My Journey

As far back as I can remember I’ve been the happiest thinking about food — cooking, eating and sharing it.  As early as nine, I looked forward to coming home from school in Chicago to cook for my mother and grandmother, both single parents, who worked.  On the days when my grandmother was home, she was my mentor — both in the kitchen and with school work. Aprons on, I learned to cook and do my multiplication tables often at the same time. Math became tablespoons, cups and quarts.

When my mother accepted a new job in North Carolina, it was no surprise I chose a high school for the arts.  Later I attended college eventually earning a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts.  To support myself I took a job in a vegetarian restaurant. 

Claire Criscuolo, the chef and owner of Claire’s Cornucopia in New Haven, CT, changed my life.  Not only did I learn how to manage a professional kitchen for the first time, but made the connections between food, the treatment of animals, the health of the planet and my own well-being.  In the 1970’s her restaurant was at the forefront of the natural food movement. I was lucky to have it be the foundation of my career.

Over the next decade I supplemented my income as a studio artist, now in San Francisco, by working with top chefs.  I became a pastry chef, and fell in love with baking, eventually opening a café in San Francisco that incorporated an educational program into its mission.

As I became older I began to experience mild health concerns. Off and on I’d struggled with my weight but assumed it was my genes.  My cholesterol began to climb, my sugar levels increased, I was on the verge of becoming pre-diabetic, and was having skin issues that no dermatologist could diagnose. Finally I met a naturopath who prescribed an elimination diet.  However, I couldn’t imagine a joyful life without dairy, nightshades, caffeine and sugar.  I simply refused.

Coincidentally, a friend invited me to a lecture by Dr. Neal Barnard.  Only then did I learn about how certain foods harmed my body, and how other food—primarily plant food--could heal it. If I wanted to address my physical symptoms I had to make changes in my food.

I immediately signed up for a 21-Day Jumpstart Program, a community supported, educational and habit changing curriculum, focused on helping individuals shift from a standard American diet--laden with animal products, dairy and highly processed foods--to a whole-food, plant-based, salt, oil sugar free lifestyle.  The results I experienced spoke for themselves.

Since I’d been mostly vegetarian with occasional fish, I thought the transition would be easy. However, within the first few days I’d already started detoxing, which was mildly challenging.  In just five days, I felt better than I had in years.  To my real surprise, my skin issues resolved just as quickly. By the end of three weeks I had so much energy I felt like a could fly to the moon and back.  Dr. Barnard advised me to stay on the planet where I was needed.  I was eating more legumes, vegetables and fruit than ever before. I wasn’t worried about counting calories or points, and ate as much of this plant food as I wanted. Miraculously, I was losing weight, and even lost my cravings for salt, sugar and caffeine.

I acquired new recipes: salad dressings without oil, baked goods without refined sugars, entrees without processed ingredients, even made latkes that weren’t fried.  But what about my favorite cookbooks and resources? My creativity ignited.  If a recipe called for oil or salt, I simply eliminated it.  If I needed more flavor, citrus, fresh herbs and spices offered delicious solutions. I could still reference The New Times Food Section for ideas. Then I’d adjust the dishes to my whole food, plant-based, SOS-free preferences. This way of life not only improved my health, but offered more fun, more color, more creativity, more sharing and joy than I could have imagined. 

I couldn’t wait to share this with others.  If I could do it, so could you.

Research has shown us that chronic diseases like obesity, heart disease, diabetes, strokes and even Alzheimer’s can be prevented and, in many cases, reversed through evidence-based healthy lifestyle and food choices. It just takes a willingness to change--a curious and open mind, a short amount of time to learn new skills, practice, and trust that the body wants to repair itself.  In many cases it can do so by eating exclusively delicious food from plants.

 I invite you to join me now.