyway you want. There are a few exceptions as some vegetables are very rich in starch or fat so they fall in those categories. The way it works is that you may combine any category of food with another compatible one in the same meal. For instance:

• Breakfast – Overnight oats with plant-based milked (mostly water), avocado or any vegetable of your choice
• Lunch – A greens salad with nuts and seeds, with an egg omelette
• Diner – Stir fryed vegetables with rice.

In the illustration below you see a more comprehensive view of good and poor food combinations.

Fruit is a different story. Fruit is digested quickly, it leaves your stomach within approximately 20 minutes. You can best eat fruit separately, as an appetizer 20 minutes before any meal.   

What About Legumes?

Legumes, like white beans and chickpeas present an issue! They naturally are rich in protein and starch. As you can see in the drawing those two ingredients are incompatible in terms of food combination. This combination is also present in cereals but the ratio is better, the amount of protein in cereals is far lower than in the case of legumes.

In order to digest legumes well combine them with lots of vegetables. For instance mix a little bit of lentils in a salad with lots of green leafy vegetables.

A Good – and Tasty! – Food Combination Recipe

To make it clear that food combinations are compatible with a tasty meal, here’s an example. Thanks to Boerschappen again for the great ingredients and creative recipe!

The dish: celery medallions with truffle potatos, oven baked beets and (vegan) pesto.

Ingredients for two persons:

• 400 grams truffle potatoes
• 400 grams beets (the original recipe is with carrots but I replaced them)
• 200 grams celery
• Mustard, flour, water, pepper for seasoning
• Coriander / cilantro or whichever fresh herbs you have.

This foods combination is “green”:

1. Celery, beets, fresh herbs = vegetables 
2. Potatoes and flour = starch
3. Pesto = fat

Slice the beets in cubes and bake them in the oven on a tray for about 20 minutes. Boil the potatoes and cook them as you like.

Grate the celery. Mix that with a good spoonful of musterd, pepper, salt, some flour and water to bind the celery. Make little balls of the mixture. Throw the balls in a hot pan (use coconut or rice oil) and flatten the balls to create hamburger style paddies. Bake those 4 minutes on each side. 

Put celery medallions, sliced potatoes, beets on the plates, drizzle pesto. the chopped cilantro or other herbs on top. Enjoy!   

Alternative Plant-Based Burgers OK?

So what to do as a vegetarian or vegan? I have tried a couple of alternatives from the supermarket but can’t say their taste blew my sock off. On top of that: I looked at the ingredients’ labels… That too did not please me. Those “fake meat burgers” contain a rather long list of vague ingredients like flours and E numbers.

Why stop eating meat and choose an alternative that is unhealthy and has a unnecessary high carbon footprint?

Let’s take advantage of the protein transition to create a “eat healthier” transition!

Should you know of a healthy, carbon-neutral and tasty alternative, please let me know!

Home-Made Mushroom-Lentils Burgers

In the meantime, here is a good solution in case you crave a good burger: make one yourself.

Inspired by a delicious lentils meal earlier this week I looked for a recipe that combined those with mushrooms, one of my preferred Umami ingredients. Below is my version of De Hippe Vegetariër’s mushrooms-lentils burger.

Ingredients:

• Dry lentils, about 100 gram
• Mushrooms, 250 gram
• Shallot, one
• Garlic cloves, two
• Soja sauce, a couple of teaspoons
• Miso, a teaspoon
• Oats, a tablespoon
• Chia seeds, a tablespoon

Cook the lentils in water in about 30 minutes (follow the instructions on the package).

In the meantime: chop the garlic cloves and heat them up gently in a pan. Blitz the mushrooms together with the shallot and the soja sauce.

Add the mushroom mix to the hot pan with garlic and cook that up. Turn the oven on, around 180 degrees Celsius.

Using the same mixer, chop the oats fine and after about fives minutes add the oats, lentils and chia seeds to the mushrooms in the pan. Season it with salt and pepper. Let this simmer at low heat until the water is absorbed and the mixture feels consistent.

Turn the mix into six or eight paddies, lay them on a baking sheet and set this in the oven.

Turn the paddies after 5 minutes; they’re ready after another five minutes or longer if you prefer them slightly toasted.

Serve your plant-based as you like. Unfortunately I did not have fine bread buns today so I served them together with corn and romanesco with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Hope you enjoy those! Please let me know what you think.

Let me give you a real-life example and the list of my go-to pantry and freezer ingredients.

One of our favorite dishes is pasta. Fortunately nowadays it is simple to find delicious and healthy, plant-based pasta. By “healthy pasta” I mean one that is not based on wheat but on alternative flours like peas or lentils. Read here why I prefer to avoid wheat-based products.

A tasty sauce begins of course with chopped onions and garlic. Luckily onions and garlic stay good for a long time so hopefully you had some on hand before going away. That was my case today.

To add some heat and umami I like to use peppers. Have a jar of jalapeno peppers in your pantry if you don’t have fresh ones. Want some more bite and a little bitterness? Add chopped olives to the mix, think traditional puttanesca sauce: add capers if you have some. In my case I didn’t have any and I used green olives. No worries, the taste is still great.

No fresh tomatoes is not an issue either as long as you have a jar of passata, ready-made tomato sauce. Stock up organic passata, preferably in a glass jar instead of in metal tin. Glass is tasteless and resistant to acids. Some of the plastics that are used to coat food tins have come under criticism. The BPA / BADGE (bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether) that they contain can be passed on to the preserves in small amounts. This substance is suspected of being a possible carcinogen. So to remain on the safe side: choose passata in glass instead of in tin.

While your sauce warms up, set water to boil for the pasta. Add whatever greens and beans you have to your sauce. Luckily I had fresh spinach in the fridge and a tine of cannelloni beans in my pantry drawer. Although not on the picture I also added frozen peas to the sauce. Once the sauce and pasta are ready, throw the pasta in the sauce pan and serve, with or without added cheese or cream as you like (grated parmesan, mascarpone, plant-based cream…).

As promised, here are a few suggestions of things to keep handy in your pantry in jars, tins or frozen, year-round:

• Plant-based milk (oats, coconut, soja…) milk
• Legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas)
• Vegetables (green peas or runner beans, spinach, broccoli, canned diced tomatoes)
• Sauce bases (coconut cream or milk, passata)
• Grains or non-wheat-based carbs (rice, quinoa, couscous, plant-based pasta)
• Condiments (mustard, sambal, jalapeno peppers, grilled bell peppers, capers, olives)
• Spices
• Dry or canned fruits

Enjoy the summer and your vacation. And upon return: enjoy your meal!

During the last NMA episode I heard about his new book coming up, The Plant-Based Athlete. If you, like me, pre-order it before June 15 you’ll get some nice digital goodies! This is free publicity, I don’t get any kickback or other kind of advantage.

In the process of looking at those goodies I stumbled across a video of Matt giving a lecture. This is an introduction to Matt’s Stress-Free Plant-Based Plan. Also known as the No Meat Athlete’s Perfect Day. Subtitle: “How to thrive without worrying about nutrients or following a meal plan.”

Let me describe how Matt’s perfect meal day looks like. I will later explain why it is so perfect!

1. Smoothie or Oatmeal

Matt starts the day with an oatmeal or a smoothie. This breakfast’s ingredients:

• Berries or other fruit
• Flaxseeds or other nut
• Greens, like spinach or broccoli
• Green/White Tea Leaves or matcha powder
• Turmeric

And of course oats if you rather have something more to fill your stomach

You can find many of Matt’s recipes here. You get many more if you pre-order his book ;-).

2. Giant salad with beans & nut-based dressing

For lunch, Matt has a big bowl of greens, throws in beans, other veggies, and tops it off with a nut-based dressing such as tahini with garlic and onions. To make this more filling Matt might add whole grains like rice, quinoa or whole wheat bread. For dessert? Fruit!

3. A grain, a green, and a bean

For the last meal of the day Matt makes a burrito, tacos, soup, pasta or curry, and tries to always work in onions or garlic. This dinner is based on the following ingredients:

• Whole grains
• Cruciferous and other (green) vegetables
• Beans
• Mushrooms
• Turmeric
• Nuts or seeds (topping or dressing)

Snacks are allowed in Matt’s diet. Think fruit, hummus with veggies or whole grains (crackers, bread). And let me add that Matt, as a 100% vegan adds supplements to his diet. Whole-food, plant-based diets, while very high in many micronutrients, typically don’t provide enough vitamins B12, D3, and DHA/EPA.

No Meat Athlete Framework

So, have you discovered a pattern in this perfect meal day? Well, there is a one!

Matt Frazier developed a framework based on reading two books: How Not to Die (Michael Greger, M.D. and Gene Stone. New York: Flatiron Books, 2015) and Super Immunity (Joel Fuhrman, M.D. New York: HarperOne, 2011). The common denominator is that to remain healthy there are eight food groups that you basically need to eat every day.

These “8 foods to eat every day” are:

1. Greens (leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables). Eat them often, raw and cooked!
2. Other vegetables, mushrooms and whole grains.
3. Berries and other fruits. Quoting Matt: “the most vibrantly colored fruits because of their strong anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer properties. Buy them organic if possible.”
4. Flaxseeds and other nuts and seeds. These natural fats are high in Omega-3s among other good stuff.
5. Beans, that includes lentils, chick peas and other legumes. They are a food common to the world’s longest-lived cultures (see my piece on the Blue Zones).
6. Onions and garlic. Not because they taste great but because of their positive effect on reducing cancer risks.
7. Turmeric / curcumin. Thanks largely to its pigment it protect against heart disease & cancer. Others spices are beneficial as well.
8. Tea, green, white or herbal. Because it’s high in antioxidants.

Good to know as well: Matt warns that some of these foods may not be good for you. Turmeric may cause pain for people will gall stones. I you’re on blood thinning medication, eating an abundance of greens could require that your doctor up your dosage to prevent blood clots. So as always: there are exceptions and it’s recommended you consult your physician if you suffer specific conditions.

As the subtitle mentioned earlier indicates: if you manage to work these eight food groups in your daily diet, you don’t have to worry about “am I getting enough proteins?” (or other nutrients).

As always, I hope this inspires you. Go for a run and eat healthy!

Here’s a summary of this useful and interesting 1,5 hour webcast. You’re welcome 😜

As made clear by his background, refusing to work for a company that contributes to poor health, John Robbins is on a mission to help slash risks of chronic illnesses (heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, dementia…) by 80% by doing four simple things:

• not smoking
• maintaining a healthy weight
• exercising regularly
• and most importantly by eating a healthful diet.

In his masterclass John, assisted by his son Ocean Robbins, deconstructs what he calls four lies (I prefer the word “myths”) and presents ten keys to a healthy diet. Here they come…

Four Myths

Myth #1: Healthy Eating iIs Confusing & Complicated

True, there’s a lot of confusion that is relayed by the media and sustained by all sorts of fads.

What constitutes a healthy diet is quite well understood and quite simple: eat more plants and fewer animal products, hy away from ultra-processed foods and eat whole foods.
Plant-based foods provide all that you need: fibers, anti-oxidants, essential fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals… all sorts of ingredients that are essential to your health.
Each body is different, however, so your diet needs to be fined tuned to your self.

Myth #2: It Can’t Bbe Real If My Doctor Doesn’t Know It

Surely you recognize this one! Doctors are not trained as dietitians and traditional medical education gives little attention to nutrition. Your general practitioner is trained to act as a firefighter. They look at curing your symptoms instead of preventing them in the first place.

Part of the responsibility is yours. Look at how to prevent illnesses through healthy habits rather than focusing on curing them.

Myth #3: Healthy Food Is Boring

It’s not for nothing that your kids prefer a “Happy meal” above broccoli. Indeed, people’s association with “good for you food” is that it’s unpleasant. And usually we associate food that is enjoyable with “bad for you food”. Unfortunately the food industry spends billions of euros every year on developing, producing and advertising foods that play on our natural desires for short-term pleasure.

It is high time that we realize that highly processed, fatty, salty and sugary foods are just as unhealthy and addictive as tobacco. The sugar tax may come, but you don’t have to wait. We all need to learn how to prepare and enjoy delicious AND healthy food.

Myth #4: You’re Too Small To Make A Contribution

Shifting to a (mostly) plant-based diet is good for you as well as for our planet. We know that 80% of the world’s agricultural land is used to produce meat, eggs and dairy products. The industrial food processes, from agriculture, the ensuing production and logistics that lead to processed food on your plate, have a great impact on our environment. These processes contribute to the destruction of ecosystems, the emission of greenhouse gas, climate change and in the long run they impact our ability to grow food.

For more information about this, read this article and study by the University of Oxford: “Plant-based diets could save millions of lives and dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions”.

Something Robbins said truly amazed me: what do you think would happen if the entire world went vegan? Just bear with Robbins for this example. About how much land would become available?

The answer: we could AND feed the entire human population AND free up an area equivalent to…

• the whole of Europe,
• the United States,
• India,
• Australia,
• and China combined!

You can make a huge difference on some of these challenging issues by eating less animal products and more plants.

Ten Keys to a Healthy Diet

John and Ocean Robbins then turned to share tips, the “10 Mighty Plant-Powered Keys.”

Key #1: Eat REAL Food

This means avoid the ultra-processed food-like substances that make up most of the calories in the modern, Western diet. When you eat fresh whole food, you help your body to have all the nourishment you need.

Key #2: Eat… Not Too Much

Robbins claims that the average American eats 500 calories too much on any given day. So, eat plenty of fibers because it provides a sense of bulk that leads your belly tell your brain “I’m full”. Eat a nutrient-rich diet: with a whole-food diet you don’t eat excess calories.

Key #3: Eat Mostly Plants

Vegetables and fruits are the most concentrated sources of the nutrients your body needs in order to thrive.

Key #4: Drink Coffee

Surprisingly to me, people who drink coffee tend to live longer, to have sharper brains with lower rates of Alzheimer’s, to be less likely to get type 2 diabetes, and to have lower rates of obesity, heart disease, and cancer. Another good piece of news: decaf has about 75% of the antioxidants of regular coffee. Oh yeah: lose the milk/ cream and sugar!

Key #5: Eat Mushrooms

It seems like all the kinds of edible mushrooms contain bioactive compounds that have anticancer effects, especially hormone-related cancers such as breast- and prostate cancer. They inhibit an enzyme that produces estrogen in the body. They also contain lectins that help your body fight cancer cells.

Key #6: Eat Berries

Berries are good for your heart and your blood sugar balance. They contain critical minerals, vitamins, anti-oxidants and many other beneficial micronutrients. Berries are great foods for your brain, heart and overall health. Frozen berries also have these benefits.

Key #7: Eat Beans

… and other legumes like split peas and lentils. They are a critical source of protein. They’re also one of the leading sources of fiber in the human diet. They are also a rich source of vitamins and minerals, including folate, iron, magnesium, potassium and choline.

Good tip: to prevent gas soak your legumes for at least 24 hours before cooking them. Change the water and rinse them a couple of times. Cook them very well so they’re soft before you eat them

Key #8: Eat Greens

Any greens by any means necessary, of any sort: broccoli, Brussel sprouts, kale, roman lettuce, spinach, cabbage… We all know we need to eat greens. They are plenty of studies that demonstrate their health benefits to prevent all kinds of illnesses. Just do it, get used to their tastes!

Key # 9: Use Spices and Herbs

Of course spices present great culinary interest. Extraordinarily hundreds of studies have demonstrated that spices, like turmeric, garlic, basil, ginger, pepper, parsley… may help prevent Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia and can help reduce unhealthy levels of inflammation, protect against heavy metal toxicity, and even lower heart disease risk.

Key #10: Create Good Habits

The key to success is to create systems and norms so that when you’re taking the path of least resistance, you’re moving towards greater health. Time, money, social pressure can be experienced as major thresholds to creating those habits. Please try my life hacks, like how to prep your meals, or how to create plant-based umami.

And so they end this list: John and Ocean Robbins invite you to join their course entitled Plant-Powered & Thriving.

A lot of good stuff in this masterclass. After the useful data tips the masterclass turns to testimonials; people who followed the course and who explain how they changed their diet and adopted healthy habits. Some lost a great deal of weight and maintained their ideal weight. Others saw chronic diseases disappear or levels of medication dropped. More energy, clarity of thinking, better sleep are also mentioned as benefits.

In the testimonials people mention that sometimes significant changes appear within days. Based on my own change experience (not with the course) I can believe that.

Whether or not feel like following this 6-week course, I encourage you to adopt the 10 keys to a healthy diet! Go ahead, read my blogs and let me know if and how I can help you.

I realized that in my past blog posts I have mostly written about whole, plant-based food. But I missed making a point about the kinds of ingredients you can buy.

1 Junk food – save for last

Starting with the last category: I admit I buy some of that. Processed food from the supermarket I mean. Far less, though, than many years ago when we had young children. Strangely enough, back then we didn’t think much about the quality of the food we served to our family. Sorry about this, kids! We compromised your health because of speed and  convenience. Never late to start doing the right thing, though!

So, if you haven’t already done that, please take a look at the ingredients you put into your body. Simply put; we ingest a lot of junk when we buy processed food. Junk is used to make bad quality foodstuff taste, smell or look better. Junk is used to make food last longer on your shelf or fridge.  Junk is used because mass-produced, refined ingredients result into cheaper end products. Junk is used to transport and package your food. Hence: junk you end up eating.

2 Whole food – that’s OK

The second category, whole foods are foods that have not been processed, refined or had ingredients added to them. All the recipes I share with you are mostly based on whole food. And as mentioned almost all of them are plant-based. But today’s discussion goes beyond promoting a plant-based regimen.

3 REAL food – please choose those!

The definition of The REAL Food Challenge of “Real Food” is: “Broadly, Real Food truly nourishes everyone: producers, consumers, communities, and the earth.”

Another way to put it, REAL stands for: faiR trade, Ecologically sound, humAne, Local. I’m sure we can find a better mnemonic!

A personal example. We recently started to purchase some of our groceries from local farmers. This thanks to a company called Boerschappen, which roughly translates into “Growceries” or “Farmershopping”. They purchase foodstuff, in our case mostly vegetables and fruit, from local farmers and sell that online direct to the consumer.

This way they:

• dramatically shorten the time between harvesting and consuming, resulting in fresh and delicious produce on our plate
• reduce logistics and packaging costs, therefore having a positive impact on the environment
• and they can make sure farmers get more money for their efforts.

There are of course other initiatives for you to choose from. Look around and surely you’ll find suitable solutions. For instance a French company called La Ruche Qui Dit Oui is present in a growing number of European countries, including the Benelux (Boeren en Buren), and Germany (Marktschwärmer.)

To make things simpler here’s a summary as simple as 1-2-3 😊:

Agree? Disagree? What do you think?

Have you watched the movie Interstellar? If so, you might recognize where I am coming from. It’s one of the many reasons I started FrenchFoodPhilosopher. The film depicts an apocalyptic version of Earth in the future: our planet’s ecology is in such dire straits that our species is forced to migrate to outer space.

This hypothetical scenario is similar to Elon Musk’s plan to inhabit Mars. I for one refuse this work on this Plan B.

The film still begs the question: is this a ridiculously far-fetched scenario? Well, bear with me for a couple of facts.

Firstly: do you know how many people live on Earth right now? Don’t guess! Check this out: the World Population Clock on Worldometers.

We are heading towards 10-12 billion earthlings by 2150. And even if it’s expected that our population stabilizes around that number, that’ll be about three to four times more people than when I was born.

Secondly: ever heard of Earth Overshoot Day? This marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year.

The trend over the past decades does not look good. When I was born we could make do with one planet. Last year, in 2020, Earth Overshoot Day fell on August 22. In other words: we now need more than one and a half Earth to sustain our growth. And at the moment “half the earth’s biocapacity is used to feed us.”

With the population growth mentioned earlier, combined with – good news! – growing welfare for everyone, we will soon need more than two planets. But let’s not despair: results from the past are no guarantee for the future.

Hence my quest to find truly sustainable solutions to keep our planet ‘livable’. The quest needs to go beyond food but as a French Food Philosopher I am mainly interested in healthy eating solutions. Solutions that are ecologically sound and respect biodiversity.

So, what should we start doing or do more? And what should we stop doing or do less?

The Earth Overshoot Day website provides clear and SMART hints that are achievable in the short term:

• Stop eating meat: “If we reduced global meat consumption by 50% and replaced these calories through a vegetarian diet, we would move Overshoot Day 17 days. (Including 10 days from reduction of methane emissions)”
• Hence do more: eat plant-based food!
• Stop wasting food: “If we cut food waste in half worldwide, we would move Overshoot Day 13 days.”

Additional idea for “start doing”: vertical farming. The idea of growing fruits and vegetables indoors and using artificial lighting sounds Interstellar-dystopian. It is, however, a practical solution to produce more greens for a growing population. And it reduces the need to transport foodstuff as you can grow it close to where it’s needed.

What do you think? Shall we #MoveTheDate? Do you agree with my premises and ideas, or do you look at this differently?

First of all: I admit I’m late. Soup is more of a winter dish. And the recipe shared below is using an ingredient that is about to become unavailable: squash. Of if you prefer: pumpkin. Mix both a butternut squash and pumpkin to produce a delicious soup.

Regardless of the season, I find soup a brilliantly healthy, versatile, filling and satisfying snack. Just ate a bowl for breakfast after my Saturday run this morning! Soup also fits perfectly my intermittent fasting habit as my last, light meal of the day. Produce a thick and spicy soup, and you can accommodate it in a variety of ways.

In this case I feature pumpkin soup but my point applies to any other kind. Potato and leek. Vegetable mix. Carrot and cauliflower… vary and experiment my friends!

Fill like a sweet and light snack? Add oat milk and honey before warming up your bowl to make a lighter desert soup. Looking for a filling meal? Eat a side of toast, or add oatmeal flakes to your bowl of soup before microwaving it.

Last thing before diving in the recipe: soup also perfectly fits in my food-prepping system. Make a couple of liters of soup and you have a reserve for the whole week. You can even deep freeze part of it for later.

So, here it comes: a delicious pumpkin / butternut squash / carrot soup in a few simple steps…

Start with the standard base: chop onions, red peper and garlic, and warm that up with your preferred mix of dry spices like curry, ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander, paprika… whatever you fancy. I like to keep it simple and usually stick to curry and turmeric. The end product looks prettier 😉

While the spice base gently warms up, chop the vegetables in cubes: pumpkin (peel it), butternut squash (no need to peel it!) and carrots (don’t you bother peeling them). Stir ’em in the pan, raise the heat a little and warm them up for a couple of minutes. I never weigh the ingredients but roughly use two thirds squash/pumpkin and one third carrots.

You now have done the heavy duty. While the vegetables are getting some direct heat – let them stick and caramelize a little – warm up a liter or so of water in a kettle, just to speed things up. Pour the boiling water in the pan to cover the vegetables. Add more if you prefer a watery soup.

I used to add one or more stock cubes (you know, the Maggi cubes). Not anymore!

The secret finishing touch: hazelnut butter. Or cashew butter. And of course salt and pepper. For a couple of liters of soup I add a tablespoon of nut butter. Please try this. Trust me, it gives an amazing flavor to this soup.

Thanks to restaurant Mûre and their recipe book (“La cuisine des gens qui sèment”) for this tip.

Almost done! Don’t cook the vegetables too long. Make sure you they are just tender to preserve their nutritional value. Pour the vegetables in a good blender (I’m very pleased with our Magimix power blender) and blitz the soup to a smooth consistency.

So, here you: a week or more of healthy snacks ahead of you. Enjoy!