Lee Holmes knew she had to act after seeing the hospital food served to her brother-in-law

A FORMER TV executive was visiting her brother-in-law in hospital when she noticed — with alarm — what staff were feeding him. That’s when she knew she had to act.

Food author Lee Holmes is all about super charged foods and eating well. Picture: John Appleyard

FORMER TV executive Lee Holmes was visiting her brother-in-law in Sydney’s Manly Hospital when she noticed — with alarm — what staff were feeding him. “He was having treatment for cancer,” says Lee, 49. “The food they were giving him was just so shocking — loads of white bread; desserts with lots of numbers on the containers. He told me that even with the treatment he was having and all the medication he was taking, the food had managed to make him feel even worse.”

Having helped turn her own health around through diet after being struck down by a crippling auto-immune disease in 2006, CommBank’s Australian of the Day believed our hospitals could do better which is why she has been nominated as CommBank’s Australian of the Day – part of a program that celebrates people who make our communities better places to live.

“And I went on radio and challenged the [NSW] health minister Jillian Skinner to live on hospital food for just a few days to see how she felt,” says Lee.

It turns out the government was in the process of putting better menus into hospitals but Lee’s outspoken lobbying expedited the roll-out. “I know how much a roll the right food can play in recovery and in conjunction with medical treatment,” she says.

Lee’s TV career came to a halt when she was floored by auto-immune disease. After discovering nutrient rich foods and changing her diet she recovered and now spends time helping others through her blog www.superchargedfood.com.  ”I want everyone to know how to have better health,” she says. “Life is too precious.”

Tragically, Lee’s brother-in-law passed away but she say others — including cancer patients — stand a better chance at beating disease through better nutrition in hospitals. “Australia is such an abundant country,” she says. “We have amazing fruit and vegetables — all kinds of lovely, healthy foods — and we really should be making the most of that.”

While celebrities make the news day in and day out it’s also worth acknowledging those in our society who work tirelessly among us to make the world a better place. These are our colleagues, friends and family at the coal face. They don’t ask to be celebrated but CommBank has partnered with News Corp Australia to recognise these people and do exactly that with their Australian of the Day initiative. Head over to CommBank’s website australianoftheday.com.au to read all their amazing stories.

Originally published as Lee Holmes knew she had to act after seeing the hospital food served to her brother-in-law