Inside out plant base

05/11/2025

STOP THE CARNIVAL 🎩🐎➡️🚫
Every first Tuesday in November we dress up, place a “once-a-year flutter,” and look away. The Melbourne Cup isn’t harmless fun—it’s a machine that pushes horses past breaking point while turning people into customers for life. Cruelty on track. Harm at home.

🐴 The horses don’t consent
A racehorse in Australia dies about every two days from catastrophic injuries or race-related events. That’s not a slogan—that’s documented in the latest Deathwatch report. And in 2025, a Tasmanian court recognised what common sense tells us: even padded racing whips cause pain—legally “unreasonable and unjustifiable.” EIPH (lung bleeding) and sudden deaths are known welfare risks in Thoroughbred racing.
Horse Racing Kills
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equitationscience.com
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🎰 The money is in the gambling, not the glory
Australia lost $31.5 billion to gambling in 2022–23—the highest in two decades, and we top the world for per-capita losses. Cup Day is a giant acquisition funnel for betting apps. Since launch, BetStop (the national self-exclusion register) has seen tens of thousands sign up—proof of how many Aussies are struggling.
AIHW
+2
acma.gov.au
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Two problems, one engine
Horses pay with their bodies. Households pay with rent money, relationships and mental health. We celebrate a spectacle that needs both to keep spinning.

What we can do (today)
• Opt out of sweeps and Cup parties—host a lunch instead and donate to rescue/rehab groups.
• If betting is creeping in, self-exclude via BetStop and add bank/venue blocks.
• Back reforms that actually bite: transparent injury/death reporting, phase-out of the whip, ad bans and real pre-commitment limits.

We can build a culture that values compassion over costume and profits. Let’s stop calling cruelty a tradition. 💚



Sources (easy copy/paste)

• Greens media release (Cup “carnival of cruelty”, call for reform).
The Australian Greens

• Deathwatch 2025: One horse dies every 2.0 days (full report, Oct 2025).
Horse Racing Kills

• Court ruling (Tasmania, May 2025): Padded racing whips cause unjustifiable pain.
equitationscience.com
+2
Horse Racing Kills
+2

• RSPCA: EIPH (lung bleeding), sudden deaths and other welfare issues in racing.
kb.rspca.org.au

• AIHW: Gambling losses $31.5b in 2022–23, highest in 20 years; world-leading per-capita losses.
AIHW

• ACMA (BetStop): National self-exclusion register stats (2025).
acma.gov.au
+2
acma.gov.au
+2

16/10/2025

Appreciate what you do for the animals 🫶💚

04/10/2025

Who Taught You How to Eat? — I’ve just uploaded the intro video for my new series + book. It’s a human, no-BS look at food, health, behaviour, and compassion—what the science says, why we ignore it, and how to make change stick.
This is a brand-new InsideOut YouTube—I’d love your support. Please watch, subscribe, like, and drop a comment with the biggest question you want answered next. Let’s help someone you love, one meal at a time. 🌱❤️

InsideOut Plant-Based is a Noosa-born project by Peter Trainer—chef, photographer, educator—sharing evidence-based nutrition, practical habits, and heart-led...

04/10/2025

https://youtu.be/9WDflheZehs

InsideOut Plant-Based is a Noosa-born project by Peter Trainer—chef, photographer, educator—sharing evidence-based nutrition, practical habits, and heart-led...

01/10/2025

WHAT’S REALLY IN A SAUSAGE (AUSTRALIA) — NO FLUFF

Sausages aren’t just “prime cuts in a tube.” In Australia, “sausage” legally means minced/comminuted meat encased or formed, and it only has to be at least 50% fat-free meat flesh. “Meat flesh” can include skeletal muscle plus fat, connective tissue, nerves, blood and vessels (and poultry skin if it’s a chicken sausage). If offal is used (e.g., liver, heart, kidney, tongue, tripe), it must be named on the label.

Casings can be natural (cleaned animal intestines) or manufactured (collagen or cellulose). Most fresh sausages are raw and need cooking; frankfurts/hot dogs are typically processed/cooked products and are a different category with different additives.

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WHAT ACTUALLY GOES INTO SAUSAGES
• MEAT & FAT: The core is minced meat plus fat (often a lot more fat than you’d expect).
• WATER/ICE & SALT: For texture and to extract binding proteins.
• FILLERS/BINDERS: Breadcrumbs or rusk, flours, oats, soy or milk powders to bind and hold moisture.
• SPICES & FLAVOURS: Paprika, pepper, garlic, fennel, herbs, smoke flavours, etc.
• CASINGS: Natural or manufactured, as above.
• OFFAL (IF USED): Must be declared—look for it on the label if you care to include/avoid it.

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ADDITIVES & PRESERVATIVES (WHAT PEOPLE MISS)
• SULPHITES IN FRESH SAUSAGES: Common in raw/fresh sausages (look for numbers 220–228). These help colour/keep freshness but can trigger reactions in sensitive people (including some asthmatics).
• NITRITES IN CURED/PROCESSED MEATS: Frankfurts, hot dogs, saveloys, salami often use nitrites for curing and colour/stability. Fresh raw sausages in Australia typically don’t use nitrites.
• PHOSPHATES/EMULSIFIERS: Often used in processed “hot-dog style” products to stabilise texture.
• ALLERGENS: Gluten (breadcrumbs), milk, soy, and sulphites are the big ones to watch.

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HEALTH UPSIDES (LIMITED) VS. RISKS (THE BIGGER STORY)

Upsides (animal sausages): Protein, iron, B-12. You can get these from less processed foods too.

The bigger issues:
• SALT: Many sausages are salt bombs. A single snag can push you close to a big chunk of your maximum daily sodium target.
• PROCESSED MEAT RISK: The evidence specifically tags processed/cured meats (frankfurts/hot dogs/salami) with increased colorectal cancer risk when eaten regularly.
• FAT & CALORIES: High fat content plus refined fillers = easy to overeat, not very satiating per calorie.
• COOKING BY-PRODUCTS: High-heat charring forms HCAs/PAHs. The blacker the burn, the higher the load—especially relevant for frequent BBQs.

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SAFETY NOTES YOU SHOULD KNOW
• COOK THOROUGHLY: Because sausages are minced, aim for ≥75 °C in the centre. No pink/soft centres.
• FRANKFURTS/HOT DOGS & LISTERIA: If you’re pregnant or immune-suppressed, reheat steaming hot before eating.
• CROSS-CONTAMINATION: Raw sausages = raw mince. Keep boards/knives separate; wash hands; don’t reuse raw-meat trays for cooked food.

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HOW TO PICK A “LESS-BAD” SAUSAGE (LABEL CHEAT-SHEET)
• SHORT INGREDIENT LIST: Prefer recognisable ingredients.
• OFFAL NAMED: If it’s in there, it has to be declared—choose based on preference.
• COMPARE PER 100 G: Pick the lowest sodium option on the shelf.
• SKIP CURED/PROCESSED STYLES when you can (that’s where the strongest long-term risk evidence sits).
• BBQ SMARTER: Avoid flames licking the sausage, flip often, don’t incinerate. Par-cook gently first, then colour briefly.

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PLANT-BASED SAUSAGES (USEFUL CONTEXT)

Plant-based versions avoid heme/nitrite issues, but can still be salty and oily. Same rule: compare per 100 g for sodium and saturated fat. Best-in-class options are whole-food mixes you can make yourself (beans, mushrooms, tofu, oats, seeds) with spices for flavour.

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A CLEAN, WHOLE-FOOD SWAP: SMOKY MUSHROOM–CHICKPEA “SAUSAGE” (BBQ-FRIENDLY) 🌱

Ingredients
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• 250 g mushrooms, very finely chopped
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¾ cup quick oats
• 2 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water (mix, rest 5 min)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp fennel seeds (lightly crushed)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½–1 tsp salt, to taste
• Optional: 1 tsp of my InsideOut Tofu Magic blend for an extra hit 🔥

Method
1. Sauté onion, garlic, and mushrooms over medium heat until the pan looks dry and the mushrooms have given off their moisture (key for texture).
2. Mash chickpeas in a bowl until mostly smooth with a few chunks.
3. Mix in oats, flax gel, tomato paste, spices, salt, and the mushroom mix. Stir until tacky. Rest 10 minutes (oats/flax hydrate).
4. Shape into short logs (or patties).
5. Lightly oil and bake 200 °C for ~18–20 minutes or pan-sear to set; finish briefly on a hot grill to colour.
Result: Juicy, smoky, satisfying—no mystery bits.

Make-ahead tip: Form, chill (or freeze), then cook from chilled. Firmness improves and they hold shape beautifully on the BBQ.

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BOTTOM LINE
• Fresh Aussie sausages can legally be only 50% fat-free meat, with the rest from fat, water, fillers and additives; offal must be named.
• The big everyday issue is salt, then fat and BBQ charring.
• The long-term evidence focuses on processed/cured meats (e.g., frankfurts/hot dogs)—limit those.
• If you love the ritual, tweak the how (smarter cooking) and the what (whole-food swaps more often).

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PERSONAL NOTE

A dinner-table conversation got me thinking. Even with a chef’s background, I still find it wild how many people don’t actually know what goes into sausages. We throw them on the barbie and tuck in without a second thought—and then, later on, wonder why our health isn’t where we want it to be. This isn’t about shame; it’s about curiosity and care. Read the label, ask questions, and try the whole-food swap above. Your future self will thank you.💚
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WHO TAUGHT YOU HOW TO EAT? — BY INSIDEOUT PLANT BASED
https://insideoutplantbased.com

At the heart of a thriving plant-based community lie a set of core values and beliefs that deeply resonate with its members. These principles not only underpin the motivations for adopting a plant-based lifestyle but also foster strong connections among individuals who share similar ideals. Central....

01/10/2025

🌿 Herbs, Spices & Secret Seeds: The Garden of Vegan Healing 🌿

Let me share something with you, from one food lover to another.

As a qualified chef, flavour has always been my first love. The right combination of herbs and spices can transform a dish from bland to beautiful. But here’s the part we weren’t taught in culinary school…

💡 Herbs and spices aren’t just for flavour. Many of them are deeply healing — loaded with nutrients, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and age-old wisdom that pharmaceutical companies can’t patent (though they often try).

Modern medicine has brought us many breakthroughs — some of them life-saving. But others only camouflage the problem. They cover symptoms, not the root cause. And the truth is, long before lab coats and pill bottles, humans turned to the Garden of Earth — and it worked. 🌱

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🥄 So What Should You Add to Your Daily Meals?

Here are some simple, subtle, but powerful additions you can sprinkle into your meals without changing the flavour too much — but with massive nutritional benefits:

✅ Nori Flakes – A seaweed rich in iodine, iron, calcium, and B vitamins. Supports thyroid health and detox pathways.
✅ Sesame Seeds – High in calcium, magnesium, and healthy fats. Great for bones, skin, and heart health.
✅ Hemp Seeds – Complete plant protein with omega-3s, iron, and zinc. Supports muscles, immunity, and mood.
✅ Nutritional Yeast – Cheesy flavour, packed with B12 (if fortified), protein, and fibre. Great for gut and brain.
✅ Smoked Paprika – Adds depth and antioxidants. Contains capsaicin for metabolism and pain relief.
✅ Turmeric + Black Pepper – A dynamic duo. Turmeric reduces inflammation, and pepper boosts its absorption 2000%.
✅ Coriander, Sage, Oregano, Rosemary – These herbs aren’t just aromatic — they fight bacteria, aid digestion, and even improve memory.
✅ Cumin, Fennel & Ginger – Support the gut, boost digestion, and reduce bloating or gas.

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🔥 What This Means for You

Every sprinkle, dash, or grind of these ingredients is a step toward healing. You don’t need to overhaul your whole diet overnight — just start adding in these powerful allies.

That’s why I’m introducing (or re-introducing) each herb or spice in future posts. I want you to understand the methodology behind the ingredients — not just what to use, but why.

It’s time we return to the garden of healing. The Garden of Vegan, if you will.

So whether you’re seasoning your tofu, dressing your greens, or finishing your rice bowl — these little touches can pack a flavourful punch and nutritional upgrade all in one.

Let food be your medicine — not your mystery. 🌿🍽️

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🧂Tag a friend who loves herbs
💬 Got a favourite spice or secret healing ingredient? Drop it below ⬇️
🔄 Share this with someone who needs some kitchen inspiration

01/10/2025

The Accidental Revolution: How a Broke College Student’s Grocery Mistake Changed Everything
By Claude Morrison
Portland, Oregon — Maya Chen never planned to save the world. She just wanted to stop feeling terrible.
It was 2 AM on a Tuesday when the economics major found herself hunched over her laptop in a dim dorm room, frantically Googling “why do I feel like garbage all the time.” She was 21, perpetually exhausted, and surviving on a diet that consisted mainly of whatever her meal plan would cover at the campus food court.
“I’d wake up and immediately feel like I needed a nap,” she tells me over video chat, her background now a sun-drenched kitchen in a Portland co-op. “My skin looked gray. I thought maybe I had mono, or early-onset everything.”
The search results kept pointing her toward nutrition. One link led to another, and by 4 AM, she’d fallen down a rabbit hole about whole foods and plant-based eating. “I found this documentary, then this blog, then suddenly I was reading about blue zones and longevity and I thought… what if I just tried it?”
Here’s where it gets interesting.
Maya didn’t go plant-based for the animals, or the planet, or even really for her health at first. She did it because she was broke and found out dried beans cost 89 cents a pound.
“I did the math,” she laughs. “Rice, beans, frozen vegetables, oatmeal, peanut butter—I could eat for like $25 a week. My meal plan was costing my parents $15 a day and I felt like death. It seemed worth trying.”
She gave herself two weeks.
Within five days, something shifted. “I woke up at 7 AM without an alarm and felt… awake? Like actually awake. I thought it was a coincidence.” By day ten, her brain fog had lifted. Two weeks in, a persistent acne problem she’d had since high school started clearing up.
“That’s when I got scared,” she admits. “Because it was working, and I didn’t understand why.”
What happened next is where Maya’s story becomes something bigger.
Instead of just continuing her accidental experiment, she did what any good economics student would do: she started collecting data. She convinced her roommate, then three friends down the hall, then half her econ study group to try it with her for 30 days. She created a simple tracking system—energy levels, sleep quality, mood, spending, even academic performance.
The results were absurd. Eleven out of thirteen participants reported dramatic improvements in energy. Nine said their skin cleared up. Every single person saved money. And here’s the kicker: their average GPA went up 0.3 points that semester.
“We thought we’d broken something,” Maya says. “So we did it again with a bigger group.”
Word spread. Soon Maya wasn’t just running a personal experiment—she was accidentally leading a campus movement. Students started calling it “The Maya Method,” though she cringes at the name. Dining halls began offering more plant-based options due to demand. The campus newspaper wrote a feature. A local grocery store donated bulk bins of grains and legumes for a cooking workshop she organized that drew 200 people.
But the real magic happened in the stories.
There was James, a football player who’d been told he needed surgery for chronic inflammation in his knee. Three months of plant-based eating later, the inflammation was gone. His surgeon was baffled.
There was Professor Eileen Hartley, a 58-year-old chemistry teacher who attended one of Maya’s workshops out of curiosity and later called it “the best decision of the decade.” Her cholesterol dropped 60 points. She ditched her blood pressure medication with her doctor’s approval.
There was the custodian, Mr. Rodriguez, who asked Maya for advice because he’d seen her throwing a plant-based potluck in the common room. He’d been pre-diabetic for years. Six months later, his A1C was normal.
“That’s when I realized this wasn’t about me anymore,” Maya says, her voice quieting. “People were taking control of something. Their health, their money, their energy—things that had felt impossible to change were changing.”
Today, three years later, Maya runs a nonprofit called “The 89-Cent Revolution” (named after that first bag of beans). It’s not a diet organization or a advocacy group—it’s something harder to categorize. They teach cooking classes in low-income neighborhoods. They help school cafeterias redesign their menus without increasing budgets. They train peer educators on college campuses across 23 states.
The tagline? “Start with your grocery receipt. Change everything else.”
I ask her what she’d say to someone who thinks plant-based eating is expensive, elitist, or impossible to maintain.
“I’d say you’re right to be skeptical,” she responds immediately. “Most of the messaging around this is garbage—it’s bougie wellness culture selling $12 smoothies and exotic superfoods. That’s not what changed my life.”
She pulls up a photo on her phone: a receipt from last week’s grocery haul. $31.47. “This is a week of food,” she says. “Curries, stir-fries, Buddha bowls, pasta, chili. Nothing fancy. Just real food that makes you feel like a human being instead of a trash can.”
But she’s careful to add context. “Look, I’m not saying everyone needs to eat exactly like me. I’m saying that most people have no idea how much power they have over how they feel. We’ve been taught that being tired, sick, and broke is just… normal? It doesn’t have to be.”
The most surprising part of Maya’s story isn’t the health transformations or the money saved or even the growing movement she’s building. It’s what she discovered about human nature along the way.
“People don’t change because you shame them or scare them or prove you’re morally superior,” she tells me. “People change when they feel something shift inside themselves and think, ‘Oh my god, what else is possible?’”
She pauses, choosing her words carefully. “That first week when I started feeling better? I didn’t just want to keep eating beans. I wanted to fix my sleep schedule. I wanted to call my mom. I wanted to study harder. It was like one good choice made every other good choice feel easier. That’s the revolution—not the food itself, but the momentum.”
As we’re wrapping up, I ask her what’s next.
“Honestly? I want to reach the people who think this stuff isn’t for them. The shift workers, the parents with three kids, the people working two jobs who think they don’t have time to cook. Those are my people—because three years ago, I was one grocery mistake away from never discovering any of this.”
She grins. “And if a broke, exhausted college student eating ramen every day can figure this out? Anyone can.”
The 89-Cent Revolution offers free resources and community-led cooking workshops. Maya’s book, “Accidentally Healthy: An Economics Major’s Guide to Feeling Human,” comes out next spring.

27/09/2025

I've just reached 100 followers! Thank you for continuing support. I could never have made it without each and every one of you. 🙏🤗🎉

25/09/2025

📖 WHO TAUGHT YOU HOW TO EAT?

Coming Soon — Created by InsideOut Plant-Based™

We all grew up being told what’s “good” for us. Trust the labels. Drink your milk. Follow the food pyramid. But did anyone ever stop to ask… who taught you how to eat?

This book pulls back the curtain on the myths, marketing, and half-truths that have shaped our plates for generations. It’s fact, not fiction — built on seven years of research, science, and lived experience by Peter Trainer.

Inside you’ll discover:
🥛 Why so many can’t digest dairy (and why that’s not an accident)
🥩 The truth about protein — and why plants give you more than you think
📊 How government guidelines were shaped by industry, not health
🛒 The tricks behind food labels and “approved” stamps
💡 Simple steps you can take today to reclaim your health

It’s eye-opening, sometimes confronting, but always empowering. This is the book that will change how you see food forever.

✨ Coming soon.
By InsideOut Plant-Based™

👉 Visit InsideOutPlantBased.com to join the mailing list and receive your FREE digital copy when the book launches.

25/09/2025

🌱 PLANT-BASED COMMUNITY UPDATE - SUNSHINE COAST & NOOSA 🌱
Hey beautiful souls! 💚
IMPORTANT CORRECTION - Thanks to Joey for pointing out outdated information! ✅
We've thoroughly fact-checked everything and here's the accurate, updated info for you! 🙌
🎉 INSIDE OUT PLANT-BASED GET-TOGETHER 🎉
📅 Sunday, October 12th at 12pm
🤝 For like-minded people planning educational events around the Sunshine Coast
🌱 Whether you're fully plant-based, thinking about making the switch, on the verge of transition, or just curious - YOU ARE WELCOME!
💫 Come connect, share stories, learn from each other, and help us plan amazing educational events for our community!
🌱 VEGAN MARKETS UPDATE:
❌ SUNSHINE COAST VEGAN MARKETS: Currently NOT RUNNING in 2025 - they appear to have ceased operations
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Those September 24th & November 5th dates were from 2023 posts that were incorrectly circulating. September 24th wasn't even a Sunday, and November 5th isn't a Sunday either!
📍 Current QLD Vegan Markets (Brisbane/Gold Coast only):

October 3, 2025 (Friday) - Mt Gravatt Showgrounds 🎪
October 18, 2025 (Saturday) - Gold Coast 🏖️
November 7, 2025 (Friday) - Mt Gravatt Showgrounds 🎪

Follow on Instagram for official updates!
🥕 MEANWHILE, AMAZING PLANT-FORWARD OPTIONS ON THE SUNSHINE COAST:
WEEKLY MARKETS:
✨ Noosa Farmers Market - EVERY SUNDAY 6am-12pm
📍 Weyba Road, Noosaville

Fresh organic produce, local seasonal goodies
Click & collect + free delivery (postcode 4567)
Perfect for plant-based meal prep!

✨ Original Eumundi Markets - WED & SAT 7:30am-2pm
📍 80 Memorial Drive, Eumundi (15 mins from Noosa!)

Australia's biggest arts & crafts market with amazing produce
Handmade goods, fresh local produce, food stalls

✨ Caloundra Street Fair - EVERY SUNDAY 8am-1pm
📍 Bulcock Street, Caloundra

Over 120 stalls, fresh produce, live music

✨ Cotton Tree Markets - EVERY SUNDAY 7am-12pm
📍 King Street, Maroochydore

Artisan stalls, local produce, beachside vibes

✨ Kawana Waters Farmers Market - EVERY SATURDAY 6am-12pm
📍 Sportsmans Parade, Bokarina

Fresh local produce, organic options, artisanal goods

✨ Yandina Markets - EVERY SATURDAY 6am-12pm
📍 North Street, Yandina

Spray-free produce, plants, country charm

FORTNIGHTLY/MONTHLY:
✨ Peregian Beach Markets - 1st & 3rd SUNDAY 7:30am-12:30pm
📍 Kingfisher Park, Peregian Beach

Seaside vibes with ethical fashion & local goods

✨ Sunshine Coast Collective Markets - 2nd & 4th SUNDAY 8am-12pm
📍 Coolum State School

Local artisans, foodies, growers

✨ Witta Markets - 1st & 3rd SATURDAY 7am-12pm
📍 Blackall Range (past Maleny)

Fresh produce picked that morning, homemade treats

💬 Who's been to any of these markets recently? Drop your fave plant-based finds in the comments! 👇
Don't forget to let us know if you're coming to our October 12th get-together! We're so excited to meet everyone and start building something amazing together. Whether you're a seasoned plant-based warrior or just starting to explore this beautiful lifestyle - your voice matters! 🤗
Let's keep supporting our local plant-based community with these amazing farmers markets while we work on bringing dedicated vegan markets back to the Sunshine Coast! 🙌