Banana Bread for Your Health
I’ve been following the same banana bread recipe since the 90s when my grandmother gave me a copy of her tattered and stained Betty Crocker cookbook. I’d never thought twice about the amount of sugar,...
A Plant-Based Education: Green Nosh of Cape Cod
The concept of adding more leafy greens to your diet seems to be gaining momentum lately, but to Joanne Irwin, Plant Based Culinary Educator/Consultant, it’s not just a trend, it’s as necessary as breathing fresh air.
If you peruse the informative content on her website, PlantBasedNana.org, you’ll learn that “fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains hold center stage in [her] kitchen.” And for good reason. “Plant-based foods are the foods that not only prevent disease, but may enhance survival for those living with chronic conditions. The science is solid. Take a risk; be open, curious and explore. The gift of good health awaits!” says Irwin.
The Mayo Clinic concurs. According to their website, “A plant-based diet can reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and certain types of cancer.” If that’s not reason enough to add more garden veggies to your meal repertoire, then I don’t know what is.
Other than embracing Meatless Mondays, or substituting flax eggs for chicken eggs, what else can be done? It can seem daunting to switch gears and go from being a meat-eating machine one day to a vegetable lover the next, but the transition doesn’t have to be hard. Irwin makes introducing more plants into your diet seamless.
In 2006, as Irwin sat in her primary care physician’s waiting room, she felt fairly confident about the state of her health. She “ate well, exercised regularly, and kept up with the latest health information. Fish, poultry, and lean pork were [her] ‘go-to’ protein sources, save a twice-yearly filet mignon indulgence,” says Irwin. But when she spoke with her doctor about her bloodwork and was told that her LDL, otherwise known as bad cholesterol, had skyrocketed to 179, and that her total cholesterol was 246, she was shocked. “Right then and there the myths and illusions of the Standard American Diet (SAD) oozed like a bloody, marbled rib-eye.”
Irwin was willing to do whatever it took to remain statin free, and took her doctor’s advice to give up beef, pork, lamb and dairy. She did a deep dive into the relationship between nutrition and disease. She also educated herself by devouring the book T. Colin Campbell, PhD and Thomas M. Campbell II, MD co-wrote in 2004, titled “The China Study.” On its cover, it’s touted as being “the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted.” Nearly 20 years later, it may be more relevant than ever. According to Campbell, “eating the right way not only prevents disease but also generates health and a sense of well-being, both physically and mentally,” (2016, 17). As for Irwin, she’s never looked back.
After following a total plant-based diet for a mere four months, Irwin’s cholesterol levels plummeted and the “progressive arthritic pain and discomfort” she had suffered for over 20 years in her right wrist vanished. “For me it was another tangible affirmation that ‘we are what we eat,’” says Irwin. (Just as a reminder, always speak with your doctor before making any changes to your diet.) And thus began her transformation.
Soon after, Irwin began offering private, plant-based cooking classes. But, her desire to share the wealth of knowledge she had gained didn’t stop there. In 2008 Irwin was accepted into the Food for Life certification program with Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and whose mission is to put “prevention over pills.” She began teaching Food for Life classes on the Cape and in Florida during the winter months. Irwin’s classes are held in locations as varied as a vegetable garden in July, in hospitals, cancer centers, churches, senior centers, and private homes. To small groups of health-conscious individuals, private classes are even held in her own home.
In 2010, after completing eCornell’s Nutrition Studies Program, Irwin became a certified Plant Based Educator/ Consultant. In 2019, she became certified with the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) as well as in the Vegan Mastery Program. Learning about and teaching about nutrition fed her mind, body, and soul. “My passion for health and right nutrition has provided me with the necessary tools to guide others on their road to health and wellness. Our nutrition choices not only impact us individually, but have a profound impact on both the public and environmental health arenas,” says Irwin.
Her website reflects this mindset. Of the over 500 recipes, many of which Irwin developed herself, you will find easy to understand step by step instructions, as well as helpful anecdotes. “Recipes have to be whole foods plant based - preferably no oil, salt, and little sugar,” says Irwin. Some of her favorites include Enchilada Pie, Tofu Marsala, and One Pot Italian Pasta.
I was most intrigued by the myriad of plant-based burger recipes that were included – such as Garbanzo Burgers, Garden Black Bean Walnut Burgers, and Chickpea Burgers, as well as the intriguing array of desserts – such as Berry Chocolate and Chia Pudding, Cardamom Pear Dessert, and Chocolate Cake. One recipe is more delicious than the next.
If you’d like to meet other fun-loving, plant-loving folks, then you’ll want to join the Green Nosh Group of Cape Cod which was established by Irwin in 2012. Originally started to support the friends she made who attended the PCRM Food For Life classes she ran, it became a great way to meet and break bread. Through monthly pot-lucks and showing films such as “Forks Over Knives” and “What the Health,” it offered camaraderie and a way for folks to dabble in learning more about plant-based nutrition and how to prepare vegan meals that could positively impact their health and wellness. “My hope was that their curiosity, enthusiasm, and support for this lifestyle would assist us in our mission to expand plant-based nutrition throughout the Cape,” says Irwin.
In 2015, Irwin and her right-hand assistant, Alvan Hathaway, “spent [the] summer recruiting restaurants to be part of our first ever Plant-Based Chef Challenge on Cape Cod,” says Irwin. It was a huge success. Before the challenge officially began, the film “PlantPure Nation” was shown on the big screen at the Cape Cinema. Fifteen restaurants participated, and agreed to offer a healthy, plant-based menu option during the month of October. With the support of Dr. Cormac Coyle, founder of Emerald Physicians, flyers were created, voting boxes were assembled, and winners were announced. “Prizes were distributed to many chefs. It was a wonderful experience!” says Irwin.
Green Nosh is still expanding its reach. We’ve now “melded with another group and we call ourselves Plant Based Cape Cod/Green Nosh Group,” says Irwin. But, that’s not all. “My friend, Jeanne Schumacher, came to me and [suggested showing] the second ‘PlantPure Nation’ film, created by Nelson and Kim Campbell called ‘From Food to Freedom.’ We are showing that at our beloved Cape Cinema on May 7. We are also working together to initiate a Restaurant Campaign throughout the Cape as we are now an official PlantPure Nation Pod. We hope to encourage restaurants to include on their menus a plant-based option prepared without oil. If restaurants agree, they will get a certificate noting that they are part of our PlantPure Nation Pod on the Cape, and will be posted on a map folks can access online,” says Irwin.
Often, change happens gradually. But if more and more restaurants serve even just one delicious, plant-based recipe, then more and more residents and visiting tourists will walk away satiated and empowered to do the same for themselves and for their families. At the conclusion of one of Irwin’s classes, a participant who had been suffering from various ailments spoke to her in confidence, and told her that she had saved her life. Irwin, visibly humbled, disagreed. Irwin responded that she herself had done that. She told her, “You heard the scientific information, did your own research, and jumped on board!” It’s Irwin’s hope that more and more folks will feel emboldened to take their own health into their own hands, and to educate themselves on the benefits of adding more plants to their diet. If they need assistance, she’s just a click away.
Karen Bento is a freelance writer and photographer, recipe developer, avid gardener, and school librarian. When she is not making a mess in her kitchen, weeding her garden, or taking long walks, she can be found doodling in her journal with broken colored pencils. She can be reached at karenskindredspirit@gmail.com, or you can follow her on Instagram @karenskindredspirit.
For more information about events, private classes, resources, and recipes go to: plantbasednana.org
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