Elaine and Michael Rush with David on the Auckland ferry to Waiheke Island.
David and I just got back from New Zealand where he was invited to give the keynote address at the “Food not Nutrients” symposium at the New Zealand Nutrition Foundation, directed by Dr Elaine Rush, Professor of Nutrition at Auckland University of technology. Elaine was also our hostess and now friend, along with her delightful husband Michael. David spoke about the need to shift our focus away from “nutrients” and more towards whole foods. He rallied us around the fact that the basic theme of eating for optimal human health is not a mystery – we are not clueless! “Eat food” means “Eat real food,” a whole variety — mostly plants — vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds but also fish & seafood, lean organic meat & poultry, if so inclined, and the nutrients sort themselves out. David warned us that if we focus on any one nutrient, it invites the food industry to invent a whole new way du jour of eating badly: low-carb junk, low-fat junk, gluten-free junk, no sugar junk….you get the idea! He rallied us to embrace what we already know about the optimal diet, the part that is common to all the variations you may prefer, be it for ethical reason, for the good of the environment and/or for personal taste. 
That is the beauty and power of it: There is variation on the theme, but let us aim for the common theme–our common ground of an optimal diet, so beautifully coined by Michael Pollan: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants”. David reasserted the consensus about the fundamentals of healthy living: being physically active, controlling our weight, getting enough sleep, mitigating our stress and creating strong social bonds. He summoned us to recognize that these, our common grounds, ARE the corner stones of good health and prevention of chronic disease. He reminded us that this short list of behavioral factors and diet could cut chronic disease by 80 %, an astounding statistic we have known for decades from a vast, diverse, global impressively unbiased and remarkably consistent literature.
Not exactly a glamorous picture of David and me after 20 some hours of traveling to the other end of the globe (they are 17 hours ahead of us!) but take a look at this wonderful spread of wholesome food Elaine and Michael had ready for us on their porch overlooking Palm Beach in Waiheke: Hummus, avocado, walnut crusted salmon (Elaine used my recipe, it was so thoughtful of her, I was so touched!), fresh peas right out of the shell, tomatoes, wholegrain bread, and lots fresh fruit: It was just PERFECT!
It is time we all agree about the fundamentals of healthy eating and stop bickering about the rest. It is high time we become immune to the fad diets and the nutrient wars du jour!
Sarah Hanrahan next to me and guest speaker Dr Lisa Te Morenga next to David at the New Zealand Nutrition Foundation Symposium
I was privileged to get a personal tour of some whole foods supermarkets in Auckland, with Sarah Hanrahan (2nd from left in the photo) dietitian and symposium organizer for the New Zealand Nutrition Foundation. Sarah is absolutely passionate about helping families to prepare healthy, affordable meals and is the project manager of the foundation’s fantastic interactive website ‘Just Cook’ which offers hands-on practical recipes for home-cooked meals that are inexpensive, quick and enjoyed by the whole family. She was such a dynamo and I couldn’t have gotten a better tour of those beautiful aisles filled with fresh local fruit and vegetables.
Afte
r the symposium, speakers and guests were invited to attend an 8-course degustation dinner (WOW!) at the Four Seasons, the University’s premier fine dining restaurant offering classic New Zealand cuisine in the heart of the city. The restaurant is staffed by students in training at the culinary school under the impeccable direction of Tim Bowater who planned a superb menu for us. This is also where I had the pleasure of meeting Niki Bezzant who is the founding editor of Healthy Food Guide magazine, which I LOVE! She is the author of two cookbooks – Eating In and The Beach House Cook Book and her creativity has me so inspired, I cannot wait to start cooking her recipes! You can be sure I will be sharing a lot of her delicious and nutritious recipes on Cuisinicity!
Niki Bezzant with David and me at the Four Seasons Restaurant
David on New Zealand national TV spreading the word!
We leave this beautiful land and our new friends, filled with memories to last for a lifetime! We will be back New Zealand! …until then, let us keep our promise to stay connected and jointly continue to spread the word of good food, good health and the years added to life and life added to years that healthy living can empower us all with!
your web page has so much of great food and things to make love to have more things to see and enjoy trying ,keep me up dated
Thank you Connie! I will! I got your e-mail and added your name to our subscribers so you’ll know it all from now on! Welcome to the table and Bon Appétit!
enjoy all your good food i seen on your web page like to see and here more about these and you
Thanks for this wonderful blog about your trip to New Zealand, including its reference information and web links, which keeps me cooking whole foods for kids no matter how busy life gets. Busy lives crave convenience often and that’s where the food industry gets me with its new and packaged ways “du jour of eating badly.”
I feel that the attention to the fundamentals has been my concern as a parent for at least 14 years. Linking and connecting these concepts to new mental models and images has provided me with plans to meet these ongoing and real health challenges. It has forced me to become creative (sneaky). My daughter would eat copious amounts of cheese constantly, if I allowed her. So, being stealth dad, I melted her favourite cheddar on a plate of steamed organic broccoli – and she ate it all, this morning. These are the challenges that force parents to enact North American realities differently, reshaping eating habits with viable alternatives. She also loves your Moroccan lentil and chickpea soup (now a staple food choice), particularly with the chopped fresh cilantro. The fresh cilantro is the real kicker with my kids: and so these new (not-so-obvious) paths are forging new habits that enact the fundamentals of healthy living, particularly around children.
The attention to fundamentals reminds me of this quote by Alexander Pope, in his “An Essay on Criticism:”
“True Wit is Nature to advantage dress’d
What oft was thought, but ne’er so well express’d;
Something whose truth convinced at sight we find,
That gives us back the image of our mind.”
Thank you so much for setting new paths to enact these fundamentals for healthy living (not so easy around kids) in daily life.
Thank YOU John! You are a very thoughtful person and devoted dad. I am happy I can help you even a little on your journey. I love the poem! Ihave been trying to reach you to let you know that you won the “stealth Dad” award and would love to send you a signed copy of David’s book, DISEASE PROOF.
Yahooooo, thanks so much Catherine!! It’s a huge honour for me to receive this award and to have it signed by Dr. Katz!
My Address is:
3530 2nd Avenue West
Vancouver British Columbia
Canada V6R 1J4
:>)
My pleasure! well deserved! i will put it in the mail tomorrow!
Would love you to come to Australia!
We would love to, Sash! I just discovered your website with your wonderful recipes! LOVE THEM!
Thanks Catherine, love your work, stay in touch x
Thank you Lynette for your kind words! I couldn’t agree with you more about New Zealand and its beautiful people!! We loved it there!
So glad you enjoyed New Zealand. It is a spectacular county. I was so enamored with their national pride in their airlines, their sailing team. It is nice to be in a place where they are so positive. Plus they are Non GMO so much ahead of us. I have allergies to egg, wheat and dairy at home, but in moderation I could about anything over there. Thanks for sharing your journey. It makes me miss NZ and could move there in a heartbeat. I do appreciate your recipes and the things you teach us!
Caroline, thank you so much! Your message is right on and we are absolutely united on this front! The more of us stick to this simple, straightforward message the more undeniable it will become and I am so thankful for that!
Catherine, welcome back! So glad you and David had a good time and a successful trip. Just wanted to let you know that as a clinical nutritionist, I use the byline of “wholesome foods in sensible combinations” all the time with clients. It is the perfect introduction to the idea of focusing on healthy meals made of real food and takes the focus off of individual nutrients. Your recipes also serve as wonderful examples of how food can be delicious, healthy, inexpensive and easy to prepare. Thanks for making my job easier and keep up the good work!
We are so pleased you enjoyed your time “down under”. Both you and David have inspired us to focus on the common ground and just get on with it. I think we have lots of opportunities and fun ahead of us…
We sure do Sarah! Let’s keep on fighting the good fight together!!