Ken King, Lucy Ventresca and Cindy Ries chat after eating a plant-based meal created by Green Valley Recreation instructors Diann Shivley and Hana Hanleigh.
During Tuesday’s plant-based diet class at GVR, students were treated to tofu kabobs, a hummus made from white beans, a tofu spinach dip and a hummus made with garbanzo beans and cilantro. For dessert, they had an avocado banana pudding.
Diann Shivley and Hana Hanleigh immediately hit it off when they met at a vegan potluck so when Shivley was asked if she was willing to teach a plant-based diet class for Green Valley Recreation, she knew who she wanted next to her.
Ken King, Lucy Ventresca and Cindy Ries chat after eating a plant-based meal created by Green Valley Recreation instructors Diann Shivley and Hana Hanleigh.
Kim Smith Green Valley News
Hanleigh, 85, is a retired home economics teacher, so Shivley, 77, figured her skills would come in handy teaching retirees the benefits of eating whole-plant foods rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and healthy fats.
For the last three weeks, the pair have been meeting with seniors two hours every Tuesday. They spend the first hour talking about plant-based diets, showing films and sharing books, and the second hour preparing meals they then devour with their students.
Last week, they made tofu kabobs, tofu spinach dip, hummus and puddings made from such things as avocados, pineapples and bananas.
Every student is given a binder for their recipes and notes.
Cindy Ries decided to try the six-week course because her cholesterol is high and she feels she needs to lose weight.
Every other time she’s tried to diet, she just didn’t know what she should eat, she said.
“These guys are absolutely amazing. They’re showing me how to do it,” Ries said.
Although she feels as though she’s eating all the time, Ries said she’s already lost eight pounds.
“I just feel so much better. I don’t know why, but I feel a whole lot better,” Ries said.
During Tuesday’s plant-based diet class at GVR, students were treated to tofu kabobs, a hummus made from white beans, a tofu spinach dip and a hummus made with garbanzo beans and cilantro. For dessert, they had an avocado banana pudding.
Donna Cohen has lost three pounds.
”I’ve struggled with weight all of my life and my doctor said to me, and this made a lot of sense, ‘I don’t want you to go on a diet, but you need to think about changing your lifestyle,’” Cohen said. “I’d heard about a plant-based diet and I was really curious.”
She loves the class because it’s hands-on.
Ken King has been following a plant-based diet for five years, but he decided to take the class to get more recipes.
Asked what meal they’ve enjoyed the most and the class unanimously said their black bean burgers were “amazing.” They then listed numerous other courses.
Despite what people believe, plant-based meals are tasty and aren’t necessarily more expensive, especially when you consider the money you’ll save from eliminating processed foods from your shopping list.
Shivley has been a vegetarian for 56 years. She and her husband gave up all dairy and became vegans 13 years ago due to his bad heart.
Originally, humans were omnivores, which means they ate plants and meat. But today we’re mostly carnivores, which just isn’t healthy, Shivley said.
Shivley is certified to teach The Starch Solution, which was created by Dr. John McDougall, who believes that by fueling your body with carbohydrates, rather than proteins and fat, you’ll feel satisfied, boost your energy and feel your best.
“Basically, our body runs on sugar, glucose, broken down from complex carbohydrates. The other stuff is way too much for the body,” Shivley said.
Pudding doesn’t have to be made with milk to be yummy, Diann Shivley said. This one is made out of avocados and bananas.
Shivley is also a myofascial release therapist. Myofascial tissue connects your muscle, joints and bones and provides support to your organs.
“When I see clients that come in, I know that diet could make a huge difference. Allergies, autoimmune diseases, pain and a lot of these are from their diet,” she said.
Hanleigh became a vegan 15 years ago after attending a water fasting clinic and losing 20 pounds. Soon, her doctors took her off both her cholesterol and blood pressure medications, she said.
“But the most important thing is I lost a brother and sister to diabetes after I became whole-food plant-based, I watched them go through that journey where every single thing in their bodies failed,” Hanleigh said. “In the last five years of their lives, they were bedridden. I watched this. I went this direction. They went that direction and they died. I lost both of them.”
Hanleigh and Shivley said it’s never too late to start eating healthier.
”If I’m talking to someone one on one, I’d say, ‘How do you want to live the last 10 years of your life?'” Shivley said. “How many people do we see here that end up in assisted living? They end up in nursing homes, they end up in diapers and walkers and their joints keep getting worse. They have all kinds of medications. There are a lot of things that can be avoided or turned around, no matter what the age. The body wants to heal, no matter what your age, the body wants to heal, but it has to be given the right tools.”
Before she became a vegan at 70, Hanleigh said she became a diabetic just like her siblings. Thanks to her lifestyle change, her A1C tests, which show the amount of hemoglobin with attached glucose, is back in the normal range.
Their class has proven so popular, Hanleigh and Shivley said they plan to continue teaching in the fall. There’s a good chance they’ll be offering sessions this summer. If so, it’ll be announced through an e-blast, they said.
“It’s never too late, I don’t care how long you live,” Hanleigh said. “You want to have quality of life while you’re doing it. You want to be able to enjoy life and go and do things. Look at me.”
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