Renowned plant-based and sustainable chef Bettina Campolucci Bordi has been on a mission to share the joys of plant-based eating with the world since experiencing first hand the profound impact a wholefood plant-based diet can have on health and wellbeing. Having been raised in a multicultural home where food was home-made, home-grown and wholesome, eating mindfully with an appreciation for slow food was always in her blood: it wasn’t long before her work in the food industry shifted into researching the power of plants. It was a shift which boosted her own health and which led to her building a career as a global wellness retreat chef where she could support others to do the same.
Having attended Bettina’s Retreat Chef Academy in London two years ago with fellow food and wellness enthusiasts from around the world, I know just how much energy Bettina brings to what can only be described as a calling: she inspired each of us to be more creative in the kitchen, upskilled us significantly in everything from making plant-based milks to plating feasts with flair and taught us how to be more sustainable in our approach to food. As I catch up with Bettina to talk about women’s health and nutrition she is as enthusiastic about the benefits of plant-based eating as always and just as generous with her time, experience and knowledge.
We start by reflecting on her observations about women’s health from her 12 years cheffing at retreats around the world.
‘I’ve worked in some beautiful places as a retreat chef: Mongolia, Iceland, Bali, Italy, Spain, India, Equador, the Amazon… The most common health issues I’ve seen in the women who go on retreats are linked to stress and anxiety. Very often they’re there for a fresh start - a re-set following burnout – or they’re recovering from an illness like cancer. Most of them have never taken time out for themselves because as women we’re carers – we’re too busy putting everyone else first. I keep the food at retreats fibre rich, full of plant diversity and seasonal and when you do that the benefits can be felt almost immediately. Within one week of eating that way you can start to feel better. Women are often so busy in their lives that feeding themselves properly and cooking from scratch fall very far down the list. We turn to convenience foods.’
Bettina focuses on using wholefoods in her retreat menus which are designed for optimum nutritional impact. Specialising in plant-based and gluten free cooking as a career has made Bettina an expert in sourcing and using alternative ingredients which enable her to showcase diversity in her menus. Cooking this way has also allowed her to experiment with a wider range of produce native to the localities of the retreats and with ingredients which are generally under-used but incredibly nutrient rich, for example seeds and lesser-known grains.
‘I always try to showcase the diversity in the plant world and the range of ingredients it’s possible to use in a wholefood-based diet. There’s so much colour and texture to be found in plants and I load my plate with them. I always say it’s not about what you should take away from your diet but rather what you should add and when you diversify like that, keeping it as wholefood - based as possible, it transforms the way you eat and feel.’
So how can people increase the plant diversity in their diets at home?
‘One of the easiest ways is to get a veg box delivered each week. For the same price as a pub lunch you can have organic, seasonal, locally produced veg delivered right to your door which can introduce you to new vegetables and challenge you to try new recipes. It’s a really good way to start eating a more diverse diet.’
Bettina is quick to add however, that there is plenty of wholefood goodness to be found in everyday products - not all the diversity has to come from introducing exotic new fruits and vegetables. When I ask her what her power foods would be, the ones which nutritionally she would choose above all others, it’s ingredients found in cupboards that she lists.
‘Nuts, particularly walnuts, are super-heroes in the food world and yet they’re so often undervalued. It’s the same with seeds. Chia seeds, hemp seeds – they’re incredibly good for you. All kinds of cabbages are good too. Kale is the one everyone talks about but honestly any type of cabbage is nutrient rich. Olive oil is another wonder food – it’s incredible. If you do one thing in the kitchen swap out your vegetable oil for olive oil. Don’t scrimp on that one. Another one’s honey. It’s an amazing food with so many benefits. The best foods are all normal, everyday ingredients.’
With a career which takes her all over the world and sees her attending a never-ending stream of events and media appearances, running training academies and workshops, writing books (Bettina has 3 cookery books under her belt) and developing new recipes while doing all of her own social media and being a wife and mother, I ask her how she manages to take care of her own wellbeing as well as everyone else’s.
‘The big one for me is technology. I think you have to set very firm boundaries there. If the first thing you do when you wake up is check your phone and your e-mail then you’re working from the moment you open your eyes. And if you’re doing that you’re not enjoying quality time with your family for that first hour in the day. I keep that first hour for myself and my family. We have breakfast together, talk to each other. I put the phone away if I’m having dinner with friends too. If it’s on the table it’s a distraction so I put it in my bag. We’re all so busy looking at our phones all the time. Have you ever looked at people standing in a queue anywhere? We’re all on our phones. There’s no space for moments of incidental conversation anymore – we’ve lost that and it’s a shame. We need to learn to put our phones away. It’s particularly important when we’re eating. It doesn’t matter if you’re eating alone or with others, we need to eat more mindfully and learn to just sit with ourselves wherever we are.’
Finding time to exercise is another priority for Bettina with strength training being a new addition to her weekly routine and it’s a move which is all about playing the long game.
‘As we get older, particularly as women, what we need changes and I’m thinking ahead. I need to keep my muscles strong, stay flexible, keep my balance – all the things which keep us healthy and free from injury as we get older.’
As we chat it’s clear that slowing down and being mindful about the choices we make are guiding principles for Bettina which is no mean feat given her demanding schedule. When it comes to food, slow food is best: she has built an illustrious career promoting the benefits of local, organic, sustainable plant-based food for personal and planetary health. In her private life, finding moments to slow down and be present so that she can enjoy quality time with family and friends is a fundamental priority for her own wellbeing. Whether ditching technology, taking time to cook from scratch or exercising to stay fit and healthy in your old age Bettina is passionate about self-care being the key to good health and she’s clear that there’s no better way to start than by making more conscious food choices which nourish you from the inside out.
