Tag Archives: Trupp Cooking School

Prevention is Better than Cure

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By Dorota Trupp, Nutritionist

We live in an age in which the possibility of good health is as strong as it’s ever been. Never before have people been so educated and spoken so openly about what it takes to prevent illness and achieve optimal health. And yet, more people than ever are suffering from cancer. How can this be?

According to the American Cancer Society, cancer is the second leading cause of human death. Every year, nearly 8 million people worldwide die from various forms of the disease. It is estimated that by the year 2030, this number may rise to 22.2 million cancer deaths per year.1

We all live in fear of this disease and we have different ways to deal with it. I have to admit, that I was shocked by recent news of Angelina Jolie double mastectomy as a breast cancer prevention strategy. I am not here to judge her, but somehow this news didn’t sit well with me. I understand her fear and reasons of making such a decision but I learned from my own personal journey that there are many successful ways to prevent cancer and removing your organs in a prime of your life feels very extreme to me. I am worried that Angelina’s example may set many other woman to make such drastic decision, omitting gentle preventative ways. To balance this extreme news, let me tell you about my personal experience with cancer and share with you the lessons I learned from it.

Angelina Jolie

At the age of 14 I lost my father to bowel cancer. For as long as I could remember, prior to being diagnosed with this fatal disease, he had experienced ill health. Being a busy man, I imagine that he never found the time to fully understand the reasons for, or the solutions to, his symptoms – that he never thought about his health outside the square. I think that, like most of us, he trusted that the medicine he received would resolve all of his complaints, never realising that it takes so much more to establish and sustain good health. For instance, he smoked cigarettes up until the last day of his life. He never really changed any of his habits, giving up the bad ones for something better.

Medicine, both conventional and unconventional, can achieve great healing results. But what we often forget is that listening to our own bodies, taking responsibility for our own wellbeing long before a disease strikes, is at the heart of truly good health. I believe that if my father had understood that, he may have stood a good chance of living a healthier life and possibly preventing his death at a relatively early age from cancer.

Changing your lifestyle and long-term habits is very challenging, however, and not just when your sick. It is often just as difficult when you are healthy. But it is extremely important to do this if you want to maintain your wellbeing. You absolutely have to persist at adopting new ways of living and looking after yourself, even when you do not feel like it.

My father Janusz Leszek Pawlak

Changing habits was something I had to do myself to achieve better health. When I was younger, I suffered a lot of bad health. I was born 8 weeks premature and had a fragile immune system, which meant that I constantly endured infections and spent lots of time in bed and in hospital. I became overmedicated and sensitive to many foods, and I had no energy. I also had scoliosis, an abnormal curving of the spine which had caused me a great deal of back pain since my early childhood. In general, being sick was something  that was the norm for me, something that I took for granted.

I hit rock-bottom in my early 20s when I was fighting numerous gut issues and was told I had to have a suspicious lump removed from one of my breasts, as well as being diagnosed with precancerous changes in my cervix that also needed urgent surgery. It was my darkest moment. I was left thinking, why me? I already lost my father, whom I had loved dearly, and I did not understand why I had to suffer the same fate at an even younger age.

It may sound strange, but while my father never changed his lifestyle, in his career he was constantly adapting, which was one of the reasons I had looked up to him as a role model. He was always open to new enterprises and wasn’t shy about taking risks and trying different things to improve his business. This was something that also felt natural to me. And so, just as my father had shown great entrepreneurial spirit in his successful career, I similarly applied myself in an effort to regain my health. I decided to take control of my body. I said to myself, ‘Right, I will go and do whatever it takes to get myself healthy’.

Believe me, it was not an easy journey. I began by cooperating with medical doctors and natural medicine practitioners, and eventually my health got better. But the really significant changes happened when I began studying natural medicine. In doing so, I learned about and adopted many more healthy practices that have since helped me to strengthen my body and my mind.

I am now in my mid-30s – a happy, healthy mother and wife and a busy businesswoman. It seems I seldom have a reason to visit a medical doctor these days, but this has not meant that I have given up any of the healthy habits I have adopted to sustain my wellbeing. I am fully committed to maintaining my beneficial habits, whether I feel like it or not. I do it because I know that this gives me the greatest chance of avoiding my father’s fate. To me the greatest wealth is health. I worked hard to achieve it.

“The greatest wealth is health”. On the photo myself on one of our weekly de-stressing visits to the farm.

Here is a list of the habits that have helped me to overcome my illnesses and maintain good health, and which you will also find to be of great benefit:

-       Undertake regular cancer screening such as Pap smear tests and faecal occult blood tests (FOBT). These tests save lives.2

-       If you have any health-damaging addictions, such as cigarettes or alcohol, give them up right now. Cigarette smoking in particular is a major risk factor for cancer. 2 Giving up this habit alone can change your fate.

-       Don’t use indoor tanning beds (solariums).

-       I can’t stress enough how important good nutrition is. The World Cancer Research Fund estimates that about one-quarter to one-third of all cancers can be attributed to diet.2 So adopt a wholesome diet that includes all the major food groups and which involves home-prepared meals. This way you will avoid ingesting the many harmful food additives, trans fatty acids and sugars that processed and badly cooked foods contain. In other words, try to eat a diet that is as close as possible to what your grandparents ate – I promote such a diet in the Trupps’ Wholefood Kitchen cookbook. There are many inexpensive plant based foods that have proven anti-cancerigenic properties. You can easily include these daily in your salads, or vegetable juices.

-       Do some sport at least three times a week, though preferably daily, to maintain physical fitness.

-       Keep up a positive mindset by listening to positive-thinking CDs, reading encouraging literature and surrounding yourself with positive people.

-       Let go of any hurtful, difficult or painful personal relationships, and don’t let yourself get stuck in a job that causes you great worry. If you remain in a highly stressful situation for a long period of time, this will greatly impair your health.

-       Get enough rest. About 8 hours of sleep a night allows your body to regenerate and re-energise.

-       Use nutritional supplements to provide extra nutrients.

-       Drink only filtered water.

-       Include fermented, probiotic-rich foods in your diet to maintain a beneficial intestinal flora balance. This will dramatically improve your digestive health.

-       Don’t shy away from visiting chiropractors, masseurs, acupuncturists, naturopaths, nutritionists and other alternative medicine therapists when you feel there is a need to restore balance in your body.

-       Do sporadic practitioner-guided detoxification diets that help to rejuvenate your liver, which is a master detoxification organ. When your liver works optimally, your overall health is better.

-       Replace the mercury amalgams of old-fashioned tooth fillings with the new, non-toxic dental materials.

-       Avoid toxic chemicals in personal body care and plastics. Switch to brands that promote natural ingredients.

-       Have daily cold showers and skin brushing to stimulate blood circulation and detoxification. You can apply these after your regular warm/hot shower.

-       Maintain a healthy bodyweight through diet and exercise.

-       Set yourself regular goals to achieve. Write them down and then put them where they are always visible. These goals should include: ‘Achieve excellent health!’

-       Keep educating yourself in regards to body care and always strive to try new ways of sustaining your health.

-       If it happens that you are diagnosed with cancer, refuse to be a victim. Withdraw from everything that causes great stress in your life and focus solely on your healing. Take responsibility for how you feel, seek help, and change your habits.

Some of the impressive cancer researchers I come across, that you may find interesting to know of:

Dr Burzynski Clinic

Dr Gonzalez

Gerson Institute 

Be well!

My beautiful family: Walter and Sol Trupp.

References

1 American Cancer Society (2013), Rising global cancer epidemic, http://www.cancer.org/research/infographics/rising-global-cancer-epidemic

2 American Cancer Society (2013), Cancer prevention and early detection – facts and figures, http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@epidemiologysurveilance/documents/document/acspc-037535.pdf

Energise and Alkalise Your Body

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By Dorota Trupp, Nutritionist

Hello. I hope you’re all having a great week. Here is a little energiser that I thought you would all appreciate!.

Alkaline Avocado Power Shake

 

Alkaline Avocado Power – Shake

Ingredients:
1 cucumber
2 tomatoes
1 avocado
1 handful spinach leaves
1 lime
½ red capsicums
250ml vegetable stock
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil

Method:
Wash all of the ingredients thoroughly and then chop the cucumber, tomato, pepper and avocado roughly. Place with the avocado in the blender and mix into a paste.

This recipe comes from our ‘Energise and Alkalise Your Body’ cooking course, in which we discuss the pros and cons of an alkalising diet. For those of you who have found themselves wondering what this fashionable diet is all about, here’s a brief explanation.

The alkalising diet is based on the belief that certain foods, when consumed, leave an alkaline residue, or ‘ash’, in the body. Elements such as calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc are said to be the principal components of this ash, which helps to maintain your alkaline–acid balance. This is important because eating too many acid-producing foods can affect your body’s ability to fix damaged cells and absorb nutrients, as well as your overall energy levels. The general rule is that your diet should comprise 70–80 per cent alkaline foods and 20–30 per cent acidic foods.

The alkalising diet is perfect for those people who want a gentle clean-out of their body to help them regain energy and lose weight. Some proclaim that the alkalising diet also can cure or prevent many illnesses and physical complaints, including allergies, osteoporosis, even cancer. The proponents of the alkalising diet include Robert O. Young, Edgar Cayce, D.C. Jarvis and Herman Aihara. A similar diet called the Hay diet was developed by the American physician William Howard Hay in the 1920s.

In general, the alkalising diet involves eating certain fresh citrus and other low-sugar fruits, vegetables, tubers, nuts and some grains and legumes. It also involves restricting dairy, meat, sugar, alcohol, caffeine and fungi intake.

Have I tried this diet? Yes, I have. I have applied it over the course of six weeks and it helped me to lose some weight. I haven’t lasted on it longer since it is not a diet that agrees with my constitution – namely yin, a ‘cold and deficient’ type of constitution that uses food to get warmed up. But I can see it working for longer periods for those who have the opposite constitution to mine – yang, a ‘hot’ type of constitution that uses food to chill down and usually leans towards a mainly plant-based (vegetarian) diet.

Who shouldn’t consider the diet at all? Prospective parents and nursing mothers – those require “building” type of the diet that would be higher in animal sourced protein, fats and dairy.

Energise and Alkalise Your Body Cooking Class

Latest Gossip @ Trupp Cooking School

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It was wonderful to see Marco Pierre White while he was in Melbourne shooting MasterChef: The Professionals.

Walter was head chef of Marco’s restaurant group back in London, and seeing him brought back some great memories!

In fact, this was when we first met each other, while working together at Marco’s The Criterion Restaurant in London, Piccadilly back in 2001.

Marco Pierre White, Dorota & Walter Trupp

We also had the pleasure of seeing Matt Preston. We first met Matt 10 years ago, just after arriving in Melbourne. Back then, Walter was head chef at Langton’s Restaurant and Matt was a food critic who judged Walter’s creations! We are so happy to see him achieve success, hosting such a prestigious and popular TV show!

Dorota Trupp, Walter Trupp and Matt Preston

You can tell we had lots of fun at MasterChef : The Professionals TV Studio!

MasterChef Kitchen

How to make Probiotic Foods

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‘Heal your gut with the lost art of fermentation & probiotic foods’ cooking course on the recent set of HealthTALKS TV show.

By Walter & Dorota Trupp

A few weeks ago, Trupp Cooking School had the great pleasure of working with the inspiring team from HealthTALKS, a Melbourne-based TV show that delivers holistic health information that you just won’t find anywhere else. With their help, we recorded a segment in which we share some exciting information about probiotics and fermented foods, and we present it here for you. Many thanks to the HealthTALKS crew for this wonderful opportunity to tell you about the key ideas from one of our bestselling classes. Enjoy it!

This new video follows up the Dorota Trupp video interview with Dr Natalie Kringoudis and Melissa Ambrosini which we posted a few weeks ago, accompanied by a blog post that made you aware of how important it is to keep your gut in shape, and explained how you can easily accomplish this by introducing fermented foods into your diet. You can check that out here.

In addition to this, Walter Trupp, who is one of the top fine-dining chefs in the industry, as well as an in-demand cooking teacher, has put his extensive knowledge to work in the following post to show you just how easy it is to prepare delicious probiotic drinks. (For an in-depth lesson in the preparation of fermented foods, enrol yourself in Trupp Cooking School’s renowned Heal your gut with the lost art of fermentation & probiotic foods course.)

Milk kefir

Milk Kefir

To source a key ingredient for this drink online, google “milk kefir grains”. Alternatively, your local chemist may be able to source it for you. You’ll also need raw milk, which is often disguised as bath milk in health food stores and fresh food markets; if you can’t find any, use non-homogenised full-fat cow’s milk or goat’s milk. (You may try Margaret Blackney 03 5282 1831 or 0425 711 601 at margblack@optusnet.com.au) 

Combine the kefir grains and the milk in a ceramic or glass jar and let the uncovered mixture sit for about 24 hours at room temperature – during summer, it may only need to sit for 12 hours, while in winter, it may have to sit for up to 48 hours. This fermentation process encourages bacteria that will ensure that, even though the liquid is unrefrigerated, it is very safe to drink and will not make you sick. Actually, the opposite will take a place. Its a very healthy drink.

After fermentation, separate the bacteria from the kefir and store it within fresh milk in the fridge until you need it again. Refrigeration will slow the fermentation process down, allowing the bacteria to last for several weeks.

Kombucha – fermented tea

Kambucha Tea (right) and Water Kefir (left)Obtain SCOBY, which stands for symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast. Again, you can do an online search or ask your local chemist for help.

Brew any kind of tea (except peppermint or Earl Grey) and add brown sugar until it tastes really sweet; do not use honey. Pour the tea into a ceramic or glass jar, allow it to cool, and then add the bacteria. Now let it sit and ferment for two weeks until it is no longer so sweet. Kombucha is sugar-free because this substance will disappear during the fermentation process, so this is how you can tell when it’s ready.

Water kefir

Water Kefir

Obtain water kefir crystals online or with the help of your local chemist. In a ceramic or glass jar, combine them with filtered water, half a sterilised eggshell (this will feed the bacteria the necessary minerals), brown sugar, a little baking soda and, for flavour, sliced lemon or dried fruit. Let the mixture ferment for between 24 and 36 hours.

Probiotics and Fermented Foods

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‘Heal your gut with the lost art of fermentation & probiotic foods’ cooking course on the recent set of HealthTALKS TV show.

By Dorota Trupp, Nutritionist

Probiotic foods are fermented foods. They are rich in what are commonly called probiotic bacteria, which appear to have a very beneficial effect on our digestive tracts.

We each carry anywhere from 1.5– 3 litres of bacteria in our guts, which act as a protective barrier between the food we ingest and the intestinal wall. In fact, every centimetre of our intestines has a thick bacterial lining. The importance of this lining has been revealed by studies in which an animal’s gut has been sterilised (the bacteria destroyed), with fatal consequences.

According to Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride, who specialises in the nutritional treatment of disease, particularly in relation to the gut, our bacterial bands counter invasive, pathogenic microorganisms by producing antibiotic-like substances that have antifungal and antiviral characteristics. In addition, by producing organic acids, the beneficial bacteria reduce the alkalinity of the gut. This creates an uncomfortably acidic environment for the ‘bad’ microbes, which severely limits their growth and activity.

Our healthy indigenous bacteria also have the ability to neutralise many harmful chemicals and chelate heavy metals. The walls of their cells absorb many carcinogens, which are the basis of all cancer formation.

Probiotic foods have been consumed by humans for almost as long as we’ve existed. This is because fermentation is one of the simplest ways of preserving food. But with the invention of the icebox and the fridge, the need for fermentation tailed off. This is unfortunate, because when we look at the composition of the beneficial bacteria that we carry in out guts, we discover that it matches the composition of many strains of fermented foods. In other words, fermented foods supply us with a key element of our health.

This is very important considering how easily our gut bacteria can be depleted. Antibiotics, stress, too much sugar, environmental toxins and a diet high in processed foods all have a negative impact on the beneficial bacteria in our guts, essentially killing them off. When this happens – let’s say because of a course of antibiotics – then there is an opportunity for pathogenic flora to develop and take charge in our digestive tracts; this is what happens, for example, in people who experience candida overgrowth. If the health-protecting gut flora isn’t quickly re-established, any number of digestive problems will arise, as well as nutritional deficiencies, food intolerances and even immune system disorders. This is where probiotics-rich fermented foods come in, helping to restore the bacterial balance in the gut.

When you purchase fermented food, remember to check the label to make sure it hasn’t been pasteurised – only buy unpasteurised products.

If you want to ensure a healthy gut, you should consider adding fermented foods to your diet. Among the many benefits of fermented foods is the fact that they are high in probiotics, or ‘good bacteria’, which can dramatically improve the state of your digestive system.

The best way to begin eating fermented foods is slowly – one spoonful of your preferred probiotic-rich food is enough to begin with. You can then gradually increase the amount you consume, so the next day you could have two spoonfuls, the following day three spoonfuls, and so on. In terms of probiotic drinks, such as kefir (fermented cow’s milk) and the tea-based kombucha, one to three cups a day will be sufficient to keep your body nourished with beneficial bacteria.

You need to take it slowly when you first try fermented foodstuffs because they are detoxifiers. Probiotics cause the ‘bad bacteria’ in your gut to break up and release their toxins into your bloodstream, which is known as a ‘die-off reaction’. The reason for gradually increasing how many probiotics you eat is to limit the amount of these toxins inside you and make it easier for your body to flush them out. The die-off reaction is why you may initially experience an unpleasant reaction to fermented foods. If this happens to you, just remember that this is a normal response to probiotics and is easily managed.

If you are thinking of purchasing raw fermented foods, you should know that it is illegal for retailers to sell these in Australia. So be prepared to be disappointed when you learn that the beautiful organic sauerkraut you just bought from your local health food store had to be pasteurised before being sold. Pasteurisation, of course, kills off all the probiotics, which means that the only way to get a good dose of good bacteria is to ferment food and drink yourself.

You may be discouraged upon hearing this, but it’s really not that difficult. You just need to familiarise yourself with the proper preparation methods and how the end product should look and taste. Fortunately, at Trupp Cooking School, we can guide you in making various fermented drinks and foods. We can also help you develop a specific dietary plan that will speed your recovery from digestive issues. For more information, check out the details of our bestselling ‘Heal your gut with the lost art of fermentation & probiotic foods’ cooking course on our calendar.

Look up the photo gallery from the previous sessions to see how much fun everyone had.

On the photo: Walter Trupp holding our home grown Kambucha Scoby. It has been with Trupp family for over 25 years!

Another option if you have a gut bacteria imbalance, which may involve symptoms of bloating, indigestion, uncomfortable bowel movements, and food allergies and/or intolerances, is to use a probiotic supplement. Give the conventional brands a miss, as their products are typically designed for people who have generally healthy digestive tracts. Instead, get the stronger, practitioner-brand probiotic supplements. These supplements are manufactured according to strict industry guidelines using powerful, condensed strains of various probiotic bacteria – exactly what you need in order to quickly and efficiently populate your compromised digestive tract with good bacteria. To get the best value for money, avoid chemists and supermarkets and check out the over-the-counter practitioner supplements sold in health food stores. They are usually pricy but are well worth the money – the knowledgeable sales assistants at dedicated health food stores can help you identify the authentic products.

Finally, a note on autism. 

Recent research has revealed that autistic children typically display a history of digestive issues, such as gastrointestinal tract inflammation, alongside their autistic symptoms and developmental delays. However, treatment that would ease digestive problems in these children is not always provided in the course of conventional autism therapies. This is extremely regrettable because resolving an autistic child’s digestive issues will likely improve their brain development and overall health. There have been countless documented cases around the world of families who have addressed the symptoms of autism through early implementation of biochemical treatment: a combination of a specific diet, nutritional supplements and, most importantly, probiotics such as those found in fermented foods. The probiotic foods are particularly important as they help to balance gut bacteria, which seems to be a major health problem in autistic children.

In fact, research suggests that the development of healthy gut flora and a strong digestive tract, together with a strong immune system, may prevent the onset of autism, which can develop at any time in the first three years of life. Why is this so? The digestive tract of a developing infant is supposed to be a source of nourishment. But when the child’s gut flora has not properly developed, or if the gut lining has been damaged by bad bacteria, the digestive tract becomes a major source of toxicity and malnutrition. A child can become deficient in key nutrients such as iron, zinc and B-group vitamins, which can impede brain development and together with the toxicity that comes from pathogenic bacteria activity it may result in an autistic condition.

Optimise your digestive health BEFORE you plan your family. On the photo Dorota Trupp 8 months pregnant with Sol

So here are some tips for those who are contemplating parenthood and for parents of young children:

– Prospective mothers: get yourselves screened for any digestive problems and heal your gut, preferably before you get pregnant. Mothers pass their gut bacterial composition to their children through the birth process and breastfeeding. Make sure you have a healthy bacterial composition to pass on.

– Mothers: breastfeed for as long as you can, as breast milk has been shown to protect infants against gut flora imbalances

– Include fermented foods in your family’s diet and if necessary use good-quality probiotic supplements

– Be wary of giving antibiotic treatments or vaccinations to children who have digestive issues, eczema and/or low immunity

– Test your child’s intestinal flora composition and, if necessary, fix any digestive issues asap using probiotics and a diet.

- Wach your child’s diet. Research suggests that excessive sugars in the diet contribute to increased propionic acid (a substance of trouble found in excess in autistic children) and gut problems in general.

For more information please contact me at trupp@bigpond.com

Is it time for a spring clean?

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By Dorota Trupp, Nutritionist

The Trupp family turned the clock back a few years ago by deciding to ignore almost all of the food innovations of the past few decades. So what do we eat? We eat home-prepared wholefoods, like those gorgeous foods from recent Trupp Cooking School classes that you see on our Facebook page.

Now you may be thinking, ‘Oh my goodness!! All those rich foods! You are using tons of BUTTER and you eat these animal meats. How is that making you healthy?’ This is the standard nutrition message that the mainstream media and even dietitians constantly bombard us with – we must cut saturated fats from our diet and minimise our intake of all animal products. ‘Have margarine instead of butter.’ ‘Use vegetable oils instead of saturated fats.’ ‘Eat low-fat yoghurts.’ ‘Don’t forget to eat plenty of fibre from grains, veggies and fruits.’ ‘And yes, have lots of soy, corn and whatever else the food industry mass produces at the moment. But don’t have too much meat – it will kill you!’

Well, most of this couldn’t be further from the truth. Those who are concerned about fat intake and animal-sourced foods should heed the advice of the Weston A. Price Foundation, a non-profit, nutrition-education organisation. You can get accurate information about the role of fats in your diet here. And here you’ll discover why the Trupps are not afraid to eat meat.

An idea we do subscribe to is that plant-based foods carry enormous health benefits. So of course we strive to eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. However, we share the conviction of the Weston A. Price Foundation (visit their website here) that adopting a strict vegetarian, or vegan lifestyle is nutritionally the wrong thing to do. Observation of traditional cultures has revealed that purely plant-based diets are not designed to fully sustain an individual’s health over many years and specifically it didn’t sustain maintenance of good health over generations. Rather, such diets are used specifically to purify the body. This is where the spring cleaning connection comes in.

When springtime comes around, flowers blossom, the grass gets green again, and the warmth of the sun reintroduces some much-needed happiness and energy into our lives. Inspired by this, our family cleans out our house and garden. But we don’t stop there – it feels like the natural thing to do to clean out ourselves as well! We detoxify and alkalinise our bodies using a plant-based diet, which also helps us lose that extra weight we put on over winter. Veggies and some fruits are just fantastic when it comes to this!

In fact, this is what we have been doing over the past week. Basically we have juiced a lot of vegetables and eaten only plant-based wholefoods. We teach people how to undertake such a diet step-by-step in a couple of our cooking courses. Alternatively, you can also learn how to do it with a few hours of diligent research! For a few hints on how to go about it, check out a previous blog post on this topic here.

So, what have been the results of our spring cleaning? Oh yes, we have shed those extra few kilos, and we have surely lost many of the toxins that were trapped in our fat cells. But, most importantly, we have regained abundant energy, clarity of mind and a positive attitude to life! We highly recommend that you, too, enjoy the feeling of rejuvenation and positive energy that comes as a result of adding that extra cleansing ritual to your lifestyle.

Our particular detoxification plan is available in our cookbook, or you can learn it directly and in detail from us, next available course you’ll find here.

The Coconut Goodness

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By Dorota Trupp, Nutritionist

The coconut is a highly nutritious food, rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals. Furthermore, it is classified as a ‘functional food’ because it provides many health benefits beyond its nutritional value.

Coconut oil has been described as ‘the healthiest oil on earth’. What makes it so good? Well, nearly 50 per cent of the fat in coconut oil is of a type called lauric acid, which is rarely found in nature, though it does appear in breast milk. Lauric acid is regarded as a ‘miracle’ compound because of its unique health-promoting attributes, which include anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoal properties when the substance is converted into monolaurin by our bodies.

Coconut oil is also nature’s richest source of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which are also called medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). MCFA/MCTs help lower the risk of both atherosclerosis and heart disease. They also boost your metabolism and help your body to use fat for energy, as opposed to storing it, so they can actually help you become leaner. That means coconut oil is beneficial to anyone who wants to undergo weight loss. This oil also has a positive effect on your skin when applied topically, as it has been found to have anti-ageing, regenerative effects. Indeed, it is for this reason that coconut oil is widely used in the cosmetics industry.

Coconut oil is extremely heat-stable, which makes it well-suited to cooking at high temperatures – this is why it is our number-one cooking oil at Trupp Cooking School. Because of its stability, it is also slow to oxidise and so is resistant to rancidity, lasting up to two years owing to its high saturated-fat content.

And let’s not forget coconut milk, which makes a wonderful replacement ingredient for people who are dairy intolerant. It works well in baking and tastes good when added to tea or coffee.

How to Open a Coconut?

Ingredients 
1 young coconut, husk removed

Equipment
Small knife
Cleaver or chef’s knife
Blender
Ice Cream Scoop (or stiff spatula)

Instructions:

Trim Away the Outer Skin 

Start by trimming away the soft skin from the top of the coconut with a sharp knife to expose the hard shell. The shell of the coconut is round, and you want to fully expose that hard, rounded dome on top of the coconut.

Open the Top of the Coconut 

Holding the coconut firmly, use a cleaver or chef’s knife to whack into the dome. Turn the coconut and repeat whacking until you have cracked the shell around all edges. You should be able to now peel or pull of the top of the shell.

Pour Out the Coconut Water

The coconut water from inside the coconut can be drunk on its own, used in baking, or blended into smoothies.

Scoop Out the Soft Coconut Flesh

Using an ice cream scoop or stiff spatula, scoop all the soft coconut flesh from inside the coconut. This can be eaten by on its own, used in baking, or blended into smoothies.

References 

Kaunitz H, Dayrit CS. Coconut oil consumption and coronary heart disease. Philippine Journal of Internal Medicine, 1992;30:165-171

St-Onge MP, Jones PJ. Greater rise in fat oxidation with medium-chain triglyceride consumption relative to long-chain triglyceride is associated with lower initial body weight and greater loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue, International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders, 2003 Dec;27(12):1565-71. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12975635

Can Dirt Be Beneficial? Building Childs Immune System

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By Dorota Trupp, Nutritionist

Not many parents are aware that the exposure of their children to non-pathogenic microorganisms at an early age leads to a more-developed immune system. This is because the immune system needs to be exercised in order to fully develop and become strong enough to resist illness and disease. This explains why children who have grown up with pets or on farms, or who otherwise have been exposed to certain bacteria when very young, show stronger immune systems and are less likely to develop severe allergies.

A recent study on childhood microbial exposure strongly supported this idea. It was found that early-life contact with bacteria can help prevent certain diseases of the immune system, such as asthma and ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease. Such exposure has a positive effect on natural killer T (NKT) cells, which greatly strengthen our immune systems.

So, as parents living in modern cities, what can we do to increase our children’s exposure to what can be thought of as ‘good dirt’?

Here are some suggestions:

  • Take your children outdoors every day.
  • If you have access to a farm, count yourself lucky and take your children there frequently.
  • Allow your children to play in sandboxes, grass, earth, even mud.
  • Increase their intake of fermented foods (these are rich in probiotic bacteria) such as yoghurt, home-made sauerkraut, pickles of any kind, kombucha tea, and water or coconut kefir (fermented drinks).
  • Let your children mix freely with other kids in playgroups and at public events.
  • Limit the use of antibacterial cleaning agents in your household.
  • Keep pets at home.

Sauerkraut is a fermented white or red cabbage, commonly consumed in Germany, Poland and Eastern Europe. Its a wonderful healing remedy for the digestive tract full of digestive enzymes, probiotic bacteria, vitamins and minerals.

Recipe: 

Slice thinly a medium-size white cabbage and add two shredded carrots.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of salt

Knead the mixture into a suitable glass bowl, pressing it firmly so there is no air trapped into the cabbage is drowned in its own juice.

Fermentation is an anaerobic process: if the cabbage is exposed to air, it will root instead of fermenting.

Place a plate on the top of the cabbage, which is about 1 cm smaller in diameter than bowl. The gap will allow the fermentation gases to escape.

On the top of the plate place something heavy enough to keep cabbage constantly submerged in its juice.

Cover the whole thing with kitchen towel to keep it in the dark.

It should take 5-7 days inside the house for the sauerkraut to be ready, it will take 2 weeks in cooler place.

To learn the art of fermentation and preparation of many more probiotic bacteria rich foods, book into our cooking course HERE

Everything You Need to Know about Prawns

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By Walter Trupp, Chef

The history of the prawn as a food source is an interesting but short one, as it was not a big part of the human diet until the 1950s, when the discovery of deep-water prawns in the Gulf of Mexico had a dramatic impact on the world of cooking. Before this, only the smaller cold-water prawns of the north Atlantic had been fished, mainly around Greenland and Scandinavia.

Today, approximately 30 different species of prawn are commercially fished. The largest, best-quality crustaceans are found in the coldest waters of the Pacific and the south Atlantic, down to a depth of about 800 metres. With their sweet, nutty flavour, they can attract higher prices than lobsters. The variety most commonly offered in Australia is the black tiger prawn, which is both caught in the wild and farmed. King prawns and leader prawns are the most expensive wild varieties, while banana, endeavour, red spot king and red tail prawns are generally cheaper.

Prawns are reproduction machines, with females producing up to 80,000 eggs yielding 3000 baby prawns at one time. The youngsters grow quickly and moult their shells at the monthly full moon, and some of these offspring reach a length of 35 centimetres. Because prawns reproduce so strongly, they do not fall into the category of unsustainable seafood, although the methods used to catch them result in huge amounts of by-catch (refers to the animals that are ‘mistakenly’ caught in nets along with the targeted species). Some commercial fishing operations use specialised nets known as turtle excluder devices, which allow these marine creatures to escape—if this is the case, it will be stated on the packaging of frozen prawns. Promisingly, a new type of net is being trialled in Spencer Gulf off South Australia that apparently results in no by-catch at all.

Farmed versus wild prawns

My opinion is that you should only eat wild, sustainably fished prawns, and here are some reasons why.

A few years ago, there was a ban in Australia on the importation of farmed prawns, which are bred in enormous water tanks here and in the Americas, as well as in the rice fields of tropical Asian countries. This was because they were said to be one of the most chemically polluted foods you can eat. The irony of this story is that acceptable Australian-farmed prawns that had been sent to Asia for processing (peeling etc.) were then not allowed back into the country, which makes you wonder why they weren’t just banned as well to begin with.

At the time, I came to know a local quarantine officer and I asked him to explain the ban. He told me that highly toxic chemicals such as antifungal/antifoaming agents were being used by cheaply run prawn farms to stop the tanks or rice fields from foaming up, which is what happens when prawns are forced to live in extremely cramped conditions. The quarantine officer also mentioned the use of sodium metabisulphite (or E223) to prevent the oxidisation and discolouration of the prawn shells. According to Asthma Australia, this agent is one of the most common chemical triggers for asthma, and has also been linked to cases of dermatitis and hay fever. Another preservative that can legally be added to prawns is 4-hexylresorcinol (E586), which is suspected of causing bowel irritation and harming organs such as the heart and liver.

All prawns contain at least one of the aforementioned preservatives, so I suggest that you always wash green (uncooked) prawns thoroughly under running water before peeling and cooking them, to get rid of any chemicals. I also suggest that, before buying uncooked prawns, rub some of them softly between your fingers—if they feel soapy (just imagine having some soap on your fingers), then they are covered with preservatives. Cooked prawns, on the other hand, often contain few or even no preservatives; I talk more about precooked prawns a little later on.

Getting back to the ban, importers quickly found a loophole they could exploit. The ban did not apply to marinated prawns, so companies simply added a bit of garlic, vegetable oil etc. to their product and so managed to get around the regulation. The whole thing quickly turned into a farce, with consumers never being told exactly what had happened.

Another reason why farmed prawns can be considered one of the dirtiest foods we eat is that the creatures are fed foodstuffs made mostly from fish and soy flours, similar to what is given to poultry and farmed fish. Some prawn farms also use large quantities of antibiotics, hormones and other chemicals such as food colouring—added to cooked prawns to give them a natural-looking bright red colour—which in many cases have serious adverse effects on local waterways, not to mention the prawns themselves. And because these farms are often located around agricultural operations, the prawns can be exposed to chemical run-off, which leads to the accumulation of heavy metals in their bodies.

This does not mean that all prawn farms are horrible, nor can it be said that farmed prawns from any particular country are worse (or better) than those that come from another country. It really comes down to the individual grower—Crystal Bay prawns based outside Port Douglas in Queensland, for example, grow a premium and clean product.

Buying and defrosting prawns

So how can you tell the difference between wild and farmed prawns? Firstly, there will be a huge price difference, as wild prawns often cost up to three times as much as farmed ones. Secondly, you will be left in no doubt as to which is the more natural product when you compare flavour and texture. Wild prawns are best described as crunchy, nutty, sweet and clean-tasting, whereas badly farmed prawns will remind you of well-chewed gum, lacking texture and with a soapy/plastic flavour.

When you are shopping for prawns, also keep in mind that size does not really matter. Generally, the larger prawns are more expensive simply because they are easier to peel and cook. Some people say they have a better texture and taste, but I don’t share this view. The taste will depend more on the prawn’s freshness and how you cook it. That said, it is true, as I mentioned earlier, that the larger prawns from deeper ocean waters are generally of better quality.

The catch date is an interesting issue. As prawn fishing seasons have short catch windows, you will often find that the pricey prawns you buy at Christmas are actually several weeks or months old. You can save yourself a bit of money by buying frozen prawns well before the festive season. Legally, frozen prawns can sit in the retailer’s freezer for up to 18 months. Also pay attention to the other information on the packaging, which can include details of whether a sustainable or non-sustainable catching method was used.

Wild prawns are mostly offered frozen—even the best restaurants in the world often have to use frozen product. This is because prawn trawlers often stay out at sea for long periods of time, until they have caught their quotas or filled their holds, and they immediately freeze their catch so it won’t spoil. This makes it extremely unlikely that you will ever be offered fresh wild prawns. Rather, any unfrozen wild prawns that you buy will already have been defrosted, which means you should not freeze them again. My advice is that if you aren’t going to eat the prawns straight away, buy them frozen and then defrost them yourself—you will end up with a much fresher product.

The secret to great-tasting prawns lies in how they have been defrosted. It is not a good idea to thaw prawns at room temperature as the outer cell tissue will defrost first and encourage the growth of bacteria, as well as drying the shell out. The best method is to cover the prawns and let them defrost slowly in your fridge over a period of between 36 to 48 hours. Of course, this is a very long time, and I know from my own experience that this is hardly ever feasible at home. So as an alternative, I suggest that to speed up the process, you wash the prawns really well under lukewarm water and then spread them over an oven tray and turn them over once or twice to stop them from drying out. This all takes around 2 to 3 hours and is perfectly safe.

You will find that a wild prawn will turn blackish within a few hours of being washed, but this is not really a problem. This is due to a lack of preservatives and does not mean the crustacean has gone ‘off’. The discolouration will more or less disappear once you cook the prawn.

A more unconventional but extremely effective method of defrosting is to wash and dry frozen prawns, then boil or roast them while they are still frozen. This minimises the defrosting process but means that you have to increase the cooking time to compensate.

Peeling and cooking prawns

Did you ever wonder where the real flavour of a prawn is hidden? It is in the head and shell and blossoms during cooking. If you’ve ever eaten a lobster or prawn bisque (a soup made only from shells), you will have experienced the flavour potential of crustacean shells.

This is why you should not peel prawns before cooking them. And in case you need further convincing, just imagine being spared the tedious job of peeling all those prawns yourself! After serving prawns, I always find it quite amusing when suddenly the whole table goes silent as everyone focuses on peeling them, usually followed by the sound of people licking that delicious shell taste off their fingers. If you really do not want to serve your prawns unpeeled, then strip off most of the tail shell—break the shell where the little feet sit, as it’s at its softest there—but leave the tail end and the head untouched. This means you will not lose too much flavour during the cooking process, and it’s also a nice way of presenting the prawns.

Here’s an extra tip: do not wash peeled prawn meat, whether it’s raw or uncooked, as you’ll only end up washing away a lot of the meat’s flavour. We don’t do this with steaks, but for some reason we think it’s okay to do it with fish fillets and peeled prawns!

As for deveining, it’s good to do this with larger prawns. Their veins can harden during cooking and often contain lots of poo and sand, which can be quite disgusting when eaten—a full vein can add a very unpleasant flavour to your prawn experience! The best way to devein a prawn is to straighten it out and make a little incision on the top side from just below the head down to the tail. Then get hold of the digestive tract with the tip of a small knife and carefully lift the vein out. (As an aside, wild prawns are hardly ever peeled and deveined, while farmed prawns are almost always peeled and deveined.)

A word on precooked prawns. These can be a bit of a lottery. They are often overcooked, and if frozen for too long they can end up being rubbery or chewy when reheated, with a blunt flavour. Precooked prawns are really only suitable for consumption when they are cold.

When roasting or otherwise cooking green (raw) prawns, you need to remember that overexposure to heat can make the meat dry and chewy. Perfectly cooked prawn meat will have a glossy centre—think about medium-cooked steak—and a bright, shiny colour. This will guarantee the uniquely delicious and crunchy ‘prawn bite’.

How to boil prawns

The following recipe is for approximately 20 large frozen prawns.

Method:

Bring 4 litres of water to the boil and season with a teaspoon of salt.

Add the frozen prawns and cover the pan.

Bring to the boil again as quickly as possible, then turn the heat straight off.

Let the prawns sit in the water for 18–20 minutes, then strain and peel or serve whole.

Note: if you use defrosted prawns, decrease the resting time in water to 4–5 minutes. Cooked prawns will last for up to three days when stored in the fridge.

How to grill frozen prawns

Method:

Wash the ice coating off the frozen prawns and dry them on kitchen paper.

Warm some butter or coconut oil on medium heat.

Add the prawns and cook for 3 minutes on each side.

Cover the pan and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Move the prawns onto a warm plate, add some aromatics (garlic, chilli etc.) to the pan and cook until ready.

Put the prawns back into the pan together with fresh herbs or liquids like coconut milk, honey, palm sugar, sherry vinegar etc., and reheat under constant stirring.

Prawns glazed with honey and sweet sherry

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Completion time: 30 minutes

Makes: 4 serves

Ingredients:

1 kg prawns

3 tablespoons butter

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 carrot, cut brunoise

1 white leek, cut brunoise

2 tablespoons honey

1 cup sweet sherry wine (or port wine)

¼ cup sherry vinegar (or white balsamic vinegar)

3–4 tablespoons double cream

salt and pepper for seasoning

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

steamed rice

Method:

Clean the prawns, leaving the tails on.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter.

Add shallot, carrot and leek and cook for 2–3 minutes.

Add prawns and roast until cooked through.

Remove prawns from pan, add honey, wine and vinegar, and reduce to a glaze.

Once a thick consistency is achieved, add remaining butter and cream and bring to the boil.

Add prawns and glaze with sauce.

Season, sprinkle with parsley and serve with steamed rice.

For more on the selection and preparation of prawns, as well as other seafood, have a look at Trupps’ Wholefood Kitchen, our new book on eating well, living well and feeling great.

Searching for a Natural Lifestyle in a Big City

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By Dorota Trupp, Nutritionist

Living in a big city like Melbourne can be a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, you have the incredible culture, professional opportunities and comfort, while on the other, you have the traffic, pollution and commercialism.

As Walter and I both come from the European countryside, naturally there is a part of us that dearly misses the farm experience: the animals, the harvests, the simple beauty of nature. Fortunately, over the years we have found many ways of enjoying what Melbourne has to offer. We have been able to lessen our homesickness by spending time at terrific places in the Victorian countryside, with its amazing towns and villages, and at city-based sites such as the Collingwood Children’s Farm and the organic farm at CERES (the Centre for Education & Research in Environmental Strategies) in Brunswick East.

Another way in which we reconnect with nature is by going shopping for healthy, unprocessed food. We enjoy wandering around the stalls at the Queen Victoria, Prahran and South Melbourne markets, as well as the farmers market at the Collingwood Children’s Farm. Apart from offering fantastically fresh produce, these places evoke wonderful memories of harvest time and celebration. As we are advocates of organic/biodynamic produce, we also shop in small organic groceries such as Organic Wholefoods on Smith Street, Fitzroy—they have a second shop on Lygon Street in Brunswick East—where not only can you find tremendously well-priced produce, but just as importantly, the sort of friendly atmosphere that we remember from our visits to small fruit and vegetable shops back in Europe.

We are glad that we have discovered so many beautiful places in Melbourne, in particular because now we can take our toddler Sol to them and let him appreciate nature for its loveliness. Trying to de-stress and rest while running your own business can be hard, as it’s easy to create work for yourself just about anytime. But we have learned to ‘let go’ of our work and to value our family time. Our business brings us enormous satisfaction and fulfilment, but our family comes first and we strive to spend all of our free moments together.

Walter and I don’t hesitate to take a couple of hours off from our busy schedule during the week and walk around places like the city-based farms with our son, nor do we mind sacrificing some of our social life to allow for more quality family time. We head outdoors as often as possible, and we make our trips involve animals, beaches, gardens and parks whenever we can. We hope to give Sol some beautiful childhood memories, so that when he is older he can remember the close contact he has had with animals, and the parents who have always been there for him.

Reconnecting with nature on a regular basis leaves us feeling energised, relaxed and balanced. As for our work, we have found that loads of fresh air and physical activity has the added bonus of filling our heads with new ideas on how to improve our business!