PLANTPURE NATION UPDATE

It feels good to be home, but I have to say that my recent visit to Ft. Myers was one of the most inspiring trips I have taken.

As many of you know, we are collaborating with Lee Memorial Health System to develop food-as-medicine models that improve care while creating more sustainable income for the health system. I saw great enthusiasm during my visit among physicians, dietitians, and hospital administrators. I even had the opportunity to present to Lee Memorial’s Board of Directors.

We also got a rousing reception from people in the community. My father came with me on this trip, and we gave joint presentations to a capacity crowd of close to 1,200 people. 

People in the local community are excited about our health message, and excited about having such an innovative health care provider in their hometown. 

The reception we received confirms my long-held view that many people in the health care industry are motivated to improve care and to build more sustainable business models. It also confirms for me the danger of incessantly focusing on a problem to the exclusion of potential solutions, which we often do so we can cast blame. There are plenty of good people in healthcare who yearn for meaning in their lives, and who would rather be part of a solution than a problem. In my view, if we want to make transformative change of any kind in our society, we need to do a better job of focusing on the positive, offering visions that inspire and unify people.

Please stay tuned as we go continue working with our friends at Lee Memorial Health System, and at Midland Memorial Hospital in Midland, Texas. There is much more to come!

— Nelson Campbell

FROM OUR EDITOR

Take a hike. No, seriously. Get lost.

I’m not being rude or snarky—when was the last time you laced up your hiking boots or even a pair of sneakers and went exploring? If it’s been a while, that needs to change. Spring is here (or almost here), and nothing is better for your physical or mental health than getting lost in the woods for a few hours, hiking up a mountain, or strolling along a river. Check out your local parks or take a day trip to a nearby state or national park.

Go alone, take your dog, take your spouse, take your kids, whatever. But go. Most of us spend far too much time inside, sitting down, whether it’s in an office, a car, or our homes. Go breathe some fresh air, get your heart rate up, and get some sun on those winter-white legs (perhaps wear sunglasses for your first few outings). Break a sweat, admire the sunlight dappling the forest floor, and revel in the freshness of bright green growing things. Forget about work and bills and adult responsibilities for just a few hours. Go enjoy this lovely time of year. Binge-watch nature instead of Netflix.

Really. Just get lost.

— Amy Bissinger

CHECK THIS OUT

PlantPure Communities, the nonprofit sister organization of the PlantPure family, has a new website and a new board of directors. The formal launch of PlantPure Communities will take place this fall. In the meantime, program and policy activities are now beginning to ramp up. Go to the contact page and sign up for future updates and invitations.

—Jody Kass

WORDS FOR LIVING WELL

GROUP SPOTLIGHT

While many us think hosting a group Jumpstart is a good idea, we also may still be in the thinking phase. If you're anything like me, you have to think about a new concept for a while before jumping in (no pun intended). Well, Kathy Quinn is just the opposite! Kathy is the group leader for the With You In Wellness group in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and has hosted not one group Jumpstart but two.  

Kathy Quinn (middle) and members of With You In Wellness.

Kathy started off by offering a Jumpstart at a company whose health and wellness committee she serves on. She and committee member Sandra Albury were able to get 10 people to do the Jumpstart—four were already plant-based, and the other six have all continued optimizing their diets by increasing their fruit and veggie intake and cutting their sugar intake. Her second effort was through the county community college, where she was able to recruit 11 individuals, five of whom were already plant-based. The remaining six are all leaning into healthier eating as a result of the Jumpstart.

She had some great feedback from both groups. People liked the convenience of the meals, the discipline that the program instilled, the portion sizes, and the meal price. All of those attributes are things that the PlantPure team focused on when creating the Jumpstart program. Kathy’s efforts show how one person can positively impact many, and that is really what a grassroots movement is all about. Thanks, Kathy!

—Laura Dietrich

CONNECT WITH US

We would love everyone to follow all of our social media channels, and tag us/use the hashtag #plantpure as much as possible. Share our social media posts on your own social media and let's spread the message! Also, we'd love to see what your Pod is up to—feel free to post pictures of your Pod's activities to our Facebook page.

 @plantpurenation      PlantPure Nation      @plantpurenation   

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  PlantPure Nation @plantpurenation      PlantPure Nation      PlantPure Nation

EVENTS

April 22 is Earth Day’s 50th anniversary. How will you celebrate? We invite you to take a photo with a sign stating “I’m PlantPure on Earth Day because …” and post it with the hashtag #PlantPure to let the world know why this lifestyle is important to the well-being not only of ourselves, but also our planet!

April 23, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.: Red & Green VegFest Albuquerque Convention Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Many speakers, tastings, exercise. Advance tickets $15 adults, $7.50 seniors and students. redandgreenvegfestabq.wordpress.com

April 24: Michigan Vegest, Novi, Michigan. Advance tickets $12, $15 at door. 
vegmichigan.org/activities/vegfest

FEATURED PLANTPURE RECIPE
From Kim Campbell

Thai Sweet Peanut Burgers

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 T flax meal
2 T water
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 C mashed sweet potatoes (fresh or frozen)
1/4 C oats
2 T crunchy peanut butter, no added oils or sugars
1 t low sodium soy sauce
1 t ginger paste
1/2 t garlic powder
2 t rice vinegar
1 T lime juice
1 t sriracha
1/4 C cilantro, chopped

Peanut Sauce

1/4 C peanut butter
1 T low sodium soy or tamari sauce
2 t sriracha
2 t lime juice
1 t maple syrup
1/2 t garlic powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together flax meal and water. Set aside. In a food processor, pulse the chickpeas. Coarsely grind; do not turn the chickpeas into a paste. You can also mash them with a fork. Place into a large mixing bowl. To the chickpeas, add remaining ingredients (including flax and water mixture). Mix thoroughly with hands. Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and form into burgers. Bake for 20–30 minutes until golden brown. While the burgers are cooking, whisk together all the sauce ingredients and set aside. Top burgers with veggies and peanut sauce.

START COOKING WHOLE-FOOD, PLANT-BASED RECIPES!

As the film’s official companion book, The PlantPure Nation Cookbook brings this powerful, science-based approach to nutrition from the big screen to your kitchen with some of the same mouthwatering recipes that kick-started the film, promoting the health benefits of a whole-food, plant-based diet.