A study, conducted by the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), said the UK’s ‘obesity crisis’ costs almost £47bn every year and is directly linked to the fall in home cooking and the rise in ready meals packed with sugar, fat and salt.
Beverley Glock runs low carb, low sugar workshops with an eye for economy as well as health. She says, “There’s a pressing need to re-educate ourselves and discover how easy and economical it is to cook from scratch to make healthy, great tasting food for all the family to share.”
Glock says that cookery books and TV series are part of the answer but many people find following recipes difficult and prefer a more ‘hands-on’ approach with verbal instruction. So to address this need she has launched a new style of cookery class at her cookery school in Princes Risborough, the aim of which is to inspire and teach adults to cook healthy, delicious food easily and simply. One of the workshops focuses on omitting white food and sugar, replacing it with healthier, lower carb alternatives. Glock says, “These dishes keeping you feeling full while being delicious too.”
Another topic she works on is covered in her Superfood workshop with healthy recipes and using superfood grains and ingredients to make delicious meals. The workshop covers how to use ingredients such as agave, lucuma, quinoa as well as gluten, dairy and sugar alternatives in baking.
As well as wishing to make healthier food for her family and friends, Glock was also inspired to push this forward due to her own health concerns. She says, “Over the years I have battled to keep my weight down and found the most effective way is to reduce carbs and remove sugar. I have lost weight, my skin is much better and I have more energy now. Now I can really notice the ‘sugar’ craving happen after I eat something containing sugar. I want to help people achieve their weight goals and eat more healthily.”
Glock’s cookery school runs a range of different seasonal workshops for adults. For those who cannot attend, there are recipe programmes on her YouTube channel. People who come on the workshops also have these as guides once they return home. The workshops are held at Glock’s farmhouse kitchen on the edge of the Chiltern Hills usually with 4-6 participants. They are priced between £75-95 depending on the length (3-5 hours) and content. The atmosphere is informal with a focus on learning new skills. Accommodation is available but needs to be booked well in advance. Glock has also founded a series of Splat Cooking Parties for children.
www.splatcooking.net/cooking-parties
www.beverleyglock.com
www.youtube.com/beverleyglock
News items and features like this appear in the Desang Diabetes Magazine, our free-to-receive digital journal. We cover diabetes news, diabetes management equipment (diabetes ‘kit’ such as insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring equipment) and news about food suitable for a diabetic diet including a regular Making Carbs Count column. Go to the top of this page to sign up – we just need your email address. www.desang-magazine.co.uk
