Barefoot Vegan Mag Jan_Feb 2017

“Perception is a huge
barrier to healthy
living. When you have
amazing recipes,
vegetables can be sexy,
mind-blowingly
delicious, and really
enjoyable.”
age, activity levels, overall health, and so on. And there is a
lot of conflicting information about health and nutrition. It
can be confusing to know what to do. But, the one thing
that everybody agrees on is vegetables are a boon to health.
So, I always start there. Vegetables are a great base from
which to build a healthy diet around. Beyond that, keep a
food diary, and note what you eat, and any changes in your
body. After a week or two a very clear pattern develops.
With this personal experience, take this information to a
healthcare practitioner who can help you interpret and
study the information further.
Read books, look at cookbooks or food websites, and
compile a great collection of staple recipes that are plantbased,
taste delicious, and are easy to prepare. Healthy
living must be fun or it doesn’t stick.
What do you think are the major challenges
people face today regarding access to
healthful foods? And what advice would you
give on how to overcome them?
Perception is a huge barrier to healthy living. When you
have amazing recipes, vegetables can be sexy, mindblowingly
delicious, and really enjoyable. Arm yourself with
the tools to succeed – great recipes, friends and family who
want to prepare healthy food with you, and set goals and be
accountable to making positive lifestyle changes. Join
groups to meet other people with similar interests and goals
so you’re not in it alone.
Getting extreme – going cold turkey off of your
favourite foods or coming at things from a place of
deprivation is never any fun. Be gentle with yourself
while you make changes. Small consistent shifts with
encouragement and love is the best strategy for lasting
results.
Finances – fresh foods can be expensive. So, if
budget is holding you back, head up to your local
farmers’ market towards closing time, and see what
boxes of produce they’re giving away at a huge
discount. Join a CSA or community garden, and start
growing your own food. You can grow many vegetables
and herbs in small pots on a balcony or small backyard.
What’s one of your favourite recipes from
your latest book?
There are so many delicious recipes. But the shiitake
and asparagus lettuce cups with lime drench on page
126 hold a special place in my heart because they’re
super easy, take less than 30 minutes to throw
together, and are low in carbs. We’ve been enjoying
these for many years and they’re always a huge hit. I
served them at my launch party for The Blender Girl
Smoothies and woke up the next morning after the
party with over 100 texts, calls, and emails begging me
for the recipe. I knew I had a winner.
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