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 I discovered your operation and began to participate about 3 months ago. In that period, my weight has gone from 215 pounds to 195, my waist has gone from a snug 38" to a comfortable 34", and I feel more energetic and just plain good. This progress has motivated me to step up my exercise/cardio program, and my at-rest heart rate has dropped from 65 to 51, on its way to my personal goal of under 50. The best part is that I am never hungry. I don't eat less, I just eat better.
Jim McDonald |
 
In a nutshell, the origins of green consumerism and organic foods go back to 1920's Europe; however, the movement began to gain traction in the late 1960s and early 1970's in the United States when they were propelled by some very public food scares in the conventional food industry with regard to pesticides. Propelled by the ongoing counterculture movement's regarding protecting the planet and our own health, there was a new focus on the relationship of the environment on the quality of our food sources.
The Hippies-in-the-Kitchen Period
 Back in the 60s and 70s, so-called "health food" or "hippy food" developed a bad rap. Early variations of these foods eliminated the processed sugars, white-flour ingredients and fats that our urbanized taste buds equated with tasty and delicious
At the time, most professional chefs - those who knew how to select fresh ingredients and skillfully prepare them with spices, cooked to retain their fragile nutrients - were not educated in cooking with healthier alternative ingredients. It turns out the early experimenters were trying to eliminate harmful ingredients like preservatives and antibiotic hormones from the foods, but were not focusing on the overall taste in its preparation.
As recently as the early 90's, there was a vast chasm between the world of healthy foods and the gourmet cooking world. The story is well-told in Dean Ornish's book, Everyday Cooking with Dean Ornish, in which he describes his attempts to make his new low-fat cooking approach more "gourmet". To this, Ornish commissioned the help of several celebrity chefs to make his recipes more appealing. Although Ornish was able to enlist several, he tells of the rejection of his appeal by renowned chef, Julia Child, who answered when given the diet's strict guidelines, "I cannot! This is not compatible with my philosophy of food!"
The Coming Out Party of Berkeley's "Gourmet Ghetto"
 One of the great trend-setters credited with changing the public's attitude toward healthy eating was Alice Waters, Chef and founder of Berkeley, California's, Chez Panisse, still rated as one of the world's top ten restaurants. Alice broke tradition by keeping a garden of fresh vegetables and herbs behind her restaurant and utilized her background in French gourmet cooking to show the world that the tastiest, most savory dishes could be prepared using wholesome ingredients. Alice, Jeremiah Tower and a host of other chefs brought "California Cuisine" to the world, demonstrating that fresh, natural foods, (when prepared properly), yielded taste that not only met but exceeded ordinary experience.
The Rise of the "Organic Foodies"
During the 80's and extending through the turn of the century, rising obesity rates, mad cow disease and documentaries like "Supersize Me," which chronicled the ills of fast food, cast a spotlight on the conventional methods of growing and processing food.
 Probably no single organization has contributed more to America's appreciation for healthy whole foods than Jim MacKay's Whole Foods Market. With its numerous stores and investment in gourmet preparation, Whole Foods brought organic food within reach of the American public. Celebrity endorsements coming from Kim Cattrell (of Sex and the City), Darryl Hannah, Christian Slater and Willie Nelson also helped the public appreciate organic. "Buying green" -- a moniker that describes a type of consumerism motivated by a desire to improve the environment, communities and lives -- has taken off during the last 10 years.
Is there any scientific basis for the assertion that organic, whole foods taste better? Yes!
| The best method of reducing exposure to potentially harmful pesticides is to consume organically grown food, where their use is avoided. |
As their name suggests, whole foods are foods as close to their natural state as possible. For example, an apple is a whole food, as opposed to commercially prepared apple juice. A bowl of brown rice is a whole food as opposed to a bowl of ten-minute instant-cook white rice. Simply put, whole foods have had little to no processing.
However, a buyer must be aware of marketing label tactics. To truly be a whole grain product, the label should state 100% whole grain and/or list whole grain as the first ingredient. "A true "whole" grain has retained all three of its original nutrient-rich parts: the germ, endosperm, and bran. Even if a grain has been processed, as are cracked wheat, rolled oats, or whole wheat pasta, it's still a whole grain if it retains these three parts in their original proportions."
Organic food refers not so much to a particular food type as to the way the food was grown or produced. Organic food is, in general, food that is produced without the use of artificial pesticides, herbicides, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Overall, organic farming applies natural standards that protect the land and water supply. As one expert put it, food is grown as it has been grown since the dawn of time and agriculture. Ask yourself: Would your great-grandmother have served the food you put on the table?
Organic/Free range lean proteins refer to beef, fish and chicken products that are free from growth stimulants, antibiotics, animal by-products and hormones. It also refers to animals that were fed a healthy diet with plenty of sunshine and were free to roam.
| Prophylactic and regular use of antibiotics is not permitted in organic standards for animal husbandry because this could result in the development of antibiotic resistance in humans. (World Health Organization). |
Organic and whole foods are not only foods that avoid "bad things". They offer truly healthy benefits necessary for our body's optimal physiological performance.
 Organic fresh fruits and vegetables are one of the best sources of antioxidants, helping to deter the negative effects of free radicals in your body.
Free radicals are the "the bad guys". These unstable molecules enter your body just looking for a fight. They wreak havoc on cells and have been implicated in all kinds of crimes against your good health like arthritis, premature aging, cataracts even heart disease and cancer.
Antioxidants are "good guys" like FBI agents whose job is to keep those delinquent free radicals on the run. But the good agents need your help. Once you are of voting age your body stops producing enough antioxidants. To aid the good-guy agents, you need to ingest fresh fruits and vegetables and their organic versions turn out to be the best source of antioxidants.
As an example, broccoli, a cruciferous vegetable, is thought to contain more cancer-preventative nutrients than any other plant. It does this by aiding the liver's production of Phase II detoxification enzymes which protect against chemical carcinogens, promoting scavenging of the nasty free radicals. Broccoli sprouts contain 30-50 times more of these protective chemicals than are found in mature broccoli plants. (Source: E. Wagner, "What's Missing from Multi-Vitamin Supplements?", ND-LE Magazine, Jan. 2005)
One of the most important attributes of whole foods is that when they are cooked properly, they retain most, if not all, of their original nutrients, antioxidants, enzymes, and fiber. These fragile nutrients are easily overcooked and must be prepared with care. With Healthy Chef's Organic Weight Loss you can be confident we have selected the freshest organic whole foods cooked to retain their powerful vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients.
| "No food has higher amounts of beneficial minerals, essential amino acids and vitamins than organic food." (The King's Fund, an independent medical charity). |
Healthy Chef Creations is built on the basic principles of spa-inspired whole foods, advocates a diet that is balanced and rich in the following: (when ever possible)
- Organic and/or free range lean proteins
- Organic vegetables
- Organic high-fiber grains
- Organic beans in their natural form
- Healthy fats (such as first-pressed extra virgin olive oil)
Simple carbohydrates and high fat proteins are avoided including
all processed foods (those containing coloring agents, refined sugars, chemicals, preservatives, dyes and pesticides) such as: canned vegetables, white flour products white rice, white pasta, most cereals, potato chips, soda, pastries, and other sugary foods.
Our spa inspired whole foods diet is designed to promote health, longevity and long-term weight management. The added benefit is that you can feel good that you have chosen a nutrition plan that is not only the best for your body, but it is also good for our planet as organic and whole food farming and harvesting methods are much less disruptive to the land, water supply, normal plant cycles as well as the health of animals.
 It is common sense that well-balanced soils grow strong, healthy plants that taste great. Free from the commercial pressures to maximize crop harvest and scurry the development of livestock to the grocery stores in mass quantities, fruits and vegetables grown using organic processes are generally cultivated longer in their nutrient-rich soils. As a result, the natural flavors derived from organic fruits, vegetables, eggs and meat stand out in comparison to their conventional counterparts.
Also adding to the taste, organic fruits and veggies are higher in flavonoids, produced by plants as a natural defense mechanism against pests and disease. These have diverse beneficial biochemical and antioxidant effects for our bodies. Because organic fruits and vegetables are not exposed to chemical pesticides, organically grown plants produce more flavonoids.
It turns out plants rich in flavonoids are highly tasty. This is a chemical side-benefit associated with the fact that flavonoids tend to bind sugars in the plant. Much as expert wine connoisseurs can detect fine differences in different grape varities, many organic food aficionados rave about the great taste of organic as they have sensitized their palates to tasting these bound sugars.
Organics not only taste better, but their nutritional value is substantially higher than conventional fruits and vegetables. In one study the difference in nutrient density of organic spinach versus conventional spinach was measured as 45 to 1. That means that one would have to eat 45 cases of spinach to get the equivalence of one case of organic spinach. http://www.globalorganics.ws/why_global.aspx
By eating Healthy Chef's diet you will learn to taste these great flavorful sugars, flavonoids and nutrients in your food and come to expect it!
Disclaimer: The nutritional suggestions and/or diets offered by The Healthy Chef Inc., and/or Healthy Chef Creations, and/or Home Meal Delivery or Catering Services are not offered or intended to treat, mitigate or cure any type of disease, sickness or weight problem, and should not be used as a substitute for sound medical advice. Neither The Healthy Chef Inc., nor Healthy Chef Creations Home Meal Delivery or Catering Services can be held liable under any circumstances for any illness or health problem that may result from the consumption of its prepared foods or meals. Healthy Chef Creations foods and meals are designed to be part of a healthy lifestyle in conjunction with the services of a licensed healthcare provider. Consult your healthcare provider before taking nutritional supplements or beginning any diet or exercise program. The information on this website is to be used for educational purposes only.
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