From local to global: Cookbook wins ‘Best Professional Health & Nutrition Book in the World’
South African pharmaceutical company Pharma Dynamics has been awarded a prestigious culinary accolade at the 2023 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, held in Sweden this past weekend.
Their sixth ‘Cooking from the Heart’ recipe book, the “DASH Edition”, was named the “Best Professional Health & Nutrition Book in the World,” beating entries from more than 150 countries.
The annual Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, often referred to as the “Oscars of gastronomy”, recognises the most outstanding cookbooks and culinary authors, chefs, and publishers worldwide. Pharma Dynamics’s achievement puts South Africa on the map for promoting a healthy lifestyle through food.
Nicole Jennings, the spokesperson for the company, has expressed her excitement and gratitude at winning such esteemed recognition. T
The locally authored cookbook aims to inspire readers to adopt the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan, which prioritises wholesome, well-balanced meals to manage high blood pressure and improve overall health.
The cookbook’s innovative approach towards well-balanced and wholesome meals inspired by South African flavours has resonated with readers globally.
“We never envisioned the initiative to expand to six books, but a decade later, it is more popular than ever and has proven to be an invaluable health resource for the South African public,” Jennings said.
The DASH edition draws attention to the fact that following the DASH eating plan causes dietary intake of magnesium, calcium, and potassium to increase threefold. Many people do not get enough of these minerals through their diets, even though they are crucial for controlling blood pressure.
As a guide to patients, the DASH book lists ingredients that deliver the highest contribution of these minerals per portion size.
The “Cooking from the Heart” recipe book collection comprises six books, starting with the first focusing on traditional South African recipes that have been made heart-healthy; the second includes healthy breakfasts, lunches and snacks for adults and kids; the third on diabetic-friendly meals; the fourth provides healthy braai recipe options; the fifth book highlights food that is high in salt; which should be limited and the sixth edition concentrates on the DASH diet.
When Pharma Dynamics released the free cookbook series to help patients with cardiovascular disease cook healthier meals, they decided to make the books available to the wider public to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke in South Africa, Jennings said. Noting that diet and an active lifestyle are cornerstones to a healthy life.
“Assisting patients with getting credible and easily accessible dietary frameworks is fundamental in our efforts to improve patient outcomes, beyond supplying cost-effective medication.”
South Africans can choose from more than 160 recipes, all of which were created by author and culinary consultant Heleen Meyer, who places a strong emphasis on healthy eating in all of her work, with dieticians from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa.
The “DASH edition”, which won an international award, is the best cooking resource for people who want to prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other metabolic conditions, according to Professor Pamela Naidoo, CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation SA.
“Too many South Africans are stricken with preventable chronic diseases. Following a healthy eating plan, as set out in the ‘Cooking from the Heart’ recipe books; with regular exercise, cutting out smoking and drinking alcohol in moderation, will go a long way in stemming diseases of lifestyle,” Naidoo said.