Wellness coach launches first book

by David Hinkson

“Every day you do one of two things, build health or produce disease in yourself. Take seriously the fact that most medical practitioners are focused on finding and treating diseases, not on teaching us how to avoid diseases. How fortunate for you, I have a simple prescription right here in my hand and further implore you to – Let your food be your medicine and medicine your food. Interest yourself in exercise, self-care and the cause and prevention of disease.”

And with these words, wellness coach Pamela Cumberbatch recently launched her first book, “Plant-Based Cuisine”, the culmination of a journey that began several years ago when she was battling two chronic health conditions.

Pamela told Barbados TODAY, “When I was a teenager I suffered with severe migraines, and a doctor decided to put me on an inhaler because I experienced blackouts when I had them.”

In fact, I remember one day I was on the bus coming home from school. I pressed the bell to get off and the next thing I remembered was someone holding me asking whether I was okay, because I had fallen ill on the bus.

“From then I started going to an alopathic doctor to find out what was happening. So I started with my diet, that is, finding out what types of food would trigger the migraines. I found that the more I cut out those foods, the better I felt, so I stopped taking the medication, used natural foods and trusted God for my healing. My mother thought I was stupid to throw away the medication but I felt better not using it.”

She added that “chronic constipation was another problem I had, and between that and the migraines I lived a life of constant pain, prescriptions, fear and frustration, then I discovered that once I got rid of certain foods my body felt different and amazing.”

She said she made a complete turnaround after she visited a naturopathic doctor in her early 20s and she did not like what she saw when he did an analysis of her blood chemistry.

“Following that I made a complete change, learning what worked for me and what did not. People around me saw differences in my skin and energy levels and started telling me they wanted to lose weight, so I shared what I learned with them and I found it worked for them as well.”

Out of that experience she started the Optimal Wellness Centre, with close friends and family among her first clients.

“One of the most challenging people I have worked with in terms of changing their diet, is my brother, Richard. But we found a workable solution and it was incremental changes that worked best for him. Others, like myself, took a quantum leap and did not look back at the ‘standard diet’.”

In terms of the recipes featured in “Plant Based Cuisine”, Pamela stated that “I started researching about 25 years ago but I got more focused on it between 18 and 20 years ago.

“At that point I would print a traditional recipe, scratch out the ‘unhealthy’ items and replace with healthier alternatives, then I would try it out. For example, with my migraines I had to cut out cheese, dairy products and chocolate from my diet, and one of the things I did was to make a cashew cheese for macaroni pie, and used rice-based pasta instead of one made from refined flour. To me it tasted better and of course was much healthier.”

Eventually the CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank employee began writing about her experiences, sharing health tips in the company’s former in-house publication, “Caribbean Pride”, as well as “Better Health” magazine, and a blog entitled “Your Health and You”. The book, however, was a different story.

“As I began my wellness coaching, I found I was giving out recipes as part of the programme, and at the time, that was enough for me, although some of my clients had suggested I put them in a book; I tried but it was a frustrating process initially. However, one day I thought, “These recipes aren’t doing anything just sitting here on the computer; why not put them in a book?”

So far the first batch of copies of “Plant-Based Cuisine” has sold out, and she is hoping that the demand continues.
“The response so far has shown me that people really want to eat healthy. It is not aimed at turning people into vegans, but simply encouraging them to put more healthy foods into their diets. If we want to prevent disease and for our bodies to heal themselves, we have to start by changing our bad eating habits.”

“This book is a personal nutrition coach without the hefty price tag and every home should have one. Actually it is like having me right there in your kitchen guiding you through the transition to improve your health by starting with what you put on your plate. I have been there; my body was in distress, changing to a plant-based diet helped me become healthier and that is what I want to do for everyone.” (DH)