Vegan Family Kitchen

Healthy Vegan Italian Cooking: A Conversation with Antonia Ricciardi

Get inspired to cook more healthy vegan Italian food with Antonia Ricciardi! Antonia trained in physics and worked in the publishing industry, but her roots in the family restaurant in Southern Italy stayed strong. In our podcast conversation, you'll learn more about: 

• Antonia's inspiring shift from the sciences to the culinary world, ingeniously weaving Italian flavors into her vegan dishes.
• Her favorite substitute for meat in vegan Bolognese sauce - and how the people of Bologna actually make it!
• The powerful wellness benefits of raw food, with a special spotlight on Antonia's delectable raw cakes from her Cambridge, UK shop.
• Antonia's practical guidance for anyone embarking on a plant-based diet or a career in vegan cuisine.
• And her clients' favorite dishes! 

Links:

• Antonia's Cambridge UK private chef services 
• Her raw cake shop
• Antonia on Instagram
• Her frittata recipe is on my website: https://veganfamilykitchen.com/italian-cooking-with-antonia-ricciardi

Tune in with Vegan Family Kitchen Podcast host, Brigitte Gemme, and Antonia Ricciardi to explore the fascinating world of Italian plant-based cooking, where tradition meets healthy innovation. Savor this episode and ignite your culinary passion!

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Need a meal plan? Visit Vegan Family Kitchen and share your email at the top of the page to receive my free 5-day healthy vegan dinner plan featuring all-time client favorites: https://veganfamilykitchen.com/

Cooking in a state of emergency: An interview with Oksana Spoliak, Ukrainian food blogger

How to deal with having to go down to the air raid shelter in the midst of cooking dinner? Is there even something that's good to eat when you are under threat of bombing? And how can we make cooking and eating a more meaningful experience, even under a prolonged state of emergency such as war? In this can't-miss episode of the Vegan Family Kitchen podcast, I am honored to talk about all this - and more - with Oksana Spoliak, a Ukrainian food blogger who lives in Lviv.

Oksana Spoliak is a Ukrainian who rediscovered her love of food, bringing together efficiency and creativity in preparing healthy meals. She values mindFOODness and, despite the invasion, continues to share her love to cooking in her food blog as well as within her community. Even in hard times of disastrous war in her home country, cooking is the activity that helps her feel grounded and enjoy the present moment as well as help others eat healthy.

Those who speak (or are curious about) Ukrainian will love her videos on YouTube and want to connect with her on Instagram. Don't miss her upcoming program and events! Oksana also invites everyone to support her Ukrainian charity of choice, Come Back Alive, and keeps this list of resources up to date: What you can do to help Ukraine now.

Thank you for listening and for your support. 

This ninja doctor is not protein deficient: An interview with Dr. Jules Cormier, family physician

In this episode of the Vegan Family Kitchen podcast, I sit down with Dr. Jules Cormier, a family physician, plant-based nutrition advocate, and ninja sports athlete who shares his inspiring story of transformation, healing, and performance. 

In his 20s, Dr. Cormier suffered from cholinergic angioedema, a severe condition that caused anaphylactic-like symptoms and swelling when exercising. After a flare-up that sent him to the hospital (as a patient!), he was encouraged to try cutting out dairy to manage his symptoms... and it worked! Soon, he adopted a fully plant-based diet and hasn't had an episode since. 

With over a decade of experience as a plant-based doctor, Dr. Cormier shares his journey and the benefits of plant-based nutrition in treating and preventing various health conditions. His approach has caught on among his colleagues. In the interview, we discuss how he integrates plant-based nutrition in his practice when appropriate, and the power of small changes to make a big difference. 

We also chatted about his passion for fitness and his discovery of ninja sports. Last year, he even qualified for the World Ninja Championships in Las Vegas, where he was pleased to compete without fear of an adverse reaction. 

Listen in and be inspired! Then make sure to connect with Dr. Jules Cormier on his website: https://www.plantbaseddrjules.com/

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Need a better plan for healthy vegan dinners? Download the free 5-day "Planned & Plant-Based" guide: https://veganfamilykitchen.com/planned-plant-based/ 

Overwhelmed, frustrated, or resenteful in the kitchen? It's time for a mindset shift. Check out Brigitte's book Flow in the Kitchen: Practices for Healthy Stress-Free Vegan Cooking: http://veganfamilykitchen.com/books

The unexpected benefits of cooking in a 310 sqft home: An interview with Kathy Davis of VegInspired

Most people believe that they'd cook better if they had a bigger kitchen... but is that so? Kathy Davis, who runs the Eat More Plants Academy and published three cookbooks, lives in a RV and her story challenges conventional views. It's all about intention. 

Kathy Davis is the CEO of VegInspired and a plant-based lifestyle and mindset coach for female entrepreneurs. I was surprised to hear that, eight years ago, she came to plant-based eating kicking and screaming after her husband read an article about the health benefits. Later, a farm visit led her to become vegan. She enjoyed exploring all the amazing plant-based food options that were becoming available at restaurants, documenting it all on her YouTube channel. Unfortunately, her health suffered. 

Almost three years ago, she made the decision to shift her daily habits to follow a whole food plant-based lifestyle. She experienced amazing results: not only she lost weight but, more importantly, she found herself with renewed energy and a newfound sense of joy. She and her husband John have taken their life on the road and they slowly make their way across the United States with the goal of visiting all national parks, making the most of her increased fitness and stamina. 

You can connect with Kathy on Instagram and get a free whole food plant-based meal plan on her website, VegInspired.

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You too can enjoy healthy stress-free vegan dinners next week. Download the 5-day Planned & Plant-based guide: https://veganfamilykitchen.com/planned-plant-based/

A zen-inspired guide to better meals by podcast host Brigitte Gemme: Flow in the Kitchen: Practices for Healthy Stress-Free Vegan Cooking.

Life after breast cancer: An interview with Nic Bathurst, dietitian and nutritionist specializing in mid-life women’s health

Nic Bathurst, a dietitian and nutritionist, and mom of four kids, thought of herself as a healthy and fit person with good habits. Then, at age 48 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy and started digging into the literature about breast cancer. What she found out was not what she had learned in school. 

That was 10 years ago, and she has turned her life around since, in addition to changing the way she works with her clients. I had the pleasure of sitting with her for a conversation about:

• How menopause doesn't have to make us victims of our hormones 
• Whether or not we should worry about protein 
• The place of alcohol in a healthy lifestyle
• How industry finds the right "bliss point" to hook us to foods we'd probably be better off without
• Small experiments we can try to see if our life improves
• And more!

Nic is a dietitian and nutritionist of over 30 years. She has been a passionate plant advocate since she got breast cancer in 2013 and discovered the health and weight loss benefits of a diet powered by plants. She now specializes in helping women navigate their mid-life hormones, release unwanted weight, and optimize their health by eating more plants.

I encourage you to connect with Nic Bathurst on her website Naturally Nic and to watch her videos on YouTube. 

Yoga, Food, and Healing: A conversation with Leah Cooper of The Centre of Ki

The food we eat isn't neutral: every bite has the potential to nourish and heal us, or harm us. So says Leah Cooper, my friend Down Under who teaches yoga and whole food cooking in the macrobiotic tradition. 

In our conversation, we talk about:

• Why the connection between yoga and food isn't always made in conventional yoga classes
• What therapeutic yoga can be a better choice for those of us whose bodies aren't in perfect shape
• How we can eat according to the seasons
• And how to make veggie-rich miso soup for breakfast! 

My guest Leah Cooper is a yoga teacher, whole food cook, and health and wellbeing enthusiast. She started her business, The Centre of Ki (pronounced 'key') in 2013 and has been teaching weekly yoga classes, hosting yoga retreats, and leading seasonal cooking workshops in the Barossa Valley of South Australia for 10 years. She also has a YouTube channel that enables her to share her passions for health and wellbeing to a wider audience, and in 2021 she began her podcast - The Wellbeing Room.

 

The spiritual energy of food: Conversation with Kimberly Winters, vegan coach and energy guide

"When we uncover who we are, and we are willing to show up as that person, a lot of barriers just fall away." 

Those are the wise and inspiring words of my guest, Kimberly Winters. Kimberly is the host of the Did You Bring the Hummus? podcast, where she gently guides those who wish to adopt a vegan lifestyle through their transition. In addition to coaching, she supports others - vegan or not - as an energy guide and reiki practitioner. 

I wanted to bring Kimberly on the show to talk about the spiritual energy of food. What difference does it make, in our bodies, hearts, and souls, to eat plants as opposed to animals? 

In this episode, I also bring Kimberly to share her journey with us, including early signs that she should probably go vegan (though she ignored them) and a long stint as a vegetarian who didn't like vegetables or know how to cook. 

You can connect with Kimberly Winters for guidance, or to join her healing circles, on her podcast's page: Did You Bring the Hummus? (Did you?!) http://didyoubringthehummus.com/ 

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Do you need a bit of help deciding what's for dinner now that you want to eat more plants (and fewer animals)? Let me help you with a 5-night healthy vegan dinner plan. Learn more at http://veganfamilykitchen.com/

Overwhelmed, frustrated, or resentful in the kitchen? It's time for a mindset shift. Check out Brigitte's book Flow in the Kitchen: Practices for Healthy Stress-Free Vegan Cooking.

Plant-based in public health: An interview with Charlyn Black, Professor, UBC School of Population and Public Health

Charlyn Black trained as a family doctor more than forty years ago, but most of her career has been as a scholar dedicated to understanding the social determinants of health for over three decades. She is now a Professor at the UBC School of Population and Public Health, and an enthusiastic advocate for the power of predominantly plant-based diets for prevention and vitality. I am grateful that she is also a Vegan Meal Plan subscribers, using them in her own way as she'll explain in the interview.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• Charlyn's journey from teaching yoga at age 16 to family medicine and finally a public health professorship,
• Her transition to vegetarian in the 80s and what it finally took to make her go toward a whole food plant-based diet,
• The intersections between her personal and professional journeys,
• Initiatives that give her hope when it comes to the use of plant-based diet to improve individual and public health,
• How she practices batch cooking,
• And the advice she gives to people who might be thinking about plant-based diets but fearing that it's not for them.

Thank you Charlyn for this inspiring conversation, I admire your vitality and enthusiasm! I look forward to cooking with you again soon.

The episode is also available on YouTube.

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Would you like to give batch cooking a try? Download my Planned & Plant-based 5-day dinner plan to give Brigitte's "building blocks" approach a try: https://veganfamilykitchen.com/planned-plant-based/ 

 

Getting started with raw vegan food: An interview with Crystal Bonnet, raw chef and author of The Art of Raw Desserts

Today on the Vegan Family Kitchen Podcast I meet with Crystal Bonnet, raw vegan chef and author of the just-published beautiful book The Art of Raw Desserts. 

Crystal is a graduate of the Matthew Kenney Culinary Academy and of the Pure Joy Academy. She develops unique and delicious all-vegan raw recipes and now teaches everything she knows to home cooks and professionals chefs alike. You can find her courses on her website https://crystaldawnculinary.com and connect with her on Instagram.

In this interview, Crystal shares what got her started on her vegan and raw journey, describes her lifestyle today, and shares her best tips for beginners to get started in adding a bit more raw food into their diet. 

 

Practicing mindfulness to tame food addiction: A conversation with Karen Steiner

How can the principles of mindfulness and compassion support a transition away from overeating and food addiction? I had the pleasure of exploring this topic with Karen Steiner in conversation for the Vegan Family Kitchen Podcast.

 

Karen Steiner is a Weight Loss Coach, Food Activist and Meditation Teacher. Professionally, she has Master’s degree in Counseling and Educational Psychology, has trained as a Life Coach through The Co-Active Training Institute and the eCornell Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies.

 

After nearly 40 years of contemplative practice and study with teachers Buddhist, Christian, and Jewish she finally learned how to take her mindfulness practice off the cushion and into the kitchen. Through mindful eating Karen discovered that dairy was playing havoc with her body and that she was seriously addicted to a number of foods, including cheese. Giving up dairy and becoming fully vegan was a major game changer. Food cravings disappeared, weight came off and a life-long depression lifted.

 

In this conversation, Karen tells me about:

• The start of her vegetarian journey in 1984 with Diet for a Small Planet
• The distinction between casual overeating and food addiction
• Why moderation isn't useful for everyone and why she has to keep her home "clean"
• What makes her so angry about the food industry
• How a trip to New Zealand served as an epiphany that led her to make big changes
• How she decided to quit cheese and the successes and struggles that ensued
• Her new way of eating, which includes a lot of vegetables
• The role for patience when it comes to transforming one's habits

To connect with Karen, visit her website and download her free e-book Six Strategies for Permanent Weight Loss. She will run her program Breaking the Food Seduction One Mindful Bite at a Time in December and early in the New Year. Visit Karen's YouTube channel and read more about her journey in Forks Over Knives magazine.