eBites Summer 2014

Published by Vegetarian for Life, the advocacy and educational charity working on behalf of older vegetarians and vegans

A little of what you fancyCoffee and cake –can they be healthy?

Top tips for healthy bones

PLUS: Great newcompetition | Vegan,gluten-free and in care

Catering for oldervegetarians……made easy with our new guide

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WelcomeI’m delighted to introduce our new quarterly magazine, Vegetarianfor life eBites.

there are over 5,000 vegetarians in care homes throughout theuk – and around a quarter of care homes have vegetarian or veganresidents. Vfl is proud to represent them all. We’re committed toensuring that older vegetarians and vegans receive a nutritionallybalanced and enjoyable diet of their choice.

But being vegetarian or vegan can mean receiving a monotonousand unbalanced diet of omelettes and jacket potatoes with cheese.Add on food intolerances, and eating well can be even more of astruggle – as Gill Gibbs relays (page 4).

With a little thought and planning, vegetarians and vegansneedn’t create a lot of extra work. Our new catering guide (page 6)will help you make meals an enjoyable experience for vegetarian orvegan diners. Perhaps you’ll get a few tips to help in catering fornon-vegetarians too?

We’ve rounded up our top tips for healthy bones (page 8); andleslie Vandever weighs up the pros and cons of that cup of coffeeand bite of cake (page 3). last but not least, there’s the chance to winfantastic prize from Demuths Cookery school (below). Good luck!

I hope that you enjoy the issue

Amanda Woodvine, Editor

Vegetarian for Life is an advocacy andeducational charity working on behalf ofolder vegetarians and vegansthroughout the UK.

83 Ducie street, Manchester M1 2JQregistered Charity Number 1120687

Editor: Amanda Woodvineamanda@vegetarianforlife.org.ukDesign: the ethical Graphic DesignCompany ltd

© Vegetarian for Life 2014. All rightsreserved. No part of this magazine maybe used, reproduced or copied withoutwritten permission of the publisher.

CONTACT US submit articles and tell uswhat you’d like to read about.

Vfluk@Vfl_uk

T: 0161 445 8064 E: info@vegetarianforlife.org.ukW: www.vegetarianforlife.org.uk

DeMuths COOkery sChOOl is run by one of theuk’s leading vegetarian chefs, rachel Demuth, whoowned award-winning Demuths restaurant for 26years. It offers inspirational day and evening courses foreveryone – from beginners through to accomplishedhome cooks. Demuths Cookery school is based in thecentre of Bath in a wonderful Georgian building, with amodern purpose built kitchen, light and airy and withstunning views of Bath Abbey and Parade Gardens.

THE PRIZEFirst prize: A £45 DemuthsCookery school GiftVoucher for an eveningcourse or towards a daycookery course. Perfect fora friend, relative or colleague, or any special occasion.

Runner-up prize: Green seasonsCookbook (worth £18). rachel Demuth’sthird cookbook with 120 delicious andinspired recipes that change with theseasons from Demuths restaurant.

To enter, answer this question:In which city is Demuths Cookery school?A) york B) Bath C) Oxford

email info@vegetarianforlife.org.uk with your answerby midday on 31/07/2014.

TERMS AND CONDITIONSDemuths Cookery school Gift Vouchers are email vouchers deliveredby email. the £45 gift voucher can be used towards a course of agreater value. Prize does not include travel to the Cookery school. theprize must be taken by 31 July 2015. Closing date is 31 July 2014. thewinners will be drawn at random from all correct entries received.One entry per household only. there is no cash alternative. Byentering this competition, you agree to receive details of future offersfrom Vfl and Demuths. If you do not want to receive this information,include “no info” at the end of your email.

WIN!

In this issue…

3A LITTLE OFWHAT YOU

FANCY?Coffee and cake –can they be healthy?

4VEGAN,GLUTEN-FREE

AND IN CAREOne woman’s story

6CATERING FOROLDER

VEGETARIANSMade easy with ournew guide

8TOP TIPS FORHEALTHY

BONES

www.vegetarianforlife.org.uk 3

“CAffeINe Is the most commonlyconsumed psychoactive drug in theworld.” so states the harvard healthletter, a publication of harvardMedical school. And that moststimulating of chemicals is just oneof many in the world’s mostimbibed beverage: coffee. Watercomes in second.

the idea that coffee isn’t verygood for you has been around fordecades. until very recently, therumour was that coffee was one ofthe main instigators of a heapinghandful of illnesses and conditions,such as heart attacks, bladderinfections, and ulcers.

Naturally, it’s sensible to keep yourcoffee habit under control, since toomuch caffeine can cause problems.It’s often the culprit behindinsomnia, and too much can causean uncomfortable case of the jitters.People who suffer from anxiety mayfind caffeine makes it worse. Insome people, caffeine can causenausea or acid reflux. And in theshort term, it can be a cause of highblood pressure and even strokes.

But it turns out that if taken inmoderation – two to four 240mlcups per day, with or withoutcaffeine – coffee really isn’t harmfulfor most people. Indeed, studiesdone over the last several yearshave indicated that some of themany chemicals in a cup of coffeemay offer several notable benefits:

l a lower risk of diabetesl a lower risk of depression in

womenl a lower risk of lethal prostate

cancer in men

l a lower risk of stroke inboth genders

l a lower risk of heartattack*, particularly inwomen

l a lower risk of somecancers.

In addition, some studieshave hinted at coffee’s ability tolower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.Preliminary evidence shows thatcoffee may act against the beta-amyloid plaques that may cause it.

In most cultures around theworld, drinking coffee is atraditional social activity. It’spossible that people who drinkcoffee have better social networksand thus, a better quality of life –including better overall mental andphysical health. Isn’t meeting afriend for coffee and cake one oflife’s greatest pleasures?

speaking of cake: what aboutsugar? has its bad reputationchanged for the better, too?

unfortunately, it hasn’t. sugar isstill a real bugaboo – if anything,research shows it up to be a bigger,meaner bugaboo than ever. Whilethat single piece of cake you eatwith your cup of coffee isn’t harmfulby itself, too much sugar is. And it’severywhere. sugar, in the form ofhigh fructose corn syrup, sweetenssoft drinks, energy drinks and juices.It’s an added ingredient in a hugevariety of everyday processedfoods, and much of the time wedon’t know we’re eating it.

the body converts all that excesssugar into fat. If we’re active, mostof us are able to use up stored fat

as energy. But the fact is that mostof us are not very active at all. Weslowly get fatter as we age – and inthe process, we risk contractingillnesses like type 2 diabetes andcoronary heart disease.

the solution is to avoid eatingprocessed foods and drinkingsugar-laden beverages. Drink clean,fresh water. eat a healthy diet richin vegetables and fruits, pulses (alltypes of peas, beans and lentils),wholegrain breads, pastas andbrown rice, healthy fats such asrapeseed (vegetable) and olive oil,and low-fat dairy foods.

limit sweets, but enjoy anoccasional treat – like that lovelypiece of cake with your coffee.

For more information on a variety ofhealth topics visitwww.healthline.com.

*those who only rarely drinkcaffeinated coffee may be at more– not less – risk of heart attack.

Leslie Vandever is a professionaljournalist and freelance writer withmore than 25 years of experience.She lives in the foothills ofNorthern California.

references available upon request.

A little of whatyou fancy doesyou good?Leslie Vandever weighs up the pros and cons ofthat cup of coffee and bite of cake

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“My VeGetArIAN lIfestylebegan when I was in my 20s. Idivorced and decided I wanted anew way of life and new friends. I’dbeen interested in vegetarianism forsome time and I was aware thatthere was a big vegetarian socialgroup in Guildford that I could join.

“years ago during the schoolholidays I’d stayed on a farm withmy parents. What I witnessed onthe farm had always been in theback of my mind. so that was it, anew beginning.”

Gill, now 68, does voluntary workat a community centre and atvarious care homes.

Before she retired, Gill was anelectron Microscopist for 34 years atthe university of surrey. “I operatedand maintained an electron beammicroscope for all the departments.I showed PhD students how to useit for their work, I operated for feepaying external clients, and Iworked on my own projects in anyspare time. When I left I wasawarded an honorary degree for allthe work I had done. I was sopleased and proud.”

But despite such a positiveoutlook, life’s not been an easy ridefor Gill. “I have manyimmune/health problems, and anongoing genetic problem with myheart. I went through an earlymenopause and fell to bits, really. Ibecame intolerant of dairy productsand gluten. so I decided to follow avegan diet at the age of 48.”

Gill has stayed in hospital forvarious reasons, and operations. Andshe can see there could be problemsif eventually she should have tomove into care or sheltered housing.

“I feel certain I would end upmalnourished and hungry judging bythe care homes I visit around here.

“I once stayed in a hospital inlondon. they had one vegangluten-free meal available, but Isadly didn’t get to eat it because Icame out of the operating theatretoo late. All they had on the wardwas apples, oranges andsandwiches, and no soya milk formy breakfast cereal. I had warned inadvance about my diet butobviously the message did not getthrough. I’ve since learned toalways pack my bag with plenty ofbananas and crisps just to keep megoing. Bananas are hard to come byin hospitals.

“After this operation I had a setback and ended up in a differenthospital in surrey. there was aseparate vegan gluten-free menu,but just the same four meals tochoose from for lunch and dinner.After 5 days I was – sadly – sick of

them. I couldn’t get salad becausethis was not on my vegan gluten-free menu – although I did ask. Iexpect this was to do with foodpreparation contamination from themeat eaters’ menu. I am notseverely sensitive to gluten. I alsocould not have baked beans orcornflakes (barley malt in them). Ithink it is quite difficult for caterersto have some people who are verysensitive and others not so.

“My worst experience of being onthis diet is when I go into hospitalA&e. they tell me that they do notdo special diets and sometimesthey are very rude.

“Who catered for me well? I gotfriendly with a lady of 93 at thecommunity centre where Ivolunteer. she used to invite meround for dinner, and madedelicious curry, and desserts using

What’s it like to be vegan andgluten-free in a care setting?Gill Gibbs from Guildford, Surrey, tells her story

Gill (pictured, centre) running a stall to raise funds for Woking Hospice

www.vegetarianforlife.org.uk 5

gluten-free flour. And she alwaysbought soya cream for me to have.Amazing. It was such a treat for me.

“And I went into eastbournehospital in an emergency and theydid have soya milk for my breakfast.I only stayed overnight. I am keenon getting hospitals to cater betterbecause I often seem to be in one!

“I have already spoken with mylocal hospital about the food andthey seemed appreciative of myconstructivecomments.

“last month Iasked a local farmshop if they wouldsupport NationalVegetarian Weekand they agreed.they sellvegetarian items. Iset up a stall withleaflets, decoratedthe shop with coloured tissue pompoms (pictured), and hung upframed A4 photographs showingthe typical meals I eat. I weigharound 10 stones (62 kg) despiteeating all that food! It went quitewell and the cookery booklets wereparticularly popular.

“I also called in on three carehomes. I went in, smiled anddressed smartly, and asked for the

manager. I mentioned that I was inthe area looking for care homesthat couldcater for avegetarianor veganresident. Isaid I had aheartconditionand wasgetting

organised for my old age! At least itmade them laugh. two homessigned up to Vegetarian for life’s uklist as a result of my visit, agreeingto cater well and ethically for oldervegetarians.

“I am looking to the future andcampaigning for vegans to beaccepted and recognised. I am verykeen to talk to care homes, so Ihope that I succeed.”

Gill’s vegangluten-free mealsuggestions

BREAKFASTl Gluten-free toast – with baked

beans, fried mushrooms ortinned tomatoes.

l Fried smoked tofu withwaffles/hash browns.

l Vegan sausages with friedleftover potatoes.

LUNCHSalad with fruit mixed in, andlivened up with avocado,hummus, smoked tofu, tinnedbeans or curried brown rice andcashew nuts.

DINNERl Gluten-

free nutloaf withall the trimmingsand roast vegetables.

l Lentil casserole with dumplings.l Curried cauliflower with

chickpeas and Basmati rice.l Stir-fried Chinese vegetables

with tofu and rice noodles.l Broccoli and other veg with a

vegan ‘cheese’ sauce, bakedin the oven served with ajacket potato.

DESSERTl Stewed fruit, fresh fruit and

cereal with soya yoghurt.l Fruit crumble.l Vegan jelly.

SNACKSl Gluten-free

bread withmarmite,marmalade or peanut butter.

For more recipe suggestions andguidance, including a 4-weekvegetarian menu planner, pleasesee Vegetarian for Life’s newguide, Catering for oldervegetarians and vegans (detailson page 6).

I am looking to the future andcampaigning for vegans to be acceptedand recognised

Gill’s farm shop display to mark National Vegetarian Week

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Cater with flair

Vegetarian Society’sTangy Leek & Ginger SoupServes 4, Vegan

l 450g leeks (about 2 medium)l 25g vegan margarinel 2 small cloves garlic, peeled and crushedl 100g potato, peeled and dicedl 600ml light coloured vegetable stockl 5-7 tbsp ginger wine, according to tastel 6 tbsp soya creaml Salt and pepper to taste, paprika to garnish

1 remove any tough outer leaves from theleeks and top and tail. leave as much darkgreen as possible. Cut horizontally into thinslices, rinse well.2 Melt the margarine and gently sauté theleeks for 5 minutes until soft, then add thegarlic and sauté for a further 30 seconds.Add the potato and stock. Bring to the boilthen simmer for about 10 minutes.3 remove from the heat and add 4 tbspginger wine and the soya cream. liquidiseuntil smooth, adding more ginger wine andseasoning if needed at the end.4 return to the saucepan and gently heatwithout boiling, stirring all the time. servegarnished with a sprinkling of paprika.

Viva!’s Artichoke Heart, Butterbean & Olive Filo PieServes 20, VeganA creamy, rich pie with a distinctive, delicious taste.

1 Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºf/gas mark 6.2 heat a little olive oil and sauté the onion until tender.3 In a separate container, part-blend some of the butterbeans untilsmooth. Mash the rest with a hand blender – aim for some textureamongst the creamed beans.4 Add the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, salt and cayenne. Mix in well.5 Add the chopped artichoke hearts, olives and sundried tomatoes. Mix in gently. taste and add more lemonjuice/salt/pepper if necessary.6 Oil a large metal baking dish (about 35cm x 30cm and 3–4 cmdeep). line it with overlapping layers of filo sheets, oiling each layerwell. Make sure the sheets overhang the tray so they can be foldedback on top of the bake.7 spoon half the filling smoothly and evenly on top of the filo base.sprinkle with a little salt and black pepper. fold over some of the filolayers, add more oiled filo and repeat the process with the secondpart of the filling. finish the pie with more layers of oiled filo.8 Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until golden brown. remove from theoven. Allow to cool a little before slicing into portions.

l 3 large red onions, choppedfine plus a little olive oil

l 8 x 400g tins of butterbeans,rinsed and drained OR 1.9kgcooked beans

l 170ml olive oill 120ml lemon juicel 1 large bunch of flat leaf

parsley, finely choppedl 2 tsp salt plus a very light

sprinkling on each layer ofthe pie

l ½ tsp black pepper plus avery light sprinkling on eachlayer of the pie

l ½ tsp cayenne pepper

l 1kg frozen or tinned artichokehearts and/or bottoms,chopped into smallish chunks

l 300g black or mixed olives,chopped quite fine – enoughto enhance the flavours ofthe other ingredients withouttaking over

l 12 large sundried tomatoes,chopped very small withscissors

l Filo pastry – enough tocover base, middle layer andlid several times

l Olive oil or a mixture of oliveand plain oil for basting thefilo pastry

Catering for older vegetarians and vegans needn’t be a chore.We’re proud to present four colourful and mouth-wateringrecipes from our new catering guide, out now.

www.vegetarianforlife.org.uk/recipes

DownloadCatering for older

vegetarians and vegans atwww.vegetarianforlife.org.uk

/resources/publications orcontact us for a hard

copy (uk only)

www.vegetarianforlife.org.uk 7

Viva!’sStrawberry TartsServes 6, Vegan

1 Make the custard filling. Mix the flour and cornflour together,beating vigorously with a hand or electric whisk until creamy.2 Gently heat sugar and soya milk in a medium saucepan. Addcornflour/flour mixture and bring to boil, whisking thoroughly.3 Cook sauce for one minute, stirring continuously and then addvanilla essence. remove from heat, place in a bowl and set aside infridge or cool place.4 Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºf/gas mark 4. Grease your tin ortins using low-cal oil spray or a light coating of plain cooking oil.5 Make the pastry. In a medium-large bowl, cream the sugar andmargarine together until smooth. sieve the weighed flour over thebowl and mix in thoroughly.6 If using individual tartlet tins, divide the pastry into six pieces.Otherwise place all the pastry into one 23cm/9 – 10 inch loose-bottomed tart tin. roll it out between two sheets of greaseproofpaper if it is too sticky.7 Press the pastry in so that the bottom and sides are completely covered.8 Put the tartlet tins/whole tin in the oven and bake for 15 – 20minutes, or until a light golden brown.9 remove and allow to cool for a minute or two. Carefully removethe pastry case(s) from the tins and place on a rack.

Pastryl 110g/scant 4oz vegan

margarinel 125g/4½oz icing or caster

sugarl 125g/4½oz plain flour

Vanilla custard fillingl 65g/generous 2oz

caster sugarl 2 tbsp plain flourl 4 tbsp cornflourl 4 tbsp waterl 315ml/11floz soya milkl 2 tsp vanilla extractl 1 large punnet of strawberries

Meat Free Monday’sPotato SaladServes 4, Vegan

l 750g small potatoesl Bunch of spring onionsl 6 radishesl 6 cornichons (gherkins)l 1 tbsp capersl 2 tbsp wholegrain mustardl 1 tbsp white wine vinegarl 3 tbsp olive oill salt and freshly ground black pepperl 2 tbsp roughly chopped chivesl 2 tbsp freshly chopped flat leaf parsley

1 Cook potatoes in salted boiling water untiltender, drain and cool slightly, then cut intobite-size pieces and tip into a large bowl.trim and finely slice spring onions.2 Cut radishes into fine matchsticks.roughly chop cornichons and capers.3 In a small bowl whisk together mustard,white wine vinegar and olive oil, andseason with salt and freshly ground black pepper.4 Pour the dressing over the potatoes, addthe spring onions, radishes, cornichons,capers, chives and parsley and gently mixtogether. serve at roomtemperature.

the Meat Free Monday Cookbookby Paul, stella and Mary McCartneyis published by kyle Books, priced£19.99. thanks to kyle Books forpermission to reproduce theirPotato salad recipe.

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“Our ability tochew and digestcertain foods can

deteriorate with age. sovegetarian and veganfoods can really comeinto their own, being

easier to swallowand digest.”

FOLLOW GENERAL HEALTHYLIFESTYLE GUIDANCEPhysical exercise is the most criticalfactor for maintaining healthybones. Adults aged 65 and oldershould do 150 minutes every week.the best type for bone health isweight-bearing exercise: walking,stair climbing and dancing.

Of next importance is improvingyour diet and lifestyle. this meansplenty of fresh fruit and veg, lesscaffeine, and avoiding alcohol and smoking.

MAKE SURE YOU’RE GETTINGENOUGH VITAMIN DVitamin D is both a vitamin and ahormone. Older people need morebecause they’re less able to produceit, absorb it, and activate it. As wellas being essential for healthy bonesand muscles, it helps protect againstheart disease and cancers.

Vitamin D isn’t a true vitamin,because the skin forms it in thepresence of sunlight. you need tospend at least 15–20 minutes a dayoutside with exposed face andhands to give your skin chance tomake enough vitamin D. If you have

darker skin you’llneed to

spend longer in the sun to producethe same amount of vitamin D – butdo follow advice on keeping yourskin sun-safe.

you can also get the vitamin fromdietary sources such as egg yolk,fortified milk and soya milks, cerealsand margarines. Because vitamin Ddeficiency is so widespread, takinga daily vitamin D supplement (400to 800 Iu per day) can bean inexpensive and safeprecaution.

CHECK YOURCALCIUM INTAKECalcium and vitamin Dgo hand in hand forhealthy bones. Withoutvitamin D, your body mayabsorb less than 10% of the calciumin any food. Calcium can help highblood pressure and colorectalcancer, too.

recommended daily targets arehighest in the us, wherepostmenopausal women areadvised to get 1,200 mg of calciumper day.

you could get this by, for example,including all of the following in yourdaily diet: a quarter of a pack of tofu,a glass of fortified soya or cow’smilk, six dried figs, and two slices ofgranary bread spread with tahini. Oryou can get it from a combination ofdiet and supplements.

If you’re taking a supplement,avoid those with high levels ofphosphorus and magnesium.these can decrease calciumabsorption.

SUP A SUPPLEMENTAfter a trauma/operation, peoplewith fractures often have

something called protein-energymalnutrition. they get too littleprotein and energy – deficienciesthat tend to go hand-in-hand.

Diets that contain enough energy(calories) typically contain plenty ofprotein. so the real problem isusually the quantity, rather than thequality, of food eaten during thepost-operative period. there is

some evidence – albeit weak– that nutritional

supplements may help.researchers have

trialled increasingpeople’s energy andprotein intake after a

fracture. they have givennutritional shakes complete

with vitamins and minerals,such as Fortimel (given 2 x 200 mldaily for 7 days). Optimal hydrationis important, too.

Patients who have been treatedwith these measures have hadfewer post-operative complicationssuch as infections, delirium, andbed sores.

there has also been interest inincreasing patients’ antioxidantlevels. Antioxidants help the bodyrespond to damage from thetrauma – a ‘battle’ that lasts anentire year after fracture.

Antioxidants include vitamin eand the carotenoids. they arenaturally found in nuts, leafy greenvegetables, fruits, corn tortillas, andeven tortilla chips.

researchers measured the bloodantioxidant levels of 148 hip fracturepatients 2, 6 and 12 months afterthe trauma. Patients with higherlevels of antioxidants seemed toexperience a faster and morecomplete recovery.

Top tips for healthy bonesLike it or not, our bones get thinner, weaker, and more brittle as we age. Theprocess starts when our bones begin to lose minerals, aged 40 to 50. Thispredisposes older men and women to fractures, even after a minor blow. After theage of 50, half of women and one-fifth of men will suffer a fracture. Here are ourtips for preventing and speeding-up recovery from fractures.

thoseinterested in

further reading aroundthis topic may like Building

bones for life by Viva! health,which contains a one-weekmeal plan. Viva! health hasalso produced a 36-page

report with information oncurrent therapies for

osteoporosis.

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