On 31 December 2001 the island of Vava’u in Tonga was struck by Cyclone Waka. In winds of 190 km per hour, tree trunks snapped, houses were reduced to matchsticks, and crops destroyed. From that destruction however grew something sweet. Theresa Sjöquist tells the story of Heilala Vanilla. The content below is available with a print or online reader subscription The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.
We are currently overwhelmed by a mental health crisis, grappling with stress, depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism, OCD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and more. But rather than reaching for a pharmaceutical fix, our food should be our medicine in the first instance, says Professor Julia Rucklidge. Jodie Bruning interviews New Zealand’s most popular professor you may never have heard of. The content below is available with a print or…
A simple cardboard box turns out to be lot more than just an intentionally plain and brand-free box. Not only is it full of healthy organic food, but the box also represents an alternative to the global commercialisation of food production and consumption, as well as being a symbol of environmental and personal health and wellbeing. But it’s what’s on the inside that really matters, says Clinton…
A passion for our natural heritage, an imaginative artistic vision, and some determined scrounge-hounding has resulted in the destination café that is Eutopia, in Northland’s Kaiwaka. Theresa Sjöquist tries the coffee and finds out what’s behind the scenes. First opened in 2001, Eutopia Café had fallen into disrepair when Marijke Valkenburg and her husband Robert ter Veer bought it in 2014. They imagined eighteen months of solid slog should do the trick to upgrade the funky coffeehouse, but…
Good nutrition is important for us all, and perhaps even more so as people age. Anne Gastinger offers suggestions for how older people can get the best nutrition, and shares her own family story. In their retirement years, our parents often worked together in their garden. Both dedicated gardeners and capable cooks, they practised ‘garden to plate’ nutritional care for over six decades of marriage. The enjoyment, exercise…
Denise Cox explores the antiviral properties of plants, particularly in the forms of essential oils and tinctures. Disclaimer This information is not intended as medical diagnosis or prescription. Please contact your healthcare provider if you feel unwell or have symptoms of covid-19. Cautionary notes Herbal medicines and essential oils may interact with pharmaceutical medicines. Seek medical advice before using on…
in our streets and parks – giving up glyphosate! Hana Blackmore of the group Weed Management Advisory looks at council weed management practices and how we can make our neighbourhoods safer and healthier. Tried, trusted… yet little known Almost unnoticed, a delicate little remit was passed at the AGM of Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) last month, encouraging councils…
By Mike Bradstock Sauerkraut is one of the healthiest preserves you can make. By a natural fermentation process it converts humble cabbage into a tasty and versatile nutrient-and-vitamin-rich product. It is high in vitamins C, K, B6, folate, and minerals including iron, calcium and magnesium. The only drawback is its comparatively high salt content, though this…
Published in Organic NZ May/June 2018 – 1.5.18, Health & Food Section Tremane Barr shares his experiences of surviving pancreatic cancer. “Sorry, but the cancer has spread from the main 12 cm neuroendocrine tumour in the pancreas to throughout your liver and there is nothing we can do. We expect you probably have around 3–6…
Farmacology May 1st for the May June 2018 Issue By Stephanie Lambert Mark Christensen believes wholeheartedly in the power of heritage food crops to produce health – for the plants themselves, the soil they grow in and the people who eat them. It’s not simply nostalgia. He’s convinced that food-growing for profit has produced nutritionally…
There are ways to make organic food more affordable so you can buy more of it. Buying in bulk or direct from suppliers, buying what’s local and in season, buying ingredients rather than processed foods: all these will cut your food bill. So will growing some of your own food and swapping excess within your…
Ethan aged eight months with two sources of nutrition: mum Carla, and Buttercup the cow. Photo: Janette Perrett Organic NZ Magazine: July/August 2016 Author: Janette Perrett In the early days of the Soil & Health Association, consuming raw cow’s milk was hardly mentioned and didn’t make headlines like it does today, 75 years later. During that…
