When you hear “health food,” do you immediately think of rice cakes and other sh*t that tastes like cardboard? “Where’s the fat, sugar, and salt?” So when I tell you about Plant-Based Wellness Experience at Mack’s Farm in Davie, you’re gonna get excited. No joke.
Image Credit: April Heath LMT
A Plant-Based Meal that Tastes Like It’s Meant for HUMANS
Audrey Watkins invited me to participate in her Plant-Based Wellness Experience. I’ve tinkered with going vegan in the past, so I didn’t hang up on her. When she said it’s an “experience” that goes from 3:00 to 7:00 on the last Sunday of each month, I wanted some bang for the time investment.
I am so glad I went!
The gathering gets a tour of Mack’s Farm and the herbal garden, complete with an educational overview of the medicinal properties of the herbs and flowers.
The tour is just the beginning. October’s presentation included live guitar and singing. After the initial round of music, I shared little-known facts about massage.
About three dozen attendees from Caribbean islands were seated in a U-formation under a tiki hut. The tables were set with golden colored linens and adorned with herbs and yellow flowers wrapped into nosegays. To my left sat a Jamaican man named Weston. To my right sat a yoga instructor named Michelle.
Then Joye Burford took center stage. Joye is petite but full of radiant energy. She encouraged us to be conscious of how many colors show up on our plates, breathe in every aroma, notice the foods’ textures in addition to their flavors. She said to eat slowly.
I’ve never been one to savor. That’s my mom. I tend to devour like my dad used to. Slowing down would take some mindfulness on my part.
Joye introduced the first course. We started our shared meal with oyster mushrooms and remoulade made with vegan mayonnaise. It was delicious. Not only are mushrooms meaty and filling, oyster mushrooms are super healthy.
- Heart health – Oyster mushrooms may help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. They contain beta-glucans, which are fibers that can reduce cholesterol production. They also contain lovastatin, a compound that helps reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol.
- Immune system – Oyster mushrooms contain compounds that support the immune system.
- Blood sugar control – Oyster mushrooms lower blood sugar spikes in type 2 diabetics.
- Inflammation – Oyster mushrooms reduce inflammation.
- Strong bones – Oyster mushrooms contain vitamin D and magnesium, which are essential for strong bones.
- Brain health – Oyster mushrooms are rich in nutrients that may enhance brain function.
Next came a second appetizer that looked like meatballs. Surprise! Quinoa and beans with barbecue sauce. Not only did the balls look like meat, they had a texture similar to meat, but the flavor reminded me of hummus.
Servers brought around lychee nonalcoholic wine to the tables. It was a golden amber color, slightly bubbly and reminded me of my favorite: Moscato. Add in favorable weather, and I was in heaven.
After that, Joye introduced a crunchy salad with red vinaigrette wrapped in raw callaloo. Inside the wrap were wild rice, apples, celery, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, and other ingredients that made for a novel salad.
Callaloo is packed with essential vitamins and minerals. It’s a great source of dietary fiber, which helps ensure that you get enough nutrients to keep your digestive system healthy and functioning properly. It also contains high levels of vitamin A, C, K and magnesium. Vitamin A helps improve skin health, vitamin C boosts the immune system and vitamin K helps blood clotting. Magnesium plays an important role in muscle and nerve function as well as energy production.
Callaloo contains phytonutrients that have been linked to reduced risks for certain types of cancer such as colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer.
Next we got a “patty” of black rice and purple sweet potato, topped with curry chickpeas and vegetables. I really enjoyed that. So did Weston next to me. He said he plans to swap out bulgur with black rice from now on.
Our second entree was vegan lasagna with cashew “cheese.” The lasagna was tasty, but what I couldn’t get over was how unbelievably delicious the garlic bread was.
We took a little break while Michelle led us through a few yoga stretches and Tai Chi moves to aid our digestion.
Then came two desserts. The first one I’m not even sure what exactly Joye said it was. It looked like a shortbread cookie with a dollop of blackberry jam. The second one was a cupcake made from zucchini. Before you skin up your nose, we make cake from carrots and it’s delicious. These cupcakes were no different.
All in all, the time commitment to the Plant-Based Wellness Experience was totally worth it. I met amazing people, enjoyed the outdoors, learned about food, and ate healthy portions of nutrients that didn’t make me feel stuffed or bloated. I got my bang for the time investment, and so will you!
Check out Plant-Based Wellness Experience
4970 SW 111th Terrace
Davie, Florida 33328
Call: 305 577-7998
Events are held the last Sunday of every month
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