PLANTPURE NATION UPDATE

We are getting ready to take an important step in our strategy to expand our Pod network. Within a week, we will have a new home page for people using our Pod site. Each time you log in, you will land on your primary Pod page, rather than your wall. We are hoping this will make the site a little easier to use.

But the big announcement is the launch of our affiliate program. In an effort to help nonprofits that are promoting the plant-based lifestyle or making other efforts aligned with this message, we are rolling out an affiliate program in the next few weeks called PlantPure Alliance, which will donate $10 from every 20-pack of PlantPure meals purchased, or $5 from every 10-pack, to a nonprofit organization registered in our Pod network. Members and supporters will only need to click on a unique link assigned to their nonprofit to order Jumpstart meals via our online store, and the organization will receive the donation.  

We will be sending out more information about the program, but if you know of nonprofit organizations that need help raising money (including those focused on health, the environment, local farming, animal advocacy, serving food desert communities, bringing the plant-based message into faith communities, or other related issues) please feel free to email us at alliance@plantpurenation.com for more information.

When we launched PlantPure, we did so with the intention of providing three key elements: inspiration (through our film and other communications), organization (through our Pod network), and funding. This affiliate program is one of the ways we will deliver on our promise of creating a financial engine to power a grassroots movement.

Hope all of you are doing well, and as always, thanks for your continuing support.

— Nelson Campbell

CHECK THIS OUT

Kim Campbell's latest video features a plant-based version of a perennial favorite. It's delicious—we promise!

INTRODUCING PLANTPURE RADIO

On April 28, I had the great pleasure of launching PlantPure Radio with the first installment of my program of podcasts, Conversations With Lee Fulkerson. My goals for PlantPure Radio are the same as my goals for the program: to share stories and information that we believe are worthwhile from people both within PlantPure Nation and beyond. I dearly hope that these shared ideas will become greater than the sum of their parts, creating a synergy of grassroots action that will help us forge an unstoppable force for positive change.

My first conversation was with Nelson Campbell, founder and CEO of PlantPure Nation, and writer/director of the PlantPure Nation film. Among other things, Nelson encapsulated the status of PlantPure Nation today along with his hopes for the future of the PlantPure organization. In a little less than a year since the release of the film, we have grown to include 374 Pods around the world with nearly 20,000 members. That’s a great start and makes me all the more proud and happy to be part of this effort.

Just as impressive in my view is the strategic partnership PPN has formed with Midland Memorial Hospital in Midland, Texas, and Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, Florida. The goal is to help these health systems incorporate the paradigm of food as medicine into their present model of health care. Two of my recent interviews were with Scott Kashman, who is on the senior leadership team of Lee Memorial, and Marcy Madrid, who is on the senior leadership team of Midland Memorial. Their enthusiasm for the positive impact they believe plant-based nutrition will have on patients, employees and the local community was beyond gratifying. Until now, the lack of awareness within traditional health care to the idea of food as medicine has been a major impediment to the recognition of the extraordinary health benefits of plant-based nutrition. But my conversations with Marcy and Scott gave me the realistic hope that the idea of plant-based nutrition has a future in traditional health care. This could be a real game-changer for the plant-based movement.

And speaking of excitement, I’m thrilled to share that upcoming episodes of Conversations with Lee Fulkerson will include interviews with such major figures in the plant-based movement as internationally known health expert and founder of nutritionfacts.org Dr. Michael Greger, plant-based pioneers Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. John McDougall, and the legendary Dr. T. Colin Campbell himself!

Yet I’m equally enthusiastic about interviews with lesser-known people, such as Nina Gheihman, a Ph.D. student at Harvard and founder of a Pod group in Boston called Boston Plant-Based Millennials. Then there’s Doug Schmidt, a teacher and the health and wellness coordinator for his school district in upstate New York. Doug adopted a plant-based diet following a serious health scare in 2008. He also recently organized an extremely successful PlantPure Jumpstart for his school district staff.

My ultimate hope for PlantPure Radio is for my program to evolve from a podcast into a radio show that has multiple guests, where listeners can call in during the show to make comments or ask questions, and that’s syndicated across America. I know we’ve just started and that goal is a long way off, but look how far PlantPure has come in less than a year! So I figure if you’re going to have goals, why not aim high?

—Lee Fulkerson

NOW AVAILABLE

If you missed the premier issue of our new publication, PlantPure Magazine, check it out! This monthly magazine features news and innovative ideas from our Pod groups; educational articles on nutrition, the environment, animal welfare, health, and fitness; recipes; testimonials; and more. We hope this magazine inspires you and helps you share the message of plant-based nutrition's benefits in your community. We also hope you'll consider a monthly subscription—this support enables us to not only continue producing PlantPure Magazine, but also to continue developing and providing the resources our growing community requires. 

The May issue will be out very soon, so subscribe today!

FROM OUR JUMPSTART DIRECTOR

Here at PlantPure, we are constantly striving to provide as many services as possible to help people transition to a plant-based lifestyle. As a result of this focus, a new service is being rolled out to Jumpstart participants next week, in which they can call in on a free coaching line to get questions answered by me and Kim Campbell on how to transition from the Jumpstart to a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle. This free coaching will focus on questions like:

• How do I go out to my favorite restaurant while plant-based?

• How do I handle going to family gatherings?

• What should I pack for my kids' lunches?

We are hoping that by providing answers to these questions, some of the common stumbling blocks to achieving a plant-based lifestyle can be eliminated.  

Another initiative that we recently implemented within the Jumpstart program was to include a meal tips flyer with each Jumpstart. We had some really tasty and innovative recipe additions recommended by Dr. Brian Taschner from Lee Memorial Health System. The entrees are designed for a typical palate; however, we have found that some people like to add more spices or salt to their foods. The suggestions are grouped into three different options: easy, more advanced, or spice it up. These tips allow everyone to personalize the Jumpstart meals for maximum satisfaction.

Bon appetit!

— 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   

  plantpurenation

  PlantPure Nation @plantpurenation      PlantPure Nation      PlantPure Nation

WORDS FOR LIVING WELL

EVENTS

Wow, you call tell spring is here! So many exciting events are coming up, I wish I could attend all of them and I look forward to seeing your photos when you go! Many of our member organizations will be at these events, so look for them when you attend, take photos together, and share some of the #PlantPure action you see by tagging us!

April 30–May 8: The Food Revolution Summit, virtual event. John and Ocean Robbins interview 24 of the top food experts on the planet, bringing you the most up-to-date research and information about food, nutrition, disease prevention, and environmental stewardship. foodrevolutionsummit.org

May 6–8: DC Green Festival, focused on inspiring and empowering consumers, communities and businesses to work green, play green, and live green. www.greenfestivals.org

May 7: Cleveland VegFest: Conscious Living, Compassionate Choices; Cleveland Convention Center, Cleveland, Ohio. Local PPN member organization Plant-Based CLE will have a table, so stop by and say hi! www.clevelandvegansociety.org/vegfest-home

May 7: Milwaukee Veg Expo, Hart Park, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Discover the advantages and the pleasures of 100 percent whole-food, plant nutrition and its profound impact on our planet, our land, and our water and other natural resources. mkevegexpo.com

May 7: NH Veg Fest, New Hampshire. Enjoy food samples, chat with vendors, join a drum circle, listen to speakers, and dance to live music. nhvegfest.com

May 7–8: NYC Vegetarian Food Festival; food samples, speakers, fun activities. nycvegfoodfest.com

May 7–8: New Orleans Veggie Fest; one of the most popular vegfests in the South. nolaveggiefest.com

May 9–15: Vegan Awareness Week, Asheville, North Carolina. The Mayor of Asheville, Esther Manheimer, has proclaimed this week Vegan Awareness Week in Asheville! The Asheville Vegan Society will host veg-related events around the city, featuring guest speakers, film screenings, book signings, and more fun happenings, ending with the Asheville Veg Fest on May 15. Check out the table for local PPN member organization Plant-Based WNC while you’re there! www.ashevillevegfest.com/vegan-week.php

FEATURED PLANTPURE RECIPE
From Kim Campbell

Mookies

I like to call our cookies “mookies” since they are a cross between a muffin and a cookie. These cookies have the fluff of a muffin and the taste of a cookie, hence the name "mookie." We love these healthy alternative cookies.

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Yields: Makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients
1 tablespoons flax meal
2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup applesauce
6 tablespoons plant based milk
1/4 cup sucanat
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix flax meal and water. Set aside until thickened.

Mix together the applesauce, plant-based milk, sucanat, and vanilla. When the flax meal and water have thickened, add this to the wet ingredients. Mix in the oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, raisins, chocolate chips, and walnuts. Mix well.

Drop cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. I always like to use a wet spoon to flatten the cookies slightly. This helps them spread out nicely, since oil-free cookies do not melt and flatten like traditional cookies. Bake for 10–12 minutes or until dry to the touch and slightly golden.

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.