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8 Friday, October 6 2017 brooklintowncrier.com This past year I've seen a huge surge in interest in plant-based eating. It seems that more and more people are considering cutting back on animal products or eliminating them completely. Just last week I spoke at Lakeridge Health and they had their largest turnout ever for a "lunch and learn." I'm excited about the increased interest, so in preparation for the Lakeridge Health talk, I came up with these handy tips to going plant-based, fully or partially. Ready to try a plant based lifestyle? Here are some tips to get you started: Swap regular cow's milk for unsweetened nut milks. Breakfast is easy: try oatmeal, smoothies, high quality breads like Ezekiel Bread, with nut butters.Try meatless and/or cheeseless meals a few nights a week. Find recipes with simple ingredients. Go ethnic; many cultures eat little or no meat. Leafy greens are the key to great energy and health. Plant-based proteins are amazing. Top sources are broccoli, peas, legumes, lentils, quinoa and hemp seeds. Follow plant-based bloggers. They're a great source of inspiration and recipes. Be gentle on yourself. Going out for a dinner? Call ahead and let the chef know you are plant-based; most quality restaurants will have an option for you. My favourite breakfast? Toasted Ezekiel Bread (this bread is a complete protein), topped with ½ a mashed avocado (good fats). I sprinkle a bit of nutritional yeast (fortified with B12) on the avocado and top it will some micro greens. I first tried this at the Little Organic Kitchen in Whitby and it soon became one of my go-to breakfasts. Sheree's Hack: Store avocados in the refrigerator so they don't all ripen at once. Plant-Based Eating by Sheree Nicholson Our Councillor's Report by Rhonda Mulcahy Tips to get startedCouncil update Direct: 905.655.7236 Office: 905.239.4800 Next week at our council meeting, you will see the culmination of our last couple of meetings. Brookvalley At planning, we saw the site plan application for the Brookvalley Development at the corner of Baldwin Street and Way Street. You may recall this came before planning last year. There were some minor revisions to the plan and we set the conditions for approval for the site. As a refresher, this is a two storey multi-unit commercial building. There is a second storey walkway between the two buildings and the parking is at the back along Price Street. The zoning permits the intended use of a banking establishment, a restaurant, and other smaller retail and office spaces. The plan has been vetted through Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA), the Town of Whitby Heritage Committee (LACAC), the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), Durham Region Works Department and Whitby Public Works Department. There always seems to be more to a project than we could ever anticipate but, if passed, it seems to be coming to a point where we may see more than dirt moving soon. Public Meetings We also saw a report to make changes to our public meeting process. For those who rarely attend Town Hall, we currently have the proponent speak first, then the public give comment. Then we pull the proponent back to the table to answer the questions posed by the public. If passed at council, we will have planning staff present the application, the proponent will address the committee and the community will have the last word to comment and ask questions. Staff will then work with the proponent after the public meeting to address the public's concerns. If you have ever attended such meetings, I would be eager to hear your feedback on this. The community engagement on applications is an important part of the process for us as your representatives. We want to hear from you and have you comfortable coming forward with your concerns. Signs Finally, the PLEASE SLOW DOWN signs have allowed me to speak directly with many of you who didn't know anything about Whitby Road Watch. I would encourage you to read the page 6 article about it or visit the DRPS site. This is a great program that can have the speeders taking accountability for their actions. Check it out. North Ward Councillor, Town of Whitby mulcahyr@whitby.ca