Dine with a Doc – Auckland, 2024
- Rebecca Stonor, CEO
- 19 Jun 2024
Doctors For Nutrition hosted a sustainability-focussed ‘Dine with a Doc’ dinner with a panel discussion featuring local doctors and sustainability experts.
The evening was a huge success and we had an amazing turn-out on a cold wintry night of our Auckland-based supporters, physicians, nutritionists, and students! The overwhelming feedback from the evening was that guests now felt like they were a part of a community promoting a plant-based lifestyle.
Our panel discussion centred around how we can ‘inspire sustainable dietary change’ in those around us. This topic included both meanings of the word sustainable – long term change as well as promoting environmental benefits. Physicians and general community members alike all possess the power to lead by example and promote whole food plant-based nutrition for both human and planetary health.
Our two medical doctors on the panel, Dr Mark Craig and Dr Mandy Bergstrom, gave insights as to how this way of eating has benefited the health of their patients and their own lives. Ben Eietlberg clearly highlighted how our food systems have a huge impact on our environment and the future of our planet. Bringing these two factors together, changing to a plant-based diet is the single most important thing we all can do to mitigate climate change.
People watch you. They hear what you say. They watch what you do. If you demonstrate how easy it is to eat a plant-based diet, people are willing to try.
During our Q&A session with the guests, Dr Mark Craig was asked, “Where do you get your protein?” and in reply, said, “Where do you get your fibre?” highlighting the common misconception that plant-based foods do not contain enough protein. Dr Mandy Bergstrom shared her experience of working as an emergency medical doctor and seeing patients suffering chronic diseases related to diet and lifestyle.
Ben Eitelberg, plant-powered ultra trail runner and co-founder of The Lentil Intervention, educated attendees on ‘Planetary boundaries’ and how our food systems have a massive impact on the environment.
When asked how he inspires sustainable change his response was to lead by example. “People watch you. They hear what you say. They watch what you do. If you demonstrate how easy it is to eat a plant-based diet, people are willing to try.”
And then there was the food! Khu Khu Eatery has a reputation for some of the most delicious plant-based, Thai inspired dishes in Auckland. They did not disappoint! It was fresh, tasty and healthy.
During the event we ran a competition to win a one year FREE Doctors For Nutrition membership. Congratulations to Sarah Mortimer from Seed Nutrition.
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