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Plant-Based Chef and Culinary Nutritionist, Lauren Kretzer has plenty of actionable advice today.  She shares her health journey and passion for helping others use whole food cooking for healing and love a plant-based lifestyle.

Back in 2011, Lauren Kretzer left her career on Wall Street to enrol in culinary school at the famed Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts in New York City.

The love of plant-based nutrition actually came before Lauren’s medical diagnosis in a cruel twist – though as I say that – of course any health crisis is devastatingly unwelcome.

Her culinary background and the confines of Covid times perhaps left Lauren well placed that to holistically heal from an aggressive Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis.

We discuss the power of nature, keys to long term success on a plant-based diet, simple meals that will appeal to the whole family and so much more.

In this conversation we cover:

• Lauren’s decision to her career on Wall Street to enroll in culinary school.
• Lauren spent years in Michelin starred restaurants and in the private kitchens of families and A-List celebrities.
• Lauren’s personal health journey and using whole food plant based nutrition to holistically heal from an aggressive Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis.
• The roll that nature can play in healing and stress reduction.
• Although she had been plant-based for years, Lauren placed a higher emphasis on cancer fighting foods. What did she include more of? Cut out?
• What Lauren wish she knew prior to becoming plant-based / learnings to make the journey easier and more delicious for others.
• The keys to long term success on a plant-based diet.
• Perfection is the enemy of good.
• Convenience doesn’t have to be synonymous with ultra processed food.
• Assembly line meals that appeal to the whole family: Tacos | Pasta | Asian Style Noodle Bowls | Mini Pizzas
• Blank canvas meals: like stir-fries, where you use what you have.
• Advice for the non-kitchen-loving vegan wanting to up their cooking game and encourage their family to eat plant-based.

I’m inspired to try some new assembly line meals after that conversation.

We touched on the A-List celebrities Lauren has worked with – perhaps more impressive to me, are her powerhouse of the plant-based world, recipe development clients, including New York Times best-selling authors Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, Kris Carr and Dan Buettner.

Final takeaway, the power of plant foods and their ability to nourish our bodies from the inside out is pretty clear, however the process of building your kitchen skills can take time. I loved Laurens analogy to exercise. Be patient, let go of perfectionism and with time you will build both the skills and the repertoire of winning recipes.

Lauren’s website:  www.laurenkretzer.com

Lauren’s substact:  laurenkretzer.substack.com

Connect with Lauren across the socials: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Linkedin.

Lauren mentioned John Robbin’s book, Diet for a New America.

Also, Colleen Patrick Goudreau Food For Thought podcast.

Jonathan Safran Foer’s book, Eating Animals.

That’s it for this week in Healthification.

Plant Positive Journal Version 2 (printed and fillable PDF)

This journal and daily planner follows a twelve month format however is not dated so it is perfect to use at ANY time of the year.

With love and gratitude plant friends.

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