Left to right: Lydia, Dollie and Alma
Recipe photograph LIAM DESBOIS | Shoot director FREDDIE STEWART Food stylist PHIL MUNDY | Stylist FAYE WEARS
In 2015, tragedy struck the Unsudimi family, with a close bereavement wreaking havoc on their mental and physical well-being. When doctors and medication didn’t bring the improvements the family were hoping for, eldest daughter Lydia, now 28, took matters into her own hands, carving a vegan path to recovery for her mum and siblings.
Lydia says, “After we lost our dad Kitoko, our mum Dollie really suffered. They’d been together since she was 19 and the stress of the bereavement resulted in painful flares of ulcerative colitis and arthritis in her knees, putting her in hospital multiple times. Mum suffered with her mental health, too, after dad died and widowhood was isolating and lonely. Food was a comfort but the choices we were making weren’t great.”
Lydia, sister Alma, now 24, and younger siblings Vanessa, 20, and Messiah, 14, all adored mum Dollie’s ‘Deep South’ American cooking. “We loved Mum’s hot dogs, burgers, macaroni cheese, fried chicken and potato salad, but it wasn’t great for our health.”
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Singer Lydia had already been working on healing her acid reflux with dietary changes in order to continue singing, and when Dollie’s medications failed, or came with a high risk of colon cancer, she began to think about making deeper lifestyle changes.
“We were having a lot of processed foods, sugary snacks, and my reflux was painful and affecting my singing voice, Alma’s eczema had been with her since childhood, mum’s inflammatory conditions were debilitating, and Messiah was struggling with asthma.” After researching diets of other cultures and following vegan nutritionists and food content creators online, Lydia devised a plant-based plan for the whole family. After a family meeting, the Unsudimis agreed to clear out the cupboards and make meaningful swaps to give veganism a proper go together.