You're going to adore these two delightful founders of a very cool startup that features delectable world cuisine, social inclusion, and age and cultural diversity. 

Yuru Guo and Frankie Docker were Durham University students when they launched Hey! Food is Ready two years ago. 

They batted back ageist remarks about their ambitious plans - Yuru was 23, Frankie 19 - and got busy building an online platform that's thriving in the hyper-competitive world of corporate events catering. 

Their USP? Home cooks from across the world - immigrants, refugees, retirees and carers among them - making food magic to liven up lunch tables and party trays usually laden with soggy sausage rolls and beige sandwiches. 

What's more, their startup is a social enterprise. The platform opens the door to carefully vetted, certified home cooks to make some good money from their skills. 

And event participants often get to meet the cooks as they savour their creations. 

They've got more than 60 cooks on their books now from 40 countries, including Iraq, Egypt, Ukraine, Lebanon, Thailand, Greece, Portugal and South Korea. 

Yuru and Frankie won grants from Durham University and the Inclusive Innovation Award from the government's innovation arm Innovate UK. That distinction includes a £50,000 grant to develop inclusive innovations within their business. 

They'll be looking for investment soon in keeping with the maxim Yuru learned from her father: "Always dream big and make it happen".

Links

• Hey! Food is Ready
• Recent writeup in Portfolio North
• Yuru on Linkedin
• Frankie on Linkedin

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Can you harm yourself by eating too much spinach? Should those baby leaves we know and love as a "superfood" come with a health warning? And what about almonds? Both are super-high in oxalates.  

If you’re not already rolling your eyes and saying Nooooo Susan, I’ve maxed out on worrying about what to eat when, this fascinating conversation will make you think again.

Sally Norton is a nutritionist and public health leader from Richmond, Virginia raising awareness about oxalates,chemical toxins found in many plants. She suffered decades of ill health before discovering they were the cause of her misery. 

Why focus on oxalates when all plant toxins - lectins, phytates, tannins, glycosylates and goitrogens - can damage our gut and immune system? 

"What makes oxalates special is they're nearly impossible to remove from foods. They accumulate in the body and create long-term damage. They're tiny and get everywhere, messing up cells by stealing essential minerals and electrolytes and causing both physical damage and oxidative stress in cells and their mitochondria. The preparation methods used to disarm many of those other compounds, such as fermentation and high-heat cooking, don't adequately lower the toxic actions of oxalates. " 

"Remember too that the affected cells include our immune system, nerves and brain, glands and critical organs. By the time we reach 40, we all have some degree of a toxic load of oxalate compromising our glands, bones, brain, etcetera. They cause us to miss out on our potential for enjoying our lives, beyond our youth."

Toxic Superfoods, Sally's new book on oxalates, is out this month. 

Enjoy learning all about oxalates. No more heaving plates of spinach for me - just a handful or two! 

Links

• Sally's website
• Sally's book Toxic Superfoods
• Sally on Twitter 
• and on Instagram

Follow The Big Middle

• Website I Twitter I  Instagram I YouTube
• Hosted + produced by Susan Flory
• Music: “Beautiful Day” by Sahin Koc

Support The Big Middle