Plant Based Eating for Health

hef AJ has been devoted to a plant-based diet for 43 years. Her background includes being the host of the television series Healthy Living with CHEF AJ which airs on Foody TV. With her comedy background, she has made appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman and more. A chef, culinary instructor and professional speaker, she is author of the popular book Unprocessed: How to Achieve Vibrant Health and Your Ideal Weight, which chronicles her journey from a junk-food vegan faced with a diagnosis of pre-cancerous polyps, to learning how to create foods that nourish and heal the body.

Based in Palm Springs, Chef AJ teaches how to create meals to transform health, how to deal with cravings and food addiction and addresses the emotional side of eating. She is the creator of The Ultimate Weight Loss Program, was the Executive Pastry Chef at Sante La Brea Restaurant in Los Angeles, creator of Healthy Taste of LA and the YouTube cooking show The Chef and the Dietitian. Chef AJ holds a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University and is a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Since the start of the pandemic, Chef AJ has added Facebook and YouTube lives to her repertoire as a way to continue to serve her community.

Knowing from a young age she didn’t want to consume animals; she was able to adhere to a vegan lifestyle due to her Orthodox Jewish upbringing. She never developed a taste for animals and always had compassion for animals.

This compassion was put to the test early in her schooling to become a veterinarian. When asked to prep salamanders for testing, her reaction to the first one prevented her from doing a second one. She absolutely refused to harm the animals.

This put an end to her aspirations of becoming a veterinarian.

It all began with an Easy Bake Oven

Chef AJ got a taste for baking when she received an Easy Bake Oven at the age of seven for Hanukkah. As a self-described fat kid, she loved desserts and loved baking.

That was the start of a lifelong passion for baking. A passion that turned into her life’s work.

Although fit and slim today, Chef AJ had her own struggles with weight. Reaching 200 pounds at her highest, she was more of a junk food vegan than a plant-based eater.

Realizing that although she was vegan, the way she ate was very unhealthy. After being diagnosed with precancerous growths called adenomatous polyps, Chef AJ knew it was time for a dramatic change.

The change included learning about whole food, plant-based eating while at the Optimum Health Institute.

Since that time, Chef AJ has become a force to be reckoned with. A recognized name in virtually every vegan and plant-based circle, you can catch Chef AJ on Facebook and YouTube live weekdays at 11 a.m. Pacific. https://www.youtube.com/user/therealchefaj

Be sure to pick up a copy of her book, The Secrets to Ultimate Weight Loss: A revolutionary approach to conquer cravings, overcome food addiction, and lose weight without going hungry. https://amzn.to/3gEgwli

Over the past decade, there has been a marked decline in the health of our children as well as an increase in obesity.

According to the CDC, in 2018, the prevalence of obesity was 19.3% (14.4 million) children and adolescents. As well, obesity percentages increase with age and race. It’s well documented that obesity puts anyone at a much higher risk for highly preventable diseases.

Children are innocent victims with the prevalence of profits over people initiatives by the food industry.

With food manufacturers continuing to produce unhealthy choices for consumers, this has had a major trickle-down impact on the overall school lunch programs throughout the United States.

While many parents are not even aware of how unhealthy the school food programs actually are, one woman who is on a mission to change the way children are fed in schools is Maria Solanki.

Trying a number of ways to have an impact, including completing a 500-page charter school application that took years to completed due to the complexity of the research involved, Maria turned the denial of the application as fuel for her life’s work; improve the food selections within the school system in her area.

From a concerned mother to a political candidate, Maria is merely scratching the surface of the changes she plans to be a part of through her political platform. http://www.mariaforstudents.com

In this episode of the Plant-Based Eating for Health podcast, I have the distinct pleasure of talking with Jason Demchok, a chef and lifestyle medicine enthusiast who shares his personal journey towards a whole food plant-based diet.

Jason shared how meeting with Dr. Lou, an MD with expertise in environmental toxins and hormones, changed his life by recommending a plant-based diet. This conversation highlights the power of lifestyle medicine and the importance of making conscious food choices for our health.

In particular, the episode focuses on the benefits of fermenting vegetables for improved gut health and overall well-being.

Fermentation is an age-old process that has been used for over 8,000 years to preserve vegetables by selectively breeding probiotics that protect food from bad bacteria. Jason explains that fermenting creates a whole ecosystem of bacteria inside the food, which can lead to improved gut health, digestion, and nutrient absorption.

Fermenting is also an easy and fun process to learn, and Jason encourages listeners to try fermenting at home. He even offers a free lesson to anyone who contacts him after listening to the podcast.

Jason and I discuss the harmful effects of consuming animal products and processed foods, and the importance of incorporating a variety of colorful vegetables in one's diet.

We touch on the addictive nature of cheese, the harm caused by dairy farming, and the role of food manufacturers in creating products that are designed to be addictive. The conversation emphasizes the importance of the microbiome and how plant-based diets can heal the gut.

To start a basic plant-based diet, Jason recommends beginning with greens, organic beans, apples, and cucumbers. He also recommends using whole food dressings such as tahini and balsamic vinegar.

If you're interested in trying your hand at fermenting vegetables, Jason recommends using mason jars with fermentation tops, which are available on Amazon. He emphasizes the importance of cleanliness when fermenting and recommends using organic vegetables for the best results.

This episode of the Plant-Based Eating for Health podcast highlights the power of fermenting vegetables for improved gut health and overall well-being. By adopting a whole food plant-based diet and incorporating fermented vegetables into your meals, you can take control of your health and enjoy the benefits of a healthier gut. So why not give it a try?

https://veganvisibility.com/119-jason-demchok/

When Shamiz Kachwalla experienced a serious health decline, doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him. Pumping him full of meds, wanting to do surgery and basically searching for answers to what was causing Shamiz to lose weight, having as many as 30 plus bowel movements a day and getting sicker by the day, doctors were baffled.

After several months of not knowing what to do, Shamiz took matters into his own hands. Reading books, blogs, and articles, listening to podcasts and watching videos, Shamiz discovered that he could possibly heal himself by dramatically changing his eating protocol.

Not only did he begin the process of healing, he was also on a mission to share his story with anyone who needed to know the truth about ulcerative colitis.

In this episode, Shamiz shares the downward spiral his health took at an age when most young men have no reason to worry about their health. Find out why Shamiz is so passionate about sharing his message in order that others can take control of their own health.

Website: http://www.highcarbhealth.com/

With food prices on the rise, people are wondering how they will be able to afford their groceries. Actually, there is a simple, and healthy, way. Go 100% whole food, plant-based.

What this means is, avoid all processed foods including vegan processed foods.

In this episode, I share what I do to eat healthy, save on my grocery bill and cook delicious meals.

http://www.veganvisibility.com