This is the first monthly newsletter from the Diaeta Way. This newsletter is brought to you by Jan Burman and John Bagnulo and is meant to inspire you to source foods from your local farmer or make decisions in the kitchen that are good for you and for the environment. Every month, we will offer tips or suggestions on how to eat delicious foods with good recipes and articles that are relevant for eating well. Bringing it to the table, simply and deliciously, for your health!

The word Diaeta comes from the Greek word meaning “way of life” or “covering the earth.”

To us, Diaeta describes our way of life – living a diet of balance. Our classes strive to create a balanced way of living through diet and lifestyle. We offer retreats and workshops throughout the year on Martha’s Vineyard and beyond; these retreats are designed to build on the foundation of health.

Living in balance is about so much more than what you put on your plate. It is also about eating a plant based diet with 60 – 80 varieties of plants a week, eating only the best sourced animal proteins, getting loads of exercise, slowing down, taking the time to be, laughing, and surrounding yourself with loved ones.

It’s a belief. It’s science. When does a belief become science? When does science challenge our beliefs? I attended a few lectures with Dr. Weiss last week in Rancho La Puerta in Mexico where I taught cooking classes. I listened to his talks with great enthusiasm as he asked these questions. I found much of what he had to say about gut health to be in line with what we offer in our retreats. I believe that we are all better if we eliminate gluten and sugar from our diets. But, what is the science behind that? Dr. Weiss, posed these comments about science and beliefs and it made me reconsider my beliefs and ponder: why do some approaches work so well for some and others, while others have little or no affect? The simple answer is that we are all different and discovering  our health is a journey. You will find loads of information every month geared towards different approaches as we navigate towards health and well being.  The recipes will be plant forward and low carb and sugar and gluten free.

At Rancho La Puerta I was asked to teach a cooking class with recipes that had no sugar or gluten. Easy, this is just how I cook! I love almond flour and have replaced wheat flour for almond flour and I have discovered that replacing sugar with a date puree is an easy substitute for sweetness. Don’t get me wrong- dates are plenty sweet and they do contain glucose, but they are not as harmful as white sugar. Each Medjool date contains 16 grams of sugar, which is most of the carbohydrate in the date. These sugars include mainly glucose and fructose. The natural sugar content in dates is what makes pureed dates a good alternative sweetener for use in recipes.

I also tend to lighten the sugar load and create recipes that are low in sweetness. If nothing else, I suggest 1/2 the amount of sugar called for in recipes and then I replace it with a coconut sugar or the date puree.

To make almond flour, you lightly roast almonds, allow them to cool and then put them in a mixer and blend until you have flour. You need to be careful to not turn the almonds into almond butter and you want to pulse (turn on and off) the blender so that the almond flour is consistent in texture. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Here I share two recipes for you: almond cake and rhubarb and strawberry clafoutis that replace both the wheat flour for almond flour and the dates for sugar. Although these are still considered “empty” calories, meaning you are not getting much in terms of nutrients, they can provide a delicious treat for a special celebration.

If you are around or near Martha’s Vineyard this spring, I am teaming up with Holly Bellebuono, who is an award- winning herbalist. And here is a link to our classes.

On Martha's Vineyard and in Vermont, we are moving out of the THAW as the Nettles are popping up and so is the rhubarb...Yeah! Happy Spring!

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-Jan & John