2017 is when my diet changed after learning many things about our food thanks to the influence of a young family member who one day announced they were on a vegan diet.
My initial thought was a roll-your-eyeballs “Really?” little did I know there was a whole world of satisfaction off eating only plants.
My new “vegan” diet lasted six months and then I loosened up a little.
I yo-yo’d back and forth with adjusting my diet until I finally found what worked for me.
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Hi! I am Janelle, the Founder of Plant Based Folk and I am pumped you’re here.
I’m a second generation Australian with a Lebanese background living in my birth-town Sydney, Australia.
I’ve always loved food; both cooking and eating.
As a teen (many moons ago) I gained my Diploma in Hospitality Management where I very much enjoyed and thrived in my cooking & recipe classes, however, I didn't pursue a career in the industry.
Fast forward a couple of decades and it's come full circle - I'm now sharing my passion for cooking through sharing my vegan recipes.
In my previous life, I was a Director of a niche specification marketing agency within the architectural building supplier sector for 15 years, as well as an Investor in a start-up (also within the same industry)
Whilst I still haven’t fully left this industry, my hopes is to one day move on completely, life is too short to stay doing the same thing.
When I am not in the kitchen, I am in the garden, amongst nature (foraging wild foods) going for a run/walk or having a good time with family and friends.
I’ve dedicated my blog to creating (or recreating) delicious plant based recipes, specialising in vegan Lebanese recipes.
Some of my favourites include;
Spiced pearl couscous called moghrabieh
Shorbat adas - Lebanese lentil soup
Batata harra - Lebanese spicy potatoes
Musabaha - creamy chickpea breakfast
Fasolia - Kidney bean stew Lebanese fasolia
No matter your diet, there’s a recipe for you on Plant Based Folk.
I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU SOME INSIGHT AS TO HOW A PLANT BASED DIET HAS HELP ME.
I've thyroid issues.
Feb 2019, was a particularly bad time for me. My symptoms started a couple of years prior, experiencing a huge flair up of 'not-feeling-well' in early 2018 which gradually faded and I was able to resume life with random 'not-feeling-well' symptoms until Feb 2019.
I started experiencing chronic fatigue (some nights I'd sleep for 9 hours and wake up feeling as though I hadn't slept an hour) hair loss, brain fog, tinnitus, stomach pain, insomnia and the list goes on.
I saw several types of doctors, only to be told they didn't know what was wrong with me saying it might be 'auto-immune' (this has recently been ruled out). This is particularly hard to accept - the 'not knowing'.
My blood test showed my thyroid was experiencing border-line hormonal issues.
My doctor advised not to worry about it, at this point my thyroid was slightly bulging. I insisted on undergoing a check-up, which resulted in confirmation I had a couple of decent sized nodules and a goitre.
THIS CHANGED EVERYTHING.
A shift in my mindset meant I was paying closer attention to the foods I put in my body, playing a major role on how this affects my symptoms and my thyroid.
A plant based diet is helping me heal a majority of my symptoms. I could rant for a while about this, but let's get on with it, I'd rather not bore you... haha. You get the picture…
I have adopted cleansing into my life (every once in a while), this has been an amazing process. You can read my experience with cleansing here Advanced 3:6:9 Cleanse Review
WHAT A PLANT BASED DIET MEANS TO ME?
Plant-based meals are paramount to me.
They offer high nutritional content and a wide variation in taste. I choose to eat foods that are made up of 99% plants, with a few foods here and there that may not be. I choose 'veganise' my meals.
I sometimes cook with/consume oils, (mostly olive oil and in minute quantities).
There are many types of definitions of what a plant based diet is. Some chose to be on a whole foods plant based, some incorporate a higher percentage of plants over eggs, dairy and meat.
I believe food is a language that all humans share and feel that recipes need be treasured and passed down to each generation, I know with being of Lebanese heritage, lots of traditional food recipes have been lost through the generations.
But I am on a mission to learn and adapt recipes to plant based where ever possible. Nothing compares to a home-cooked meal, the entire process is transparent - I know exactly what is going into my meal.
If you have a treasured recipe you’d like to share, please leave me a comment below. I would be honoured to recreate it, share it with the world and of course credit you. If you don’t have a recipe, I would still love to hear from you, even if it’s a simple hello from wherever in the world you are.
I’d like to end by leaving you with a couple of simple and satisfying recipes of yellow split pea dal and glass noodle salad. These meals I can count on for being quick, nutritious and delicious.
I hope to get to know you folk, and look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you for stopping by.
Janelle xx
Let’s collaborate
I would love to work with you, whether you’re a brand, fellow food blogger or anything in between. Get in touch so we can get started. Some of the brands I’ve worked with include - San Remo, Pickld, Kitchen Warehouse, IKU Foods, Dhow Nature Foods and more.
