Lindsey Harrad - Living Plantfully: Your Guide to Growing, Cooking and Living a Healthy, Happy and Sustainable Plant Based Life

Published in 2022 by Welbeck Balance

An imprint of Welbeck Non-Fiction Ltd

Part of Welbeck Publishing Group

Based in London and Sydney.

www.welbeckpublishing.com

Design and layout Welbeck Non-Fiction Ltd 2022

Text Lindsey Harrad 2022

Lindsey Harrad has asserted her moral rights to be identified as the author of this Work in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owners and the publishers.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN

Hardback 978-1-80129-025-8

Typeset by Steve Williams Creative

Note/Disclaimer

Welbeck Balance encourages diversity and different viewpoints. However, all views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this book are the authors own and are not necessarily representative of Welbeck Publishing Group as an organization. All material in this book is set out in good faith for general guidance; Welbeck Publishing Group makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, with respect to the accuracy, completeness, suitability or currency of the contents of this book, and specifically disclaims, to the extent permitted by law, any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose and any injury, illness, damage, death, liability or loss incurred, directly or indirectly from the use or application of any of the information contained in this book. This book is not intended to replace expert medical or psychiatric advice. It is intended for informational purposes only and for your own personal use and guidance. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or act as a substitute for professional medical advice. The author and the publisher are not medical practitioners nor counsellors, and professional advice should be sought before embarking on any health-related programme.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lindsey Harrad is an editor and writer with over 20 years' experience, including stints as lead feature writer and managing editor at Vegetarian Living magazine, the UK's best-selling and award-winning national vegetarian food and lifestyle title. She is currently completing her training to become a nutritional therapist.

For Maia and Alfie, who are always in touch with their inner wild child.

I love you to the moon and back.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

"The relationship between people and nature must be one of interdependence, otherwise we risk overlooking something that Indigenous peoples have known all along: that we are nature and nature is us, and failing to see this simple truth is what has gotten us into this mess in the first place."

Tonio Sadik, Senior Director, Environment, Lands and Water, Assembly of First Nations (Canada)

PLANTS ARE POWERFUL RADIANT WITH BEAUTY AND goodness, they represent the abundance that this generous and resilient Earth provides, and Im on a mission to inspire everyone to get more of them onto our plates, and into our homes and gardens. Our health, and that of the planet, depends on it.

The philosophy of Living Plantfully is founded on the belief that we need a holistic, non-judgemental, label-free approach to phasing out animal products and focusing on plant alternatives in the kitchen and throughout the home. Its a journey that can be taken in a way that suits each individual or family, by making small changes at your own pace. And most importantly, it should be a joyful and life-enhancing experience too. This book not only explores the benefits of eating more plant-based foods, but also how to infuse every aspect of your life with the amazing properties of plants.

Like many people, Im worried about climate change. I have young children, and I want their future on this planet to be safe and secure. But I didnt want to write a scary, pessimistic book about how the future might look if we cant prevent climate change, because I know that too much doom and gloom can lead to inaction. The world is facing up to some big issues and the scale of the problem often feels overwhelming and impossible for any one person to solve. But when we all make small changes, the collective effects can have a tremendous impact.

I decided we needed a book that would be informative but uplifting, inspiring and hopeful, filled with the promise of a positive way of living that celebrates deliciousness, kindness, health and happiness, while encouraging a form of gentle activism by choosing a lifestyle that shows love to our bodies, to our wider communities, to the other living creatures that share our world, and to the environment.

Living Plantfully can help you live your best life, while giving the planet its best chance for the future too.

WHAT IS LIVING PLANTFULLY?

If I could distil the core message of this book down to one sentence, it would be this: everything that is naturally good for us, is good for the planet.

The philosopher Schopenhauer said, health is not everything, but without health, everything is nothing. Its also true to say that we are nothing without a healthy planet to inhabit. Reducing our reliance on animal products and growing more plant foods in the right place, in the right way will not only improve our health, it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enrich the soil for growing a more exciting variety of crops. Rewilding our world by growing more trees and lavishing love on our gardens and green spaces supports biodiversity, reduces carbon levels and creates a more resilient food supply, as well as improving our physical and mental wellbeing.

Living plantfully is about so much more than food. While change often starts in the kitchen, becoming more interested in plant-centred health and wellbeing quite naturally goes hand-in-hand with an interest in more natural ways of cleaning, nature-based beauty and self-care, indoor and outdoor gardening, growing herbs and vegetables, foraging for wild foods and spending more time immersed in nature in the great outdoors. In a tech-heavy, stressful and increasingly urban modern world, we can all improve our quality of life by finding time for mindfulness in whatever form most appeals to us and making deeper connections with nature in our homes and beyond.

For most of the last decade, I was the editor of Vegetarian Living magazine, the best-selling vegetarian magazine in the UK, where I had the wonderful job of celebrating the best of meat-free cooking and providing ideas and inspiration for living a plant-centred, more sustainable life. Ive had the privilege of meeting and talking to a great many interesting people, including chefs, restaurateurs, celebrities, gardeners, producers and other champions of food, wellness and green living. From these incredibly knowledgeable and passionate people, Ive gained a broad view of how nutrition, health and sustainability interconnect in so many ways. Its been an enlightening journey, discovering a wide range of perspectives on the complex and fascinating issues that affect both people and the planet.

In Living Plantfully, I pull together all the wisdom and knowledge Ive acquired and shape it into a holistic guide for a healthier, happier life, inviting you to make changes at your own pace and in a way that works for you. Theres no pressure here, and no need to give yourself a label or define yourself by what you eat and how you choose to live. There are many people who dont connect with the idea of being labelled as a vegetarian or vegan, but they do care deeply about where their food comes from. They want to improve their wellbeing and their chances of living a long and happy life by eating a healthier, more varied diet. Theyre interested in doing their bit to tackle climate change, and theyre keen to make more ethical buying decisions to ensure both people and animals are treated with care and respect.