gourmet health food

I have had the great fortune to be in L.A. since last week to attend the Natural Gourmet Institute‘s (NGI) two week intensive Culinary Nutrition program. A dozen of us are in “school” every day from 9-4, where mornings are spent learning nutrition theory, and afternoons are devoted to “culinary translation”—transforming the theories and information into nourishing, delicious, gourmet food. The days are capped with a group feast, where we delight in our creations and discuss and tweak the recipes.

The only way for me to describe how it feels to spend all day every day around this incredible group of of chefs, nutritionists, and other healthy gourmet food enthusiasts is that I’ve found my “mothership.” My gratitude-o-meter has blown up. This almost does feel possible or real.

For those unfamiliar with NGI, it was started in 1977 by the visionary Dr. Annemarie Colbin in her Upper West Side New York apartment kitchen. Colbin was decades ahead of her time in advocating a return to traditional, sustainable natural food preparation that could at once be gourmet and healing. She began a tradition of Friday night dinners that continues at the school despite her unfortunate passing in April of last year.

Today, as the NGI website states, the school is “the leader in health-supportive culinary education and has graduated over 2,500 chefs from over 45 countries.” In my program alone people have come from everywhere from Brazil, the Philippines, and Mexico to New York and Mississippi. We have restaurant owners, health-minded home chefs, writers, a medical student, a movement therapist, and a professional food stylist. An eclectic group, we are united by a passion for Colbin’s 20th century translation of Hippocrates’ ancient dictum, “Let food be thy medicine…”

I highly recommend you check out Colbin’s 2013 Ted talk, in which she presents her philosophy of food. You can learn more about NGI’s mission here. I’m heading off to school now, but please enjoy this gallery of some of the dishes we’ve prepared this week. And, yes, they taste as good as they look!

Renee Erlich

Working with Kelly has been life changing. I've learned about healthy food options, their health benefits, portion control, reading labels, and how to prepare these foods deliciously. In just three months my eating habits have changed, my energy level is up, and I've lost weight even though I'm eating more food than ever! Most importantly, my family is reaping the benefits.

Renee Erlich

Tina Baird

Kelly helped me figure out why I kept making the same bad choices even though deep-down I so wanted to make changes. We worked together to enable me to get out of my own way! By helping me adopt small, easy-to-reach goals to work on between meetings, I made steady progress that added up to major change over the course of six months. I am eating and living in a far healthier way than I ever thought possible. I feel amazing and my weight is finally under control.

Tina Baird

Paula Milgrom

Kelly helped me put in place a system of new daily habits that transformed my eating and exercise. Rather than giving you a list of foods or exercises to figure out on your own at home, she takes you step-by-step with biweekly meetings to help you create a new lifestyle. I highly recommend her approach if you’re stuck.

Paula Milgrom

Stephanie Lyons

I learned with Kelly that small changes can make big impacts. She helped me prioritize my week and create a plan to get all of the important items on my to do list accomplished. Kelly showed a tremendous amount of support during our meetings which made it easy for me to speak about the aspects of my life I wanted to improve on. I would recommend Kelly to anyone who is looking to get on the path toward a healthier self.

Stephanie Lyons

Ann Knapke

I’ve been working with Kelly now for 6 months and have truly enjoyed each meeting. She has guided me, supported me and educated me on how to live a healthier lifestyle for my family and myself. Kelly has helped me set attainable goals and has provided me with the resources to meet my goals without feeling overwhelmed or stressed in the process. I highly recommend Kelly. She is dedicated and committed to helping you create optimal health whether it’s your own personal goals or your families.

Ann Knapke

Food, family, health, and the meaning of everything

Hello from Sunny L.A.

Renee Erlich

Tina Baird

Paula Milgrom

Stephanie Lyons

Ann Knapke

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