The Chef and The Dietitian-Episode 23-Hail to the Kale

Here is the reason I fell in love with Chef AJ...her Hail to the Kale salad. No matter how often I eat this (and I eat it quite often), I can never stop crunching away! It is always a hit when I make it for guests or for parties and I cannot recommend it highly enough. The combination of nutty, sweet, and citrusy makes for the perfect blend. Use it on raw kale for a nutrient explosion or on any salad mix, cooked broccoli, baked potatoes, or anywhere else that allows you to indulge!

Nutty Buddies...ahhh...Chocolate FUNdue on a banana or as a truffle! And healthy too? Bring it on, Chef AJ!

Plea I am Making to the School Board Tonight

As a Registered Dietitian and mother of two, I am on the front-lines everyday witnessing the dramatic influence diet has on children. As I am certain you are aware, we are currently in the midst of a national crisis of overfed, yet undernourished people, where more than two-thirds of the U.S. adult population is overweight or obese, and 17% of our children are as well. Diabetes incidence is escalating in children as well as behavioral issues and other health concerns. The most ironic part is the fact that most-if not all-of this can be prevented through nutrition.

After spending some time working in the kitchens of some Los Angeles-based school districts, and seeing what the USDA has to offer, I promised to always send my kids to school with a homemade lunch once I had kids. Although I have stuck to this promise wholeheartedly, it pains me to have this basic solution stabbed in my back. My kids still come home having eaten high sugar, high fat, and highly processed "treats" on a near-daily basis, given to them for good behavior, birthday parties, holidays, etc. The whole concept of a "treat" has been made obsolete, as a treat is not something one gets on a very regular basis. It is this very principle that greatly contributes to the current health crisis we are experiencing. I believe what the family teaches at home is critical for the child's health and habit education. However, when those messages are conflicted by the schools where their education and time is substantial, it sends mixed signals and raises the difficulty of understanding what healthy behaviors truly look like.

To participate in the solution, I strongly implore that the schools:

·        Provide nutrition education as frequently as possible from qualified professionals;

·        Eliminate the use of food/candy/etc. as reward for good behavior;

·        Limit "treats" given for holidays and birthday parties…at least require a healthy option;

·        Set regulations on what may or may not be brought into the classroom;

·        Require parental permission to distribute candy and any other food-like items (allergies alone are a critical reason to prevent a school faculty or staff from making food decisions for a student)

Thank you for your consideration.

The Chef and The Dietitian-Episode 21-Chocolate Fundue

Indulge in the classically delicious combination of chocolate and peanut butter in a healthy, fun way! What a yummy way to fancify your fruit, which is half of the foundation of the Plant-Based Food Guide Pyramid! Watch Chef AJ and I as we make this elegant and unique dessert to impress your guests and kidlets at home...

The Chef and the Dietitian- Episode 20-Cauliflower Au Gratin

Faux parmesan...sooo yummy on...everything! Try it in this simple dish by blanching cauliflower and pouring it on. Watch Chef AJ and me whip up this classic shaker that will enhance virtually any recipe.

Interview with Forks Over Knives Executive Producer, Brian Wendel

Brian Wendel is the Executive Producer of an extremely powerful, unstoppable new documentary, Forks Over Knives. Releasing in Los Angeles and New York theatres on May 6th and nationwide on May 13th, this is a film you do not want to miss. Documenting the fascinatingly parallel lives of a nutrition biochemistry researcher, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, and  physician, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Forks Over Knives presents their groundbreaking path towards changing the way we think about nutrition and medicine. Simultaneously, the film explores both how we ended up in the health disaster we are currently experiencing in the United States as well as offers the audience a solution.

I have seen this film at least ten times, and I learn something new each time I watch it. Forks Over Knives may be one of the most critical films of our generation and I highly and passionately recommend it. Also starring in this film are Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Pam Popper, Rip Esselstyn, Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Alona Pulde, Dr. Matt Lederman, Dr. Doug Lisle, Mac Danzig, Ruth Hedrich, Dr. Terry Mason, and some warm and wonderful real-life examples of what a whole food, plant-based diet can do.

In this interview, Brian tells us about his experience making Forks Over Knives and then watching it blossom into a huge success...

JH: You went from commercial real estate straight into producing one of the most important documentaries of our time, Forks Over Knives, as your first film. What inspired you to take the leap?

BW: The evidence that diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and sometimes cancer, can be effectively prevented, and even reversed, by a whole foods plant-based diet is compelling. For whatever reason, the information wasn’t getting to the masses, so only a few people were benefiting from it. I thought making a feature film was an opportunity to change that, and doing something that would have a positive impact on people’s lives was something I always wanted to do.

JH: How do you feel about the outpouring of support and enthusiasm for the film?


BW: The response has been beyond what I had imagined. It’s rewarding. I think people see the potential in the concepts brought forward in the film as a real way to make our lives better.

JH: What are your ultimate goals for Forks Over Knives?

BW: I hope that the level of education about food and its impact on health will increase, and that as a result, people will lead more healthful lives. It turns out that the same diet that is good for human health, is compassionate to animals and less taxing to the environment, so it’s important to see improvements in these areas as well.

JH: Can you describe the message you are trying to relay by creating such a critical piece?

BW: The message is that there is evidence that there’s something very specific we can do to greatly reduce our suffering from degenerative diseases. At a time when we’re trying to find solutions to difficult problems, it’s good to know that there may be one at hand—especially something that is simple.

JH: What was it like working with a healthy handful of the most innovative, influential scientists of our generation?

BW: Given my passion for the subject, there are no individuals I would have rather worked with than Dr. Campbell and Dr. Esselstyn. Getting to spend as much time with them as we did, and getting to know them personally, was an experience that is difficult to describe in words.


JH: What was your biggest challenge in making the film?

BW: The biggest challenge was figuring out how to take a vast amount of information along with a significant number of stories, and making into a presentation of less than 96 minutes. There’s a lot of material that didn’t make it in. We realized that the film represents more the beginning of a discussion.

JH: Do you intend to continue making documentary films with a similar message?


BW: Right now I’m focused on releasing the film, an undertaking that is quite substantial. I do, though, like the idea of making another documentary film.

Check local listings beginning May 6th in New York and Los Angeles and nationwide beginning May 13th. This film will change your life!

The Chef and the Dietitian- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

You don't have to wait until the holidays to enjoy the delicious flavors and health benefits of pumpkin. In this episode, Chef AJ and I show you how to make pumpkin-pie-in-a-glass. Decadent and easy, you can guzzle down the spicy sweetness and maximize your intake of carotenoids-the powerful antioxidants found in pumpkin-all in just a few minutes. Cheers!