• Laine Griffiths defied a doctor’s prediction she’d be living in a wheelchair.

IT’S hard to believe Laine Griffiths was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis 15 years ago.

The Fremantle resident seems to glow with health, and when not busy running her new company Goldspoon Cuisine packs in a regular regime of yoga and swimming.

Ms Griffiths had been working as a teacher when she received the bleak diagnosis from her doctor, who told her to expect wheelchairs and heavy medication for the rest of her life.

Determined to give her body the best chance to fight the condition naturally, she threw herself into researching traditional nutrition and wholefood diets, which earlier this year culminated in setting up Goldspoon Cuisine.

The company’s name itself reflects the yellow tinge everything in her kitchen acquired from her liberal use of turmeric, a pungent and nutrient-rich spice. Its benefits are trifold – anti-inflammatory, anti-oxident and anti-depressant – and in countries with turmeric-rich diets such as India it is attributed to lower rates of cancer and other diseases.

The kitchen is still Ms Griffiths’ ’factory’, pumping out a range of artisan products such as turmeric ghee, activated nut and seed salad sprinklings and superfoods seasonings. Soon she’ll be adding chocolate to the menu.

“My biggest joy is nourishing people through the gift of food,” Ms Griffiths said.

Medicinal bites

A training program through the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme helped kick Goldspoon to the next level, and she now runs a stall at the Mt Claremont Markets every Saturday, serving medicinal bites and turmeric lattes.

Another important aspect of the business is “bespoke catering”, Ms Griffiths said.

The name refers to her ability to adapt the menu to take in the ever-increasing list of specialty diets, with homemade dips, sourdough breads, quality crackers and – most importantly – healthy treats.

Ms Griffiths says being as healthy as possible requires feeding the mind as well as the body, and acknowledges her own journey hasn’t been without its challenges.

One of the toughest points was the mental turmoil she faced when her doctor insisted she’d be better off on medication, despite the improvements she was making in her life through her research into healthy living.

by ALEX MURFETT

Goldspoon Cuisine
Mt Claremont Markets
Saturdays
http://www.goldspooncuisine.com
Catering inquiries: 0449 684 105