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Tell us about nood food and its mission.
For years, health foods have sat on the margins, with people thinking they are either too expensive or too complicated to understand. nood food is here to simplify the concept of healthy eating. We strip down food and serve it in its purest form, which means without preservatives or additives.
What are some of the greenest features of nood food?
We are dedicated to the protection and preservation of our environment and community. Our ingredients are sourced locally where possible, ensuring the lowest carbon footprint and providing business to our local community.
Our ingredients are grown in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner with no chemical pesticides, fertilisers or genetically engineered materials. This ensures that not only our food, but our air, soil and water, are free from toxic chemicals.
All of our bottles are PETE 1, which is the most recyclable category of plastics, and we hope to eventually move towards 100% biodegradable plastic. All the paper and cardboard we use is made from recycled materials and is recyclable itself.
In the meantime, plastic recycling bins can be found in all locations where we are stocked. We work hard with our landlords to make recycling a daily part of what we do.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am by trade a web developer, yoga teacher and advocate of the raw vegan food lifestyle. Inspired by my grandmother Blanca Dominguez de Diez Gutierrez who was an agro-ecologist, vegetarian, soy and raw food pioneer, yogi and writer in my home town of Mexico City, I then traveled around the world to learn about raw food as it is practiced in different countries.
In 2010 I became a certified Raw Vegan Chef at the prestigious Matthew Kenney Academy, founded by well known raw food chef Matthew Kenney, co-owner of Mathew Kenney Restaurant and author of many raw vegan cookbooks. I also studied with award winning UK raw vegan chef Russell James. He is popular for his many e-books and videos about the raw vegan culinary arts.
In 2011 I completed the Tree of Life Master Immersion with Dr. Gabriel Cousens, where I learned how to use raw food preparation as a way to restore health and detoxify the body. I gained a in-depth understanding of Spiritual Nutrition, a path for understanding our transcendental relationship with the food we eat and our relationship with the Divine; Conscious Eating a map to personalize our diet according to our physical and exegetical conditions and Juice Fasting, a deep work on learning how to prepare a juice fast in order to detox and reset your physical, emotional and ethereal body from toxins, and restore health and promote longevity.
My latest training was in 2012 was in Bali with Pure Joy Academy, where I assisted wit kitchen and food inventory operations and completed levels 1 to 3 as well as detox training with world famous raw food chef Elaina Love and Chris Whitcoe. I am passionate about learning from and working with amazing raw food instructors from around the world.
I am currently completing a Masters Program on Raw Vegan Spiritual Nutrition with the University of Integrated Science in California and The Culture of Life Institute.
When did you first adopt a green lifestyle?
While living in Mexico City, I started learning about green living by listening to a podcast called “More Hip than Hippie” back in 2007. I learned a lot about the importance of green habits like bringing your own bags to grocery stores, eating more vegetables to reduce your carbon footprint and carpooling during commutes to work/schools to reduce gas consumption.
What is your greenest daily habit?
When it comes to daily habits, I think living a vegan lifestyle is one of the greenest things you can do. Choosing a plant-based diet makes a huge difference to the amount of energy, water and pollution you are causing simply by avoiding any products from the industrially reared meat. If you aren’t ready to go vegan, simply adding more plants to your daily diet by choosing more organic green vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, sea veggies and sprouts can help heal you and the planet.
Share a green Hong Kong tip with our readers.
Learn to make sprout at home! Making your own food at home is an important way to be environmentally-friendly- as well as budget-friendly! Sprouts are easy to make and they provide a great deal of nutrients and enzymes that helps us stay healthy and energetic.
You will need:
- 1 26 oz glass jar
- 1 cotton soup bag/sprouting bag
- 1 rubber band
- 1/2 cup of organic mung beans
First step
- Place 1/2 cup of mung beans and 2 cups of filtered water in a jar.
- Cover jar with soup bag and rubber band to keep it sealed.
- Leave overnight in a cool, dry space away from light.
Second step
- The next day, drain the water from the jar, rinse the beans: add enough clean filtered water to cover the beans, shake a couple of times and drain all the water out.
Third step
- Place the jar at a 30 degree angle, with the lid side facing down. Keep it away from any direct light and leave it for one more day.
Fourth step
- Hopefully, you will start to see the skin of the beans breaking and the tail of the sprouts coming out. If you don’t, repeat second and third step for one more day- until you see the tail of the sprouts reach the size of your finger tip.
- Once sprouted, rinse again and keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. Enjoy your sprouts on any salad, soup or just snack on them directly from the the jar- just add a little lemon juice and high mineral salt! The magic of sprouting is that they are no longer just beans, they are now vegetables, loaded with a lot more nutrition and vitamins than the original beans you started with.
Where is your favorite place to eat green in Hong Kong?
nood Soho is a great spot! Not only because I work there, but because the menu is comprised of dishes with a wide range of organic ingredients and with most of the items being salads- the choices served have a minimal carbon footprint. Consuming a vegan diet and a large amount of raw plant ingredients is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and the environmental pollution caused by the industrial meat industry.
Green Queen Heroes is a monthly series showcasing the talented and relentless individuals who are helping to make Hong Kong a greener, cleaner, kinder place to live and giving us eco-warriors more accessible options!
All images courtesy of Moises Mehl.
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