FREE Debut Screening of Foodmatters @ the Eco Film Festival Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

For the first time ever, “Foodmatters” will be making its debut screening at the Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival in Malaysia.

Screening Details:

Where: Hall 2, Universiti Malaya, Jalan Universiti, 50603 Kuala Lumpur. 03-7967-3805

When: Sunday 17th October, 2010

Time: 12.15pm

Whilst this screening is FREE and open to the public, please come early to get a good seat!

What is it about?

Foodmatters is a feature length documentary informing you on the best choices you can make for you and your loved one’s health. In a collection of riveting interviews with leading Nutritionists, Naturopaths, Scientists, M.D.’s and medical journalists, you will discover:

- How to use food as medicine

- Who needs vitamins

- Is Organic better?

- How safe is our food

- Natural treatments for lowering cholesterol

- Foods that fight Anxiety and Depression

- Natural therapies for Cancer

- Which drugs do more harm than good?

- The best ways to detox, lose weight and keep it off!

In what promises to be the most contentious idea put forward, the filmmakers have interviewed several world leaders in nutrition and natural healing who claim that not only are we harming our bodies with improper nutrition, but that the right kinds of foods, supplements and detoxifcation can be used to help with chronic illnesses as fatal as terminally diagnosed cancer.

Totally inspiring – a MUST-SEE for all!

Go, Go, GOJI BERRIES!!!

When I was growing up, my grandmother would make traditional chinese herbal soup at least once a week. The slow cooker would be filled with twig-like ginseng roots, black chicken, red dates, dried bark-like herbs whose names I don’t even know and of course the ubiquitous Goji berries. I was told that these concoctions were good for me. They were good for my eyes, my hair, my brains, my blood. They would cool me down when I was ‘heaty’ or warm me up when I was cold. So under the watchful eye of my mother, I would drink up the fragrant soup with gusto. Not because it was good for me, but because I liked the flavour. Simple as that. The crimson berries engorged with herbal fluid, would burst in my mouth, leaving a sweet aftertaste.

When I left home, Goji berries and its herbal companions disappeared from my cuisine and remained absent for many years. After watching ‘Foodmatters’ and being thoroughly mesmerised by David Wolfe and his energetic vibrancy, I became reacquainted with Goji berries again and they are back with a vengeance! This time, it’s a whole new love affair.

The local organic store sells the most amazing organic Goji berries. I put them in everything, in my water, in fruit shakes, in soups, salads, as a beautiful garnish. One of my favourite snacks is frozen Goji berries. Frozen Goji berries have the most amazing crunchy sweetness. It’s like candy but so much better. They’ve become such a pervasive ingredient in my nutrition that I began to think to myself, “Is too much of a good thing, bad for you?”

So I googled and came across some information about the potential side effects of Goji berries. The critical factor in all these articles were the presence of certain pharmaceutical drugs. That is, the potential side effects arose from an adverse reaction to certain medications that people were taking. Does that mean then, no drugs, no side effects??? Ultimately, it’s our responsibility to learn about what’s good for our bodies and make informed choices.

For me at least, the Goji berries are here to stay.

ToFu or Not ToFu?

That is the question.

Until recently, tofu has played a rather dubious role in my culinary experience. This rather innocuous substance was viewed with ambivalence. Did I like it or not? A few years ago, I would’ve only eaten tofu if it had been deep fried or covered in a rich sauce. I did not think much of it in its virgin state and the bland taste did nothing to excite my tastebuds. A friend even likened it to eating cardboard (makes me wonder about his eating habits).

Last year a group of us went to Ishigakijima and we stayed at a hotel that served traditional japanese breakfast. Fresh tofu was on the menu. Pure, unadulterated tofu. My girlfriend, who is Japanese, came rushing over and plonked two dishes of this off-white goop in front of my partner and I.

“You HAVE to try this. This is really delicious! Just like my mum used to make. You’ll love it”, she enthused. I doubt it, I thought to myself as I eyed the bowl suspiciously and judging from the expression on my partner’s face, he also shared the same thoughts. As I cautiously tasted the cool, gelatinous substance, a strange thing occurred.My tastebuds were reacting positively. There was a subtle, fresh flavour which was hard to describe. I had to eat my words, or in this case, the tofu. “Why does this taste so different to the tofu I’ve had previously? There’s no sauce added and yet it has so much flavour”, I was amazed at the difference. It came down to the quality and freshness of the ingredients.

I have been a convert of tofu since then and have been trying to get others to enjoy the subtle nuances as well. This has been met with much resistance from some of my friends, so I’ve had to resort to ‘dressing’ up the tofu dish. I’ve been experimenting with different flavours that enhance rather than mask the flavours of this much maligned product.

Fresh tofu with plum tomatoes, avocado and garlic cayenne dressing – All Organic!

I’ve had a few converts but there are still a few who not only dislike tofu but also claim that it’s bad for the health! One of my colleagues was adamant that Plaster of Paris was used as key ingredient and another believed that it caused arthritis, dementia and other serious diseases. I did a bit of research and lo and behold! there are many reports out there cautioning on the dangers of consuming too much tofu. Now I am rather bewildered.

Is tofu good for you or not?