Celebrate the flavours of fall with this cozy whole-food, plant-based and gluten-free cooking class. Together we’ll prepare a seasonal menu featuring Harvest Squash & Pear Soup, Quinoa & Tofu Stuffed Peppers, Citrusy Kale Salad, and a comforting apple crisp dessert using nourishing, wholesome ingredients.
Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 6:00 – 9:00 PM, $110
North Saanich Middle School, 10400 McDonald Park Rd.
With the rise of GLP-1 medications, I’ve been interested in learning more about GLP-1 hormones and the role they naturally play in our bodies. I was excited to come across Let Your Body Do the Work by Anette Sams. Sams has a PhD, is a drug research specialist and is a former director at Novo Nordisk, the company behind Wegovy. Knowing this, I was prepared to read the book with a critical eye.
Sams doesn’t set out to promote GLP-1 medications, but neither does she suggest that people shouldn’t use them. Instead, her focus is on helping readers understand the body’s natural processes and the ways that food and lifestyle can support them. Throughout the book, she emphasizes that health isn’t black and white and that we each have a role to play in making choices about our own health.
This is a fairly short and easy-to-read book. There are some technical sections, but Sams does a good job of breaking down the information and explaining it in a way that is accessible to the general reader. The book also includes many illustrations, which I found particularly helpful as I am a visual learner.
Sams provides a helpful overview of the digestive system and the many processes involved in digestion, appetite, and metabolism before delving into GLP-1 and how it works in the body. She then explores how food and lifestyle can influence our natural GLP-1 response. Fibre, protein, healthy fats, physical activity, sleep and the gut microbiome all come into the discussion. I particularly appreciated the attention given to fibre and the gut microbiome. Rather than viewing GLP-1 solely through the lens of weight loss, Sams explains how this hormone is involved in appetite regulation, digestion and blood sugar control, giving readers a broader understanding of why GLP-1 has become such an important area of research.
I also particularly enjoyed the section on brown fat, or brown adipose tissue (BAT). I found this fascinating and appreciated learning about an aspect of metabolism that isn’t often discussed in mainstream nutrition conversations.
Many of the dietary principles Sams discusses will be familiar to anyone following a whole-food, plant-based approach: eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, legumes and other fibre-rich foods while emphasizing minimally processed foods. I found it interesting to see these familiar principles discussed through the lens of GLP-1 and appetite regulation.
Overall, I found Let Your Body Do the Work an interesting and informative read, and I appreciated the compassion and understanding that comes through in Sams’ writing. For anyone interested in learning more about GLP-1 and how our bodies regulate appetite and metabolism, this is an accessible place to start.
And I especially loved the final paragraph of the book:
“My wish for you is a long and healthy life with all the freedom to make your own choices. And lots of vegetables! Always lots of vegetables.”
Now that’s something I can cheer!
September is one of my favourite times of year for local produce, but it’s also when my kitchen starts to look a little bit like a preservation project! From bags of berries in the freezer to jars of pickles and batches of sauerkraut, I’ve been busy finding ways to make the most of this year’s harvest.
If you have more tomatoes, berries, apples or vegetables than you know what to do with, there are plenty of simple ways to preserve them for the months ahead. In this newsletter, I’m sharing some of my favourite ways to store the harvest, including freezing, canning, pickling, fermenting, drying and a few other easy options.
You don’t need to preserve everything or become an expert at canning. Even a few simple projects can help reduce food waste and let you enjoy local seasonal produce long after summer is over.
I have to admit that sauerkraut is one of those foods that can be an acquired taste. As a child, I remember the smell completely turning me off. I didn’t become a sauerkraut lover until I was struggling with gut issues and researching different things I could try. Sauerkraut kept coming up again and again but I still didn’t try it right away.
It wasn’t until a house guest left a jar in my fridge that I finally gave it a try. From then on, I was hooked. I started buying sauerkraut regularly, but it can be surprisingly expensive. When I realized that the most basic version contains nothing more than cabbage and salt, I decided to try making my own.
There was definitely a bit of a learning curve, and I often wished I had found Mouthwatering Sauerkraut: Master an Ancient Art of Preservation and Grow Your Own Probiotics sooner. This book is such a helpful resource and would have made my sauerkraut-learning journey much easier!
I love that the author begins by explaining the science behind fermentation, the benefits of fermenting foods, and some of the helpful tools you can use to get the job done safely. She also explains the different types of salt and which ones work best for sauerkraut. The book is filled with helpful photographs along the way, which is especially useful for those of us who are visual learners.
One of my favourite features is the handy two-page troubleshooting chart, which lists common problems, their possible causes, and prevention or solutions. I’ve occasionally ended up with slimy sauerkraut, and I now know that fermenting at warmer temperatures can be the culprit. The author also walks you through the entire process step by step in her Sauerkraut 101 section, making it much less intimidating for beginners.
A large portion of the book is devoted to recipes, and there are several I’m especially interested in trying, including her Christmas Sauerkraut. I was also pleased to see several recipes featuring dill, since dill is an absolute favourite of mine when it comes to sauerkraut.
In the latest edition of the book, 12 kimchi recipes have also been added. I was particularly happy to see a vegan version, as vegan kimchi can be surprisingly difficult to find.
Overall, this is a fantastic resource for both learning the art of fermentation and getting creative with sauerkraut. Whether you’re completely new to fermenting or already have some experience, there’s plenty of useful information here. If you’re interested in getting started with fermentation, I highly recommend checking out this book!
One of the things I love about whole-food, plant-based eating is that it doesn’t have to be complicated. And sometimes, the simplest place to start is at the grocery store.
I recently came across this great video from Tom Campbell, MD, presented by the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, called Shopping for a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet. If you’re interested in eating more whole, plant-based foods or you’re just looking for some practical grocery-shopping tips, I think it’s well worth watching.
One of the key messages in the video is wonderfully simple: the produce section should be the main place you shop.
Rather than spending most of your time navigating the endless aisles of packaged foods, Campbell encourages us to make fruits and vegetables the foundation of our grocery cart. From there, you can fill in with other whole plant foods such as beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, seeds and other minimally processed ingredients.
I also appreciate that this video isn’t about creating a long list of foods you can’t eat. Instead, it’s about learning how to navigate the grocery store in a way that makes healthy choices easier. Campbell offers practical tips for reading labels, choosing minimally processed foods and thinking about what you’re bringing into your home.
And there’s something to be said for changing the way we shop. If the majority of what ends up in your cart comes from the produce section, you’re already well on your way.
Whether you’re just getting started with plant-based eating or you’ve been doing it for years, this is a great reminder that healthy eating starts before you even get into the kitchen.
I’m always happy to come across a good resource that makes healthy eating feel a little more practical and this one is definitely worth sharing.
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) offers a complimentary Culinary Medicine Program designed to help people build the skills and confidence to prepare healthy, delicious food at home.
And it’s not just about recipes.
The program includes nearly 15 hours of video content covering everything from basic kitchen knowledge and cooking skills to whole grains, mindful eating and safe food handling. There are also handouts and plenty of recipes to try.
I especially like that the program focuses on moving toward a whole-food, plant-predominant way of eating while helping you learn how to find, prepare and actually enjoy nourishing food.
Why culinary skills matter
We can talk all day about eating more vegetables, whole grains, beans and other minimally processed foods. But knowing what to eat is only part of the equation. Knowing how to turn those foods into meals you actually want to eat is just as important.
That’s where culinary medicine comes in, bringing nutrition and cooking together and helping bridge the gap between knowing what’s good for us and actually getting it onto our plates.
As someone who teaches plant-based cooking classes, this is something I really believe in. Healthy eating doesn’t have to mean complicated recipes or hours in the kitchen. A few basic skills, some good ingredients and a little confidence can go a long way.
And when those skills are available for free, even better!
Explore the ACLM Culinary Medicine Program
Whether you’re an experienced home cook or just getting started, I think you’ll find something useful and maybe even a little inspiration for your next meal.
