What is the “L” in Vitamin L?

The “L” stands for LOVE.  While I, as a culinary nutritionist and Integrative Nutrition Coach stress the importance of nourishing ourselves with nutrient dense foods, I also firmly believe that LOVE is the most important, fundamental ingredient.  When we LOVE ourselves and our family members enough to nourish our bodies, the rest of the work in the kitchen becomes easier to learn, to adapt to, and to assimilate into our livelihoods.

What is a culinary nutritionist?

As a culinary nutritionist (and Integrative Nutrition Coach) certified by the Academy of Culinary Nutrition, I educate and empower clients how to select, prepare, and cook ingredients to elevate their nutrient densities and to optimize your health. I do this through private consultations, classes with cooking demos, and presentations for large groups such as schools and companies.

For more information, see my services.

What kinds of clients can you best help with?

I can best help clients who are seeking to boost their and their family member’s immunity against common ailments such as colds, flus, and digestive ailments.  Respiratory ailments such as allergic rhinitis and asthma are areas I can help support with my expertise.  To learn more about why and how I got into this niche, see my story.

What kinds of clients can you NOT help?

I am not the right person for you if you are seeking:

• Calorie counting weight loss
• The latest dietary fad, especially the Keto-diet

Most importantly, I cannot cure any health condition.   Rather, I can only SUPPORT the healing process with the recommendations of nutrient dense whole foods selected, prepared, and cooked in certain ways.   “Perfect” health, in my opinion, is not the absence of diseases / ailments but rather your body’s ability to fend them off as swiftly as possible without succumbing first to health complications.  Moreover, the healing process towards “Perfect” health is a holistic one depending on your compliance with other factors such as sleep, hydration, stress management, air quality, etc.

What do you mean when you say you specialize in immunity?

My shared expertise on culinary nutrition focuses on how to select, prepare, and cook ingredients that will strengthen the body’s natural defenses against common ailments such as colds, flus, and digestive ailments – you know, the kind our young children pick up so often from schools and play groups, and then pass on to the rest of the family.

To learn more about why and how I got into this niche, see my story.

How can I benefit from your services, especially when I already eat fairly healthy and take supplements?

It is wonderful you are already improving / sustaining your health daily. My services have also helped people who are seeking more variety in their healthy recipes repertoire, different kinds of meals that might entice their children more, and better digestion.

Regarding digestion, all those nutrients we take, through whole foods or supplements, can only be used by our body if we can digest them.

Regarding supplements, no matter how “natural” and “made from organic wholefoods they are, their benefits trail FAR behind those offered by the HUNDREDS of phytochemicals (micronutrients that are beyond vitamins and minerals and cannot be extracted in significant amount, if at all) your body’s immune defenses need.

Why use your meal plan service when I can just scout for healthy meals online or in my healthy cookbooks?

By personally curating recipes that meet your and your family’s dietary needs and preferences, I will help you 1) save time 2) save money (not throw away food you over purchased) and 3) filter through the “health washing myths”.  For examples, in my meal plans:

• I will only recommend certain natural sweeteners that will not elevate your stress levels and compromise your immunity.
• I will only recommend cooking oils and appropriate usage of them to decrease the chance of them going rancid, and compromising your immunity.
• I will advise you only the gluten free products that are nutrient dense, and not merely of sub-par quality that will compromise your immunity, and sometimes even raise you blood sugar level and lower your energy level.
• I will show you the optimal ways to enhance digestions of therapeutic healing ingredients including some vegetables, herbs and spices.
• I will advise you of different ways to cook and present the same recipe, using the same (most at least) ingredients to your fussier family members.

To find out more information, see meal planning.

I see lots of plant-based foods in your social media posts and your suggested recipes. Do you prescribe vegetarian / vegan recipes?

Yes, I do incorporate and recommend lots of plant-based foods, especially vegetables and fruits. In fact, you will see that I am not just about kale and spinach but rather prefer vegetables and fruits representing a rainbow of colors.  While I eat and do include animal products in my and my clients’ meal plans, I focus on vegetables and fruits due to their much more superior immune building powers derived from their phytonutrients (vitamins and nutrients).

Do you use / recommend gluten or dairy ingredients?

I do not use nor recommend gluten or dairy ingredients, mainly due to their inflammatory consequences (hence compromised immunity) that, with regular consumptions, can occur overtime.  

Do you work with people who have food sensitivities, intolerance or allergies?

Yes, I do.   For examples, many of my clients who use my meal plans are still able to boost their immunity whilst being satiated from my curated recipes catering to their dietary restrictions / preferences.

My children are fussy eaters. Do you think they will eat what you prescribe?

While I cannot guarantee that your children will eat and even finish whatever I prescribe (in your meal plan, for example), I can guarantee that your children will be exposed to more variety of vegetables and fruits, and consuming them in different textures and flavors.  No doubt, some are more selective eaters than others.  And honestly, some will only like that new ingredient or meal when we find that “sweet spot” where they like the presentation, colors, textures, and flavors combination.  A good example is avocado.  Some children will eat that only in mashed form, flavored with only lemon juice and salt, with some chunks of avocados in there (not all mashed), served with crackers, (preferably crunchy), and sometimes, not having the crackers completely dunked into the mashed form….you get my picture…..

Will your meal plan recipes overwhelm me? I don’t have much time to cook. Cooking sometimes stresses me out.

I will prescribe only recipes that cater to your preferred tastes, textures, time available for prepping and cooking, cooking method, and available cooking appliances.   And fear not, I will introduce new foods, including vegetables on an incremental basis whilst still keeping some of your favorite ingredients.

To find out more information, see meal planning.

Why attend your cooking demo class when I can just watch a cooking show online or on TV?

I love watching cooking shows too!   In my classes where I do a demo as well, I will focus much of the time showing you and explaining to you what / why / how / combine the ingredients to elevate your body’s immune defenses.

To find out more information, see cooking demonstrations.

Do you provide online consultations?

Yes, I provide online consultations (via phone and/or video calls) for my meal planning clients.

To find out more information, see how I can help  you with meal planning & culinary nutrition consultation.

Do you work with schools?

Yes, I do.  Schools have contacted me to provide meal planning (for their students) and culinary nutrition classes, sometimes along with cooking demos.