February 16, 2017
The Long Island PlantPure™ Pod hosted a fun and interactive Dinner with the Doctor event at the home of Caroline Hartridge, Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), on December 15, 2016. The event, organized with the help of Pod leaders Mitchell Castell and Bobby Nagelberg, was a huge success, with 26 people in attendance.
Dr. Hartridge and her wife Elaine Danoff created a delicious taco bar for the Pod to indulge in, which featured everything from rice, beans and guacamole to homemade salsa, hot sauce, and nut cheeses. There were also roasted potatoes, cumin roasted cauliflower, purple cabbage with lime, corn and flour tortillas, and dates with dried black olives and almonds for members to munch on.
After the dinner, Dr. Hartridge spoke about her personal journey to wellness from osteopathic medicine to whole foods, plant-based medicine, explaining that, “these modalities combined helped me heal myself from two chronic health conditions.”
With an undergraduate degree in Environmental Education, Dr. Hartridge has created a practice that acknowledges the connection between the environment and our health. She calls this practice ‘sustainable medicine.’
Dr. Hartridge also held a question and answer session, which gave those attending a chance to hear directly from a professional. In fact, thanks to the connections made at the December event, Dr. Hartridge has since been able to help several people on their plant-based journey.
The Long Island PlantPure™ Pod is active and growing. Mitch says members are quickly spreading the word about the Pod to the local community. Many are from local vegan meetup groups, which provides an opportunity for the Pod to connect the issues of animal and environmental welfare with the health benefits of eating plant-based.
“Providing a support group is just one of the many services our Pod offers,” Mitch remarks. “Many of the people who attend love the comfortable atmosphere to talk all things plant-based with likeminded others—something they really don’t have an opportunity to do at home, work or with friends.”
“It was a wonderful evening, everyone was actively engaged, including those well into their journey, and those new to plant-based eating,” says PPC’s Executive Director, Jody Kass, who is a member of this Pod and attended the event with her husband, Arthur Finkel. “What was especially wonderful was to see all the young people who enthusiastically participated,” she added.
So, what’s next for Long Island PlantPure™?
“We are in the preliminary stages of putting together a VegFest on Long Island,” Mitch explains.
Mitch says they are working on a resource paper to hand out, which would provide basic information and help beginners on their plant-based journey; there is also the potential for another event at the Cinema Arts Center where local WFPB doctors can host presentations.
If you live in or near Long Island, NY, and would like to join this group or find out about an upcoming event, you can do so by visiting either the Long Island PlantPure™ Pod group page or Facebook page, or contact Mitch Castell: mcastell.ppn@gmail.com
To find out more about her practice, visit Dr. Hartridge’s website.
We love seeing the ways you are creating PlantPure communities in your area! Send an email to khelm@plantpurecommunities.org if you would like to share news, updates and events.
By Kristyn Pankiw Helm, Social Media Manager, PlantPure Communities