A vegan, environmentalist, land surveyor, professional engineer, and Water Reclamation Commissioner Frank Avila hosted CAN-TV Show AVILA NUTRITION: HEALTHY HABITS interviewing guests Father-and-Son Master Vegan Chefs Dave and HC Choi, and Master Gardener LaManda Joy dressed as the World War 2 iconic “Rosie the Riveter.” Fahter-and-Son Master Vegan Chefs Dave and HC are based in Chicago, and they are spreading the word about the benefits of a plant based diet. Award-winning Master Gardener LaManda Joy has a passion for growing organic vegetable gardens and is inspiring others to start a modern era Victory Gardens. The first part of the program featured a cooking demo with Master Vegan Chef Dave Choi’s son Master Vegan Chef HC Choi demonstrating some simple recipes such as a breakfast drink loaded with organic ingredients with lots of nutrients to start your healthy habits. Master Vegan Chef HC Choi has created healthy vegan dishes derived from ethnic cultures such as Polish, Mexican, German, Jewish, et. al. The second part of the program featured Master Gardener LaManda Joy presenting the amazing story of starting her own community garden “The Peterson Garden Project” in Chicago. She also talks about a simple way to start your own garden at your home. Master Gardener LaManda Joy also talks about the benefits and economic savings of growing your own food. She writes a blog http://theyarden.com/ to help others garden. You can also find more info on her gardening project at http://www.petersongarden.org/ The 140 garden plots will be tended by community members ranging from families, the elderly, young children, and singles, who will grow organic vegetables from June through October. Volunteers will tend several of the garden plots to donate produce to local Rogers Park food shelters. Master Gardener LaManda Joy even sourced seeds similar to those grown in the original 1940s era victory gardens to grow several plots with historical vegetables. She calls this “history re-eating itself.” The final segment features Master Vegan Chef Dave explaining the history behind his philosophy of eating a plant based diet. Chef Dave owned 3 popular successful vegan restaurants in Chicago and has been the personal “nutritional trainer” for many well-known personalities. Many of his clients are professional athletes and hollywood personalities. But that’s not what matters to Chef Dave. He is on a mission to share his knowledge about feeding everybody the best way so we can live a happy and healthy life. Chef Dave Choi has been using his recipes, cooking style, and philosophy to change people’s lives for years. He has always believed, like so many doctors and researchers are just finding out, that your diet is directly related to your ultimate health (or lack thereof) . Here’s what Chef Dave told me about diet: “There are 3 basic essential elements that you body needs: air, water, and food. Think how you would feel if your air was cut off….not giving your body nourishing food has the same effect. Eating a plant-based diet is the best way to give your body what it needs to be healthy. We eat food that has chemicals, preservatives, and caffeine, which our bodies can’t use. It takes a lot of energy for your body to break those things down so you can digest them. For example, on Thanksgiving, we eat so much food….we should have a lot of energy, right? But after we eat, instead of playing football, all we can do is watch football on TV. The food we are eating is not giving us what our body needs for energy.” According to Chef Dave, 95% of his clients that he sees for allergy problems (this includes upper respiratory allergies and asthma, as well as autoimmune disorders and skin conditions like psoriasis) improve dramatically by following a plant-based diet . They usually see significant improvement in 4 – 6 weeks. This is all done without pills, medicine, or supplements….it’s just about your diet. He also works with patients undergoing chemo and radiation to provide food that is gentle to your body, so your body can use its energy on building up its immune system instead of on breaking down processed and chemically laced food. More than just “food”, your diet should support your health and being. His philosophy “Just Be” is his way of life and one he likes to share. It means be present in the moment and be thankful for what you have and how you feel. He also shares his experiences and insights of working with people with various ailments including cancer and how a plant based diet has helped them. Award winning Vegan Chef Dave Choi has devoted his life to guiding people toward living an optimal quality of life, whether through his words or cuisine. Dave is also a master of martial arts and healing. As a Master Chef for 30 years he has cooked for an impressive list of famous athletes, hollywood stars, and famous musicians; and he has helped countless others manage their illnesses and chronic conditions using diet. Dave has conducted cooking demonstrations at Taste of Chicago, and numerous celebrity charity events where he was show-cased with Emeril Lagasse. He is on the advisory board for the American Heart Association and his expertise has been cited in publications such as Chicago Sun Times, Conscious Choices, Chicago Magazine and Windy City Times. He has appeared on WGN-TV and Comcast Cable’s Health Channel. http://sisterearthorganics.wordpress.com/2011/05/05/drink-like-the-professionals/ Here is Dave’s recipe for an energy shake that supplies the body with essential nutrients needed to perform at its best. Great for athletes, but also for anyone that wants to start the day in a healthy way. “The Natural” Chef Dave Choi’s energy shake for athletes contains simple whole foods (used by athletes like top members of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls) • try to use organic ingredients • 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened almond, rice or soy milk** • 1 banana • 1/5 of brick of tofu** (silken is best but you can use firm too) • 1/2 avocado • 1/2 cup of mango/papaya/peaches/persimmon (include one or more of these as they are “low acid” fruits) • you can add 1/2 cup blueberries or strawberries…… (I used frozen to give the shake a cold chill) these types of fruits are high in natural sugar and acid and should be taken in the morning so they burn off before bed time • 1/4 cup of walnuts** or 1-2 TBS pine nuts ** high in protein Makes one 24 oz shake. Nutritional info based on using soy milk, walnuts and berries calories: 735, protein: 26.2 g, fat: 43 g, carbs: 80 g, fiber: 20.5 g if you sub out 2 TBS pine nuts for walnuts and almond milk for soy milk: calories: 670, protein: 11.7 g fat: 30 g, carbs: 64 g, fiber: 17 g It is important that you include all the ingredients, but you can choose the type of milk, fruit and nuts, and adjust the taste for your preference. The avocado is loaded with GOOD fatty acids..it is high in antioxidants and will give you fuel and strength as will the fruits. This shake is high in natural protein, gluten-free and no yeast. It will give you energy and build muscle and is good for endurance athletes such as swimmers, runners, bikers, moms and dads trying to keep up with their kids …. Less