Destination Doctorate

By Shola Oladipo, Food for Purpose CEO 

Hello friends!

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been preparing to begin a somewhat ‘pseudo-sabbatical to conclude my PhD journey. Basically, from June 1st, 2023, my CEO duties will be much less, and I will work just one day a week, in order to ensure I can focus on my ‘doctorate destination.’ This involves producing a written body of work comprising about 60 -70,000 words - which have to make sense!

Though it sounds like a task I am completing on my own, I am delighted to be surrounded by amazing colleagues in the FFP camp who are not only taking on additional roles and responsibilities but cheering me on as I press towards the final furlongs of my PhD journey.

So, let’s consider this month’s CEO says instalment as an invitation for you to journey with me over the next few months. As I share my escapades, I sincerely hope to inspire and impassion you readers to follow your dreams and do great things that will impact generations and fulfil your God given, purposeful calling on earth.

For now, as I clear my desk and tidy up my files to hand over to my fantastic FFP teammates, I am relishing the view as I look back and see where I have come from. In 2019, as a 50th birthday gift, I began my PhD journey with the support and cheers of my family and similarly close allies. At the time I was so looking forward to the adventure, but also mindful of the likely challenges that lay ahead of my fully packed life. I can safely say that the challenges have come and gone - many leading to opportunities for me to learn about myself, my capacity and breaking points! As well as the impact of others, and how this helps and hinders. I marvel at the many lessons I have learnt and admit that the PhD process is one of sifting through self, and not just journals and library annals.

Anyhow, that’s enough for now - I am signing off with this: remind yourself how amazing you are, and that you have the ability to finish strong. No matter how you started, or how much the middle feels like you are walking through thick treacle, you must, you will, you can FINISH STRONG!

Blessings to you!

 Featured this Month

• CEO Says - Destination Doctorate

• News

• Recipe of the Month - Summer Okra Salad

• A-Z of Soul Food - J is for Jackfruit

• Soulful Steps - Dance Fitness Classes

• Special Guest Contributor - The Vegan Nigerian

• Miss Tea's Blog

 Food for Purpose News

• HCI Lambeth

  • Massive congratulations to NCC EP in Gipsy hill who completed the HCI in April 2023. We were delighted to have Charlotte Afuape and Amanda Coyle present at the HCI awards. We look forward to following up with this church at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. A big thank you to the Health Champions and Pastor Akinola!

• Vacancies

  We are seeking the following people to support online cooking sessions:

  • Videographer - filming of live cooking sessions

  • Chefs / Cooks - with experience of international dishes for ‘live’ online cooking sessions

    Contact us at admin@foodforpurpose.org

• DUK – Cultural humility in Diabetes

  • In May, our CEO Shola Oladipo attended the Diabetes UK conference in Liverpool as a guest speaker in collaboration with Diabetes Africa. The session was sponsored by Sanofi, and covered the importance of cultural humility when working with people from Black African and Caribbean backgrounds.

• HEAL-D and Food for Purpose

  • We are delighted to share the new HEAL-D website which features the FFP team showcasing our healthy diabetes friendly recipes and cooking. Check out the links below for air fried plantain, homemade low salt green seasoning and jerk seasoning.

• National Days / Weeks / Month - June

  • 12-16th June 2023 - British Nutrition Foundation Healthy Eating Week

  • 12-18th June 2023 - Men's Health Week

  • 13-19th June 2023 - Diabetes Awareness Week

  • 18th June 2023 - Father’s Day

  • 26-30th June 2023 - World Wellbeing Week

Summer Okra Salad

Okra in salad?
Yes! It’s a delicious alternative to lettuce.

Give it a try!

Preparation time:
15 minutes

Ingredients

• 450g fresh okra, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

• 400g canned black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 large red bell pepper diced

• 1 x 340g tinned sweetcorn, drained

• 1 large, white onion, diced

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

• 15-20 cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• Pinch salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 1 ripe avocado - peeled and destoned

Method:

1. Add the okra, beans, bell pepper, sweetcorn, onion, olive oil, cumin, basil, garlic, and tomato and ground pepper to a large mixing bowl,

2. Add olive oil and salt, toss gently until the olive oil is evenly distributed.

3. Cut the avocado into 1/4-inch pieces and gently toss with the salad.

   Serve as a light lunch or healthy snack

 A-Z of Soul Food

This month, we’re celebrating Jackfruit for the letter J

Jackfruit

Jackfruit, also known as jack tree, is an exotic fruit grown in tropical regions of the world. It is native to South India and part of the Moraceae plant family, which also includes fig, mulberry and breadfruit. Jackfruit has a spiky outer skin and is green or yellow in colour. It is an unusually large fruit with a subtle sweet and fruity flavour. The flavour of the ripe fruit has been described as a combination of apple, pineapple, mango, and banana.

The most commonly eaten part of the jackfruit is the fruit, or fruit pods which are edible both when ripe and unripe. Jackfruit seeds are also edible and are often dried and ground into a flour. The seeds can be boiled and eaten, but the white membrane needs to be peeled off first. 

Jackfruit should be ripe if eaten raw, but for cooking purposes, unripe, crisp ‘green’ jackfruit is best, especially if you are aiming for a ‘pulled pork-style texture’. Unripe jackfruit is also less sweet than ripe making it ideal for use in savoury dishes like curries. Ripe jackfruits are also used in sweet dishes and desserts. 

Jackfruit is a great meat alternative from a texture point of view, as it has a chewy, stringy quality when cooked, making it great for vegan ‘pulled pork’ or shredded meat texture. It is, however, low in protein hence an alternative plant protein source should be included in vegan and vegetarian diets. It is a good source of fibre, magnesium, potassium, and antioxidants. 

If you are cooking jackfruit in the UK, look for the ready-prepared fruit in packs or cans (unsweetened, in brine or water). It is also available frozen and dried in strips.  

Soulful Steps - Dance Fitness Classes

By Precious Oladipo, FFP Director & Fitness Lead

You asked for…we did it!

Food for Purpose are delivering five weeks of dance fitness classes. The classes are fun, free, and are packed with inspirational gospel sounds.

The Lewisham sessions take place on Tuesday evenings at 7pm.

Sign up here:

• Soulful Steps (LEWISHAM, IN PERSON) - Dance Fitness for BAME Women

• Soulful Steps ONLINE - Dance Fitness for BAME Women

Sign up here:

• Soulful Steps (GREENWICH, IN PERSON) - Dance Fitness for BAME Women

• Soulful Steps ONLINE - Dance Fitness for BAME Women

 Special Guest Contributor

Tomi Makanjuola aka The Vegan Nigerian

Chef and blogger

As the global population becomes increasingly conscious of the impact of food choices on health and the environment, veganism has gained traction worldwide. For the Black community at home and in the diaspora, embracing vegan West African cuisine offers a unique opportunity to combine cultural heritage with a sustainable lifestyle, while reaping significant health benefits.

I started my platform The Vegan Nigerian as a way to highlight how accessible the lifestyle can be to those in my community. Nigeria's rich culinary heritage includes an array of plant-based foods, such as grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables, which lay the groundwork for a nourishing vegan diet. By incorporating these nutrient-dense foods, preparing them in both traditional and modern/creative ways, the Black community can combat prevalent health issues such as heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, which disproportionately affect people of African and Caribbean descent.

As the Black community continues to grapple with issues of representation and identity, showcasing vegan Nigerian cuisine serves as an empowering cultural connection. I believe it fosters a sense of pride and belonging, allowing many to celebrate their culture while actively improving their wellbeing and contributing to a more sustainable future that will ultimately benefit marginalised communities around the world who face the brunt of our current unequal food systems and ongoing environmental degradation.

For those who want to explore these issues further, my comprehensive cookbook, Vegan Nigerian Kitchen, is a good starting point, as is my free guide to going vegan.

Greetings, wonderful PY readers!  How are you all? 🥰 Happy New Month to you - I hope that June is everything you want it to be, and more😊

This month, as I'm away on a break in Turkey at the time of writing - I will be sharing some travel hacks with you 😀🩴🏖️

Don’t forget - we’re always more than happy to consider the incorporation of any ideas you may have in terms of articles you’d like to see in Purposeful You in future👍🏾

Roll your Clothes

Instead of folding, roll your clothes before packing to save space 👚👖🧦
Great guide here on Organizingedge.com which does reference packing cubes, however, you don’t need to use them because the principle of folding is exactly the same for packing clothes directly into your suitcase for travel ✈️