Interview on health: Chef AJ, a plant-based chef

"Your diet can be your undoing or your salvation," Chef AJ in Unprocessed.

[caption id="attachment_448" align="alignleft" width="199"] Courtesy of Chef AJ[/caption]

This week's interview is with plant-based chef extraordinaire Chef AJ. I am not kidding when I tell you that when Chef AJ appears in one of the plant-based groups on Facebook, it is cause for celebration. Her first book, Unprocessed, is full of fantastic plant-based recipes. And, she's working on a second book -- this one will be low fat or fat free with no nuts included.

[caption id="attachment_449" align="alignright" width="280"] Cover of Unprocessed, courtesy of Chef AJ[/caption]

Before we go any further, I just want you to know that in Chapter 2, Chef AJ goes into detail about her "long and hard road" to the dietary conclusions she speaks of in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 is appropriately entitled "Why should you listen to me?"

Let's take a look at how Chef AJ answered my interview questions (they are posted here unedited by me). She responded concisely but I must tell you, don't mistake her concise answers for disinterest in her topic. She is a rabid advocate of the plant-based lifestyle.

Let's start with some bio info on our Chef AJ, which includes a few sentences on why she wrote Unprocessed.

1) Tell me some basic biographical info about yourself. Age, how long you've been a chef, info about your new book and how you came to write your first book and any other bio info you want out there.

I am 52.5 years old and have been a chef and culinary instructor for 13 years.  I got so tired of hearing people tell me all of the reasons why they couldn't eat healthy.  These really are just excuses.  I kept hearing my students say how hard their lives were, and that was the reason they couldn't adopt a whole food plant based diet.  So I decided to tell my story.  And I included over 100 really easy, delicious free recipes.  I am proud to say that "My IQ is higher than my cholesterol" (My LDL is 57 mg/dl!)2) What prompted your journey to plant-based eating? How long have you been plant based?I have followed a plant exclusive diet for over 35 years.  At the age of 17, I was pre-vet at the University of Pennsylvania and the first day on the job working for a veterinarian he wanted me to cut the heads off of live salamanders.  I did it one time and it was such a horrific experience I immediately stopped eating and wearing ALL critters.  I guess you could say it was what Oprah calls an "AHA moment"3) What do you say to those who say they could never go plant-based? Never say never.  While this may, in fact, be true for some, it's not necessarily going to be true for you.  It's just their food addictions talking.  Often when people get fat enough or sick enough and are headed for coronary bypass surgery or daily injectable insulin, they change their tune.  If the ear biting Mike Tyson could go vegan then anything is possible! 4) You recently dropped even more weight by taking nuts out of your diet, what do you say to those who say you need the healthy fat? They are right, but we don't need as much as most people, especially overweight people are eating.  You can get all the essential Omega 3 fatty acids you need by eating 1-2 Tablespoons of ground flax seeds, chia seeds or an ounce of walnuts a day.  You can get all the fat you need from WHOLE FOOD sources, no one needs to consumed processed oils, EVER!!! 5) What is the single most important kitchen item to have when eating plant-based? Well, I am going to answer that question differently today than I would have 9 months ago when I got my first Cuisinart electric pressure cooker at Costco for $69.  Now I use it every day and even travel with it so I can eat my greens everyday.  I can make entire meals in 10 minutes or less!!! 6) What is your favorite plant-based meal? This is probably going to sound boring but right now it's so hot that my favorite meal is fresh watermelon with fresh banana ice cream made in the Champion Juicer.  When it gets a bit cooler my answer will be Jocelyn Graef's Portabella Mushroom Chili over a baked potato (the recipe is from the Low-Fat Herbivore and she is graciously allowing me to share it in my next book)

And, speaking of that next book, it is called The UNPROCESSED 30 Day Challenge.

If you are interested in learning more about Chef AJ, check out her website at www.eatunprocessed.com and, while you are there, check out the video clips of "The Chef and the Dietitian." Chef AJ and Julieanna Hever make cooking plant-based meals fun.

I want to extend my warmest regards and appreciation to Chef AJ for agreeing to this interview. And, please, if you think you might want to eat plant-based but don't know where to start, check out Unprocessed.