Tag: chefv

Angelica’s 21 Day Detox Success

Chef V


Angelica's cleanse results

Angelica describes her Chef V 21 Day Detox Success

Angelica says: “For so long, I’ve felt bloated, clouded and discouraged by the feeling that I’m not reaching my health goals because of constant cravings. Doing Chef V’s 21 Day Cleanse has helped me realize that I am what I consume and all the sugary things advertised as “healthy” or “clean” isn’t as they seem. I cut out processed foods, dairy, and gluten and noticed the physical difference. My before and after pictures may not be as dramatic as others but I definitely feel clear minded, energized, not bloated, and overall better. With my hectic work schedule in the healthcare industry switching from night shift and day shift, it was a challenge to follow the plan to the T but I followed the guidelines and did my best to continue only consuming quality products. This was my first cleanse ever and I encourage all cleansers from any level to try it because the green drink is definitely surprisingly tasty and results there when you commit.”  – Angelica P.


Chef V 21 day detox

Chef V’s Yoga for Stress Relief During the Holidays

Chef V

yoga for stress

Stressful times now with the holiday crazies. More than ever I depend on my yoga practice to settle my mind, re-energize, and reduce unhealthy stress.

When it all gets to be just too much, I use these two poses to find a calm, relaxed center – and I try to carry that feeling through the entire day.

TREE POSE (VRKSASANA)

Start by focusing the balance on the left foot. Lifting the right foot to the ankle, calf, above the knee or in lotus position (inside the hip joint), bring your arms to prayer position in front of your heart center. Straighten the back, tuck in the pelvis and breathe.

On an inhale, extend your arms over head into any hand mudra you desire; pinky to thumb, thumb to index finger or thumb to middle finger. Hold here for 5-10 inhale and exhale breaths.

dandelion

Slowly bring your hands back to prayer in front of your chest and slowly release your right foot down. Refocus your attention to the right foot balance and bring your left leg up to the same place you did on your right.

Rebalance and bring your arms to heart center. Extend your arms overhead to a different hand mudra. Breathe 5-10 breaths and slowly release.

Benefits of tree pose: Improves balance and stability in the legs, works and strengthens the core, strengthens the tendons and ligaments in the feet, opens the pelvis and hip bones, also builds self-confidence and self esteem.

collard greens

FLOOR BOW POSE (DHANURASANA)

Another pose that helps me center is Floor Bow Pose. My ribs open and allows deeper cleansing breath.

Start by laying flat with your stomach on the ground. Bend your knees and reach around grabbing your right ankle with your right hand and left ankle with left hand. Start to kick your feet so your arms are being pulled. You can begin to rock back and forth, breathing deeply. Make sure your knees are as close together as possible, hold and breathe for 5-10 inhale and exhale breaths and slowly release.

Benefits of bow pose: Opens the heart, hips, chest, and abdominal muscles. Improves balance, digestion, fatigue, anxiety, and menstrual discomfort.

However you decide to celebrate the holidays this year, do it with Cheer! Namaste!

Chef V, Coco and kale

SIBO: The Number One Reason You Shouldn’t Snack All Day

Chef V

SIBO - snacking

How many times a day do you do it? 

You’re not really hungry but you stroll into the kitchen and open the fridge or pantry…

It’s not like new food has magically materialized. 

Yet you find something to snack on. 

But even when you’re done eating the last crumb, you’re already thinking about the next snack. 

And all day long, it doesn’t stop. Popcorn on the couch at 11:00 at night while you’re binge-watching your favorite show. 

Nothing wrong with unwinding after a hard day’s work with some mindless show. 

But because I know about SIBO and how it can cause terrible bloating, constipation, gas, and skin problems, I avoid snacking almost entirely—especially after dinner. 

gastritis from SIBO

What is SIBO? 

SIBO stands for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. 

Because of the popularity of probiotics, lots of people know about the importance of having a healthy gut microbiome. 

Not sure what a gut microbiome is? 

It’s everything in your gut that’s not you, like bacteria and fungus. 

It’s important to have enough of these invisible friendly freeloaders in your gut. That’s because they help metabolize food and release byproducts that keep you healthy. 

In other words, if you take care of these microscopic critters, they will take care of you. 

Many people know it’s important to have enough friendly bacteria in the gut to keep the potentially disease-causing bacteria and yeast from overwhelming the immune system. 

But what few people are aware of is exactly where the good stuff should be. 

Yes, in the gut … but where exactly? 

The answer is your colon. 

And, no, the colon is not the same as the rectum, where poop comes out of; the colon is another term for the five-foot long large intestine.

Gut bacteria should predominantly be present in the large intestine. But when you snack a lot, it can cause an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine or SIBO. 

colon

What Causes SIBO?

There are other root causes besides snacking. But not giving your digestion enough of a break is one of the biggest culprits. 

Chronic stress, medication, serious illness, surgery, hormonal imbalance (excess estrogen) … these are some of the other contributing SIBO factors. 

But I want to focus on snacking here because almost everybody can relate to it and it’s really easy to correct. 

So here’s why snacking can cause SIBO…

The bacteria in your small intestine normally gets literally swept down into the large intestine several times a day by a process called the migrating motor complex or MMC. 

Not to geek out on this highly complex function of human physiology but the basics of the MMC are important to understand. 

If the majority of your bacteria sits in your small intestine, you will not be able to absorb nutrients very well. 

Malabsorption of nutrients can cause autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue, mood disorders and lots of other health concerns. 

So you really need the bacteria to migrate from the small intestine to the large intestine. Otherwise, the friendly bacteria (probiotics) can’t digest their favorite food—prebiotic fiber—that eventually create short-chain fatty acids. 

Short-chain fatty acids improve gut-brain communication. And basically every factor of health such as immunity is determined by gut-brain communication. 

intermittent fasting

Why Snacking Causes SIBO

But it can take up to 4 hours in between meals for most of the bacteria to be swept into the colon. 

You probably already know that frequent snacking is bad for managing blood sugar levels and keeping insulin levels low. 

Now that you know about the MMC, add it to the list of why you really should never snack in between meals—unless you have a medical condition such as type 1 diabetes that necessitates eating frequent small meals. 

SIBO is another good reason to give intermittent fasting a try. I like the routine of finishing my dinner by 8 p.m. and then breaking my fast 16 hours later with Organic Green Drink. 

Doing a 16 hour fast will help your body not only sweep all the excess bacteria down into the large intestine, it will also help your body get back in balance. Digestion requires an enormous amount of energy and resources. When you deprive your body of food short-term, it can focus on other tasks like self-repair. 

 (Fasting for 12-14 hours will also yield positive results but build up your temporary daily fast to 16 hours eventually.)

How To Get Tested For SIBO and Fix It

You have to get diagnosed for it by a medical doctor. You can also find a functional health practitioner who can run some diagnostic tests and assess your gut health. 

Fixing SIBO requires dietary adjustments, probiotics and prebiotic fiber, for starters. You may have to eliminate all added sugars, gluten, processed soy, white flour, and wheat flour for the time being. Eat a plant-based diet consisting of real food (nothing packaged or processed) and stop snacking. And stop walking past the fridge and pantry so much! 

Chef V and kale

How To Save $4000 On Green Drink & Cleanses—And Feel Like A Million Bucks

Chef V


green drink

Veronica “V” Kress, founder of ChefV.com, is paying it forward by reducing the yearly cost of a Green Drink plan and 2 Cleanses by $4000, to a select group of VIP customers. To be eligible for consideration, VIP customers must be fully committed to looking and feeling their best in 2023. 

How are those healthy New Year resolutions going so far? Hopefully you’re not one of the 25% of people who quit within the first week of setting their resolutions. 

The fact is that most people abandon their resolution before the end of January. And get this: less than 10% are successful in seeing their resolution through and achieving success.

Are you the rare person that not only wants to unleash your full potential in 2023, but will actually make it happen? Are you someone who wants to live life at the possible highest vibration this year? 

Do you want 2023 to be your healthiest year yet? Are you excited about the possibility of looking and feeling your best ever?

Then I have an invitation for you. 

But first I have to warn you about something…


V and B at the beach

Be A CHEF V VIP. Buy A New Wardrobe With Your Savings!

If you accept my invitation you’re going to get significantly leaner. 

You’ll finally achieve the body you’ve been dreaming about for years.

And that means there’s a good chance you might have to buy new clothes. 

But with all the money you’ll save, you’ll be able to buy a whole new wardrobe. 

Plus you’ll still have lots more money saved to go on a dream vacation. 

If this sounds too good to be true, there is a catch…

You need to be 100% fully committed to my plan. 

You see, recently, I told you that Chef V’s Green Drink Plan is the best $7 you’ll spend this year for your overall health and well-being. 

The same price as a coffee shop vanilla latte will help you lose weight, feel great and everything that comes along with that… 

Like better sleep, more youthful looking skin and a stronger immune system… 

The Chef V Green Drink Plan is a great place to start for looking and feeling your best in 2023. 


chef v annual plan

If you want to take it to the next level and save thousands of dollars, I invite you into my inner circle: the CHEF V VIP group. 

Here’s what you get when you join:

  • $4000 off the retail price for 12 months of Green Drink or Tropical Green Drink
  • Two (2) 3-DAY CLEANSES Included (accelerate your weight loss)
    • Private Health Consultation with Chef V, a certified nutritional therapist (30 minutes $250 value)
    • Hard copy of Chef V’s Cookbook, Making Cleansing Easier (a $47 value)
    • A Chef V Tumbler ($20 value)
  • Free samples of upcoming Chef V new products. 

Be A VIP For Less Than The Cost Of A Burrito 

My accountant is not very happy with me. You see, he thinks I’m not charging enough for my Green Drink Plan. And on top of that, I’m offering 2 free 3-DAY CLEANSES! 

I’m sure you’re all too aware of how much prices of everything have gone up. Why would I then offer a huge savings plus several freebies on top of that? 

Well, at the end of the day, CHEF V is a business, so I do have to turn a profit. But beyond being a business, CHEF V is a community. And I want to give back and help people achieve their health goals. 

This is why I created the VIP PLAN. By becoming a VIP, you are purchasing not only the freshest, most gut-friendly, lowest-sugar Green Drink, you’re also getting something you can’t put money on…

ACCOUNTABILITY.

By becoming a VIP, you are not only purchasing daily Green Drinks and 2 CLEANSES, you’re also investing in your future health and success. 

By prepaying for a VIP yearly plan, you are guaranteeing that you will stay motivated and committed to meeting your goals. 

In becoming a CHEF V VIP, you eliminate the chance of failure!  

You will be the rare person that sticks to their New Year health resolutions!

So what will all this cost? 

I believe in being fully transparent. No waiting until the checkout cart pops up to see what the total cost is…

Your upfront investment in your health and happiness for 2023 is $2199.

That comes out to $183 a month. 

That’s only $6.10 per day. 

Way less than the breakfast burrito I ate the other day. It was $15! 

Of course, I ate it at 1 p.m. because I do intermittent fasting and I break my fast with Green Drink every morning. Having Green Drink every day for your “break-fast” is the easiest way to lose weight and feel super-charged.

And with the VIP Plan, you’re guaranteed of securing the lowest possible price on Green Drink and sticking with it. No temptations to jump off the bandwagon and go back to your old ways of eating sausage, bacon, toast and bagels for breakfast. 

I can’t emphasize enough how Green Drink starts off your day in the healthiest way possible. 

—-> Read Chef V’s Health Benefits Of Green Drink For Breakfast

The point is, that gourmet burrito I had was delicious. But $15 on something that really isn’t supporting my health to the same degree as Green Drink? Delicious but ridiculous. 

Whereas $6 a day for Green Drink plus free 2 CLEANSES during the year to support your body’s detoxification organs? 

That’s far too much of a bargain, according to my accountant. 


green drink and digestion

Is Your Brain Health Worth $2K? 

The average person will think of a thousand excuses not to invest $2199 in their health. 

But you’re not average. You realize that flooding your cells every morning with the world’s most potent, health-supporting phytonutrients is priceless. 

And doing so affects your health in every possible way. 

For example, your brain health. 

But don’t just take my word for it. A study in the journal, Neurology, shows that just 1 serving a day of green leafy vegetables may help to slow age-associated cognitive decline. 

Plus there’s research that shows how daily green leafy veggies supports sleep quality, collagen production, blood sugar levels and so much more…

The VIP Green Drink plan is like buying the best premium fuel for your body at Costco prices. 

30 Day Challenge X 12 = Amazing Health Transformation

Every so often, we’ll do a 30 Day Green Drink Challenge on social media. Chef V customers who complete the challenge typically experience some amazing results. 10-20 pounds lost. More energy. Cravings for junk gone. Clearer skin. 

Unfortunately, some people lose their momentum and go back to their old ways. 

This is why becoming a VIP is the smartest thing you’ll do this year. 

Imagine the success of a 30-day challenge times 12!!!

On a VIP plan, the motivation will never fade! 

Make 2023 the year you finally see a health resolution through to the end of the year.

Upgrade to a VIP plan now.

To your health and success!

Love, Chef V

Chef V and kale

Is Cleansing While Pregnant Or Nursing Safe?

Chef V

Chef V pregnant -1

Veronica (the “V” in Chef V) is now a mommy to one big beautiful baby. Kaden Samuel Kress was born weighing almost 10 pounds! Baby, momma and daddy (Brandon) are all doing great. Now that Baby Kaden is here, can V get back to her pre-pregnancy weight by doing a brief cleanse? V reveals whether it’s safe, and provides pregnant and breastfeeding moms with other practical nutrition facts. 

As I write this right after the July 4th holiday, I feel grateful to live in the USA. But after having just given birth, I’m dreaming of being a Scandinavian. You see, in Denmark, moms get 4 weeks of leave directly before the due date and then 14 weeks of leave after birth. 

But when you’re running a mini Organic Green Drink delivery empire, ain’t nobody got time for that much maternity leave. 

Speaking of Green Drinks, they are the cornerstone of ChefV.com cleanses (4 of them per day, available in 1-DAY, 3-DAY, and 5-DAY options), and now that my Baby Kaden is here, I thought I’d write about whether it’s safe for new moms to do a brief cleanse to get back to the weight they were before they had a watermelon in their belly. 

mother holding baby up in air

Cleansing For Expecting & New Moms

To answer whether it’s safe to cleanse while breastfeeding or pregnant, I’m not gonna leave you with a cliffhanger. I’ll cut right to the chase. I don’t recommend cleansing while breastfeeding or pregnant. That’s because when you’re doing a cleanse, it accelerates the liver’s detoxification pathways. 

Totally a good thing when you’ve been eating lots of bacon double cheeseburgers and don’t have a tiny human in your belly. But when the liver’s detoxification pathways are accelerated, trapped toxins get released into the bloodstream. Not good for a fetus or a nursing baby!


Veronica with green drink

Are Green Drinks OK For New Moms? 

Does that mean that pregnant and nursing moms shouldn’t have Organic Green Drink? Actually, having a Green Drink every day as a supplement to your diet is safe. I had one every day during my pregnancy. But don’t take that as medical advice. You should consult with your doctor or OBGYN. 

So why is it safe to have a Green Drink while pregnant or nursing if it’s the cornerstone of the Chef V cleanse? Because the 7 green leafy veggies are nutrient dense. And you’re not doing a cleanse, you’re just having one daily green drink and eating a normal diet.

Another reason it’s not a good idea to do a cleanse, even a 1-DAY cleanse is because you’re consuming fewer calories. Although the Chef V cleanse is one of the only detox programs that supplies all the essential macronutrients (protein, fat and low-sugar carbs), it does not provide enough calories and nutrients for a developing baby.


gut flora

Are Raw Juices Safe For Pregnancy?

Better For Mom & Baby’s Gut 

ChefV.com prides itself on being the only company that delivers low-sugar, unpasteurized (raw) cold-blended Green Drinks made fresh. The advantage of raw and cold-blended is it’s better for your gut microbiome. 

Less Harmful Bacteria Than Store Produce

Another advantage of drinking your greens from ChefV.com is that all our produce comes direct from farms. That means hardly any hands have touched the 7 certified organic green leafy veggies. In comparison, think about how many people handle or touch the produce sold at grocery stores: distributors, employees and customers. Supermarket-bought produce carries far more bacteria!

No Bugs, Literally!

Another reason Chef V Green Drinks are safe is that after we receive the produce directly from our farm suppliers, we wash it with a certified organic solution. The produce soaks in this solution and is then power-washed with cold water and inspected for bugs. This process reduces bacteria that could potentially harm your baby. 

Finally, just a quick word of caution about consuming raw drinks and foods: make sure it’s from a brand or local farm that you know and trust!

baby with fruits and vegetables

Does Eating Veggies Affect Your Baby’s Future Diet? 

Obviously, eating a diet high in fruits and veggies is not only great for mom’s health, but for developing baby’s as well. But a 2020 study in Public Health Nutrition posed an interesting question: Does a mom’s diet while breastfeeding affect what the baby will eat later in life? In other words, if mom eats lots of fresh fruits and veggies, will it “train” baby’s taste buds to like them too? 

According to the study authors, children breastfed during infancy consume more fruits and vegetables than formula-fed children. “This pattern is likely due, in part, to infants learning from flavors of the mother's diet transmitted through breast milk.” 

And out of nearly 1400 b mom-baby combinations, the study authors concluded that longer breastfeeding duration was associated with a higher rate of fruit and vegetable consumption when the child reached one year. 

Even better, the study conclusion was the same when the children reached 6 years of age. Exposure to vegetable flavors through breast milk promotes later child vegetable consumption, the authors concluded.

baby breast feeding

Take It Easy On The Garlic & Onions

Garlic and onions are great for stir-fry dishes but alliums, the family that garlic and onions are in, are not good for babies. In fact, alliums can make a colicky baby cry like a banshee even more. 

A randomized clinical trial (the gold standard of research) from 2018 (published here) was conducted because “therapeutic diets for infantile colic lack evidence.” 

So the study authors examined the effects of a low-FODMAP diet. FODMAPS stands for “Fermentable, Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, And Polyols,” which are types of sugars. Alliums like garlic and onions are fructans, which are oligosaccharides. 

The study examined breastfed infants at least 9 weeks old with colic. One group of moms went on a 10-day low-FODMAP diet while the other group ate a typical Western diet. The low-FODMAP diet was associated with a 32% reduction in “crying-fussing durations of infants with colic.” 

You know how garlic and onions can make you burp? Remember that those alliums travel through the breast milk and make babies cranky! 

garlic and onions

Do Breastfeeding Moms Need Nutritional Supplements? 

The University of California San Francisco recommends that breastfeeding mothers take a daily multivitamin that contains 100 percent of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). If taking a prenatal vitamin, you can continue to take it, but you’ll likely be consuming too much iron, which may cause constipation or indigestion.  

A research article from a Spanish pediatric journal suggests that moms should pay special attention to getting enough thiamine (vitamin B1) and vitamins A and D, because these 3 nutrients are the ones most likely to be the most deficient in breastmilk if mom isn’t getting enough of it through the diet. The researchers also say that moms should consume at least 1800 calories a day.

All this writing about postnatal nutrition is making me hungry. I’m off to go eat and feed baby Kaden. I hope this article is useful if you’re expecting or nursing. 

To your health — and baby’s too!

Love, 
Veronica 

Founder, ChefV.com


Green drink under $7

Eating Healthy After Having a Baby

Chef V

Chef V pregnant -1

ChefV.com founder, Veronica Wheat, recently gave birth. Before she delivered, she sported a serious belly bump. Actually, it’s more like a bowling ball! At 34 weeks pregnant, her baby was massive! 

But did that stop V from being active? Of course not. She’s was still super active. And did V give into pregnancy cravings? Nope, she ate healthy and has an important message about nutrition for new moms…

(V wrote this article before she gave birth.)

Whew! What an amazing 8-month-long journey this has been. I can hardly believe that my due date is just around the corner! In just a few short weeks, my little bundle of joy will make his grand entrance into the world. 

Make that a huge bundle of joy because right now—I’m 34 weeks as I’m writing this—HE is already huge: over 7 pounds! (Sorry to spoil the gender reveal.)

And he’s only going to get bigger. Starting in week 36, babies gain about half a pound and grow half an inch a week. That means he (naming reveal to be announced later) is on track to be 10 pounds by week 38. I wasn’t all that surprised, considering that on both sides of the family, we’ve got some long, tall genes. 

Despite lugging a bowling bowl around with me everywhere I go,  I’m not one of those pregnant moms with swollen feet propped up on pillows. That’s because I’m been staying super active and eating healthy. 

Look, I know how tempting it is when you’re pregnant to give in to cravings. “I’m carrying around this 10-pound baby and deserve a pint of ice cream!” 

But when you give into temptation during the later part of your pregnancy, you run the risk of…

gestational diabetes

Gestational Diabetes

You can have perfectly normal blood sugar levels but if you get your Ben & Jerry’s on every night, you can develop a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy: Gestational diabetes. 

As if our hormones weren’t challenged enough being ladies without gestating babies. But during pregnancy, shifts in hormone levels can change how our body processes glucose (sugar). With pregnancy, hormones focus on the task at hand, keeping baby healthy—at the expense, however, of making it more difficult for the hormone, insulin, to escort sugar out of the bloodstream and into the cells. 

With all the built-up sugar in the blood, gestational diabetes can occur. And it usually happens around the 24th to 28th week of pregnancy. 

Only someone who has given birth, or is about to, can understand the intense desire to eat whatever you want. But the problem with giving in to temptation is that gestational diabetes doesn’t just affect the mama, but also the baby. 

Preeclampsia (high blood pressure), premature birth, macrosomia (a condition in which the baby grows larger than normal), and neonatal hypoglycemia (low blood sugar in the baby after birth) are just a few conditions that are tied to gestational diabetes. 

So even though pre-natal babies and bon bons go hand in hand, I’m not willing to jeopardize my health or that of my baby for a quick sugar fix. If I need something sweet, I’ll go for some fresh organic fruit or make one of my popular smoothies or low-sugar desserts.


what do I eat today - Mothers Day

Read Real Food For Pregnancy 

I’ve been studying nutrition pretty much my adult life. But when it comes to eating healthy during pregnancy, I wanted to turn to the experts. And one of the best resources I came across was a book called, “Real Food For Pregnancy,” written by the author of Real Food For Diabetes, Lily Nichols, a registered dietitian, and certified diabetes educator. 

On one hand, the importance of consuming nutrient-dense, real foods should apply to everybody, no matter which stage of life you’re in, baby bump or none. But what I found the most valuable from the book is the common misconceptions about prenatal nutrition. For instance, many pregnant women are told to avoid eggs or seafood, due to their cholesterol or mercury content. 

Would you call child protective services on me if I told you I’ve been eating sushi while pregnant? It’s true! As Nichols implies, there’s no reason to be hysterical about eating sushi occasionally. Would I get to-go sushi from a gas station? No. But I’ll go to a high-end sushi joint I’ve been going to for years, and has never made me sick. Why risk it, you might ask? It’s because the cold-water fish used in sushi rolls are one of the best sources of Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid and one of the best nutrients for your heart and brain. And for a growing baby, too!

However, you definitely want to keep your intake of high-mercury fish like swordfish and canned tuna to a minimum. High-mercury fish tend to be lower in DHA anyway. Try to limit your intake of canned tuna and mahi to 6 oz once a week. 

below, my recipe for Pistachio Coated Salmon.


pistachio coated salmon

Is Red Meat Safe For Pregnancy?

I’ve never been a huge meat eater. But I have gotten in touch with my inner caveman because in reading Real Food For Pregnancy, I learned that eating a little meat-on-bone provides essential nutrients such as collagen that you can’t get from a typical burger patty. Still, it’s weird gnawing on chicken bones like I’m a frat boy putting down 20 pieces on wing night at the bar. 

Of course, the quality of meat is super important. I know how insane food prices have shot up. But I’m willing to spend the extra money to support my developing baby. 

below, Chef V's baby shower

Chef V baby shower

Prenatal Vitamins: Are They Worth It?

Of course, certain nutrients are vital for a growing baby such as folic acid. Personally, I think prenatal vitamins are just fine, but the one mistake some expecting mothers make is that they take the vitamins in lieu of getting the nutrients from real food. 

That’s why I’ve been eating more eggs during pregnancy than combined over my whole life. Remember DHA I was just talking about? I eat 3 eggs a day sometimes to make sure I’m getting it straight from the source. But I admit, I’m gonna be so sick of eggs by the time this is over.  

Avoid Green Leafy Veggies Because of Bacteria?

Some expecting mothers are told to avoid green leafy veggies because they may be more susceptible to bacterial contamination. 

But if you’re avoiding dark green leafy veggies because you’re scared of bacteria, well, that’s just crazy. No offense. 

Green leafy veggies are some of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. Why deprive yourself and your growing baby of the vitamins and minerals on the rare chance you’ll become sickened by tainted produce? 

In my opinion, the reward of eating plenty of dark, leafy greens is much greater than the risk. 

I’m also not giving into the warning not to drink unpasteurized juices. At least not when it comes to having Organic Green Drink, which my body is so used to after drinking it for over 10 years. 

Again, the health benefits of raw Green Drink outweigh the risks. The living microorganisms from the 7-certified organic leafy greens in Green Drink nourish my gut microbiome. And, in turn, it will help colonize my baby’s beneficial gut bacteria. 

Now, I don’t want you to think that even while pregnant I don’t eat any junk. But pretty much, my biggest indulgences have been pancakes or waffles. Obviously, with almond flour, not regular white flour, haha. 

pregnant woman by the pool

Staying Active Well Into 3rd Trimester

The impulse to sit on the couch when you’re sweating with a watermelon-sized belly is strong. But not only do you have to get a little movement, the more movement you get, the easier your pregnancy may be. 

That’s why I’m still doing yoga almost every day, going to the gym, playing pickleball 5-6 days a week—yup, even at 34 weeks!—and last, but not least, I’m playing golf 2-3 times a week. All the while still working full-time! I work every day but I also make sure to squeeze in time for fun every day. 

And here’s the crazy thing. Now that I’m just about 6 weeks shy of the due date, my golf game is better than ever. I’m crushing the ball. My drives are 240 yards. That’s 40 yards longer than before I became pregnant! I’m catching up with Brandon’s long game. Still, I have to admit some defeat. I can’t do a whole 18 holes. I’m cutting down to 9. 

You know how in traditional cultures, the moms carry their babies on their backs? Well, I’ll probably be on the links and pickleball court with one of those back slings, haha! 

Stay tuned. I can’t wait to introduce you to…him. 

Chef V and Pickle ball


Green drink under $7

Soy: Does It Bring A New Mom Joy Or Is It Best To Avoid?

Chef V

sleep and weight loss

ChefV.com founder, Veronica Wheat, recently gave birth. She avoided soy before and after giving birth. Here, she explains why:

When it comes to soy, I’m not talking about the lab-grown kind that’s in Impossible Burgers. Been there, covered that. I’m also not talking about soy protein powder (here). Now that I’ve got a baby belly for real, I’m curious how regular soy, the kind that’s used to make blocks of tofu, for instance, impacts prenatal health. 

Spoiler alert: it’s not something I’ll be feeding my developing baby. For some people, this news might be surprising because soy is supposed to be a healthy plant-based source of protein. And for women going through menopause, soy is supposed to help balance estrogen levels. 

The thing is that soy, despite its seemingly innocuous squishy nature, has a dark side…

tofu block

Problem With Soy #1: GMOs

Almost all the soy that’s grown in the U.S. is genetically modified. But don’t just take my word for it. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s own stats, over 90 percent of soybeans are produced using genetically-engineered varieties. I’ll be stoked if my kid becomes an engineer but there’s no way I want my baby eating GMO foods. 

Think I’m just being paranoid about GMO soy? Then check out the conclusion of this study from Environmental Sciences Europe:

“Serious adverse events of GM consumption include mortality, tumor or cancer, significant low fertility, decreased learning and reaction abilities, and some organ abnormalities.”

Case closed. 


soy plant

Problem With Soy #2: Pesticides

Is the simple answer to buy organic, non-GMO soy? (FYI: Organic foods are not genetically engineered, so saying organic non-GMO is redundant.) 

This is a bit of a tricky question. On one hand, soy is one of the most heavily-sprayed crops. I previously talked about the potential dangers of the world’s most widely used weedkiller: glyphosate (used in the Monsanto brand, Roundup). 

Organic soy is not sprayed with glyphosate. But that doesn’t mean it won’t contain traces of it. If an organic farm is located close to a non-organic farm that uses glyphosate, the spray can drift to the organic farm. 

Again, it may sound like I’m being a bit kooky worrying about glyphosate drift. But studies have shown that people who live near large farms where herbicides and pesticides are used are at risk. 

And that’s not a risk I’m willing to expose my kid to. In fact, according to a study in Diabetes Care, exposure to glyphosate in the first trimester is linked to a higher risk of gestational diabetes, says pregnancy nutrition expert, Lily Nichols, RDN. 

spraying fields

Problem With Soy #3: Environmental Impact

The next problem with soy is how it affects the environment that my child will walk on, in just a few short months!

It turns out that soy has a huge negative impact on the Earth. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, soy production has more than doubled over the last two decades. While we need more crop yields to feed a growing population, the production of soy is mostly unsustainable and contributes to rising levels of greenhouse gas emissions. Forests and grasslands are cleared to cultivate soy. The result is that not only are natural habitats destroyed, so are the traditional cultures that rely on them. 

What’s more is that soy isn’t just grown for human consumption. In fact, approximately 80% is used as feed for livestock. And even if you think the environmental impact of cow farts are greatly exaggerated, there’s no denying that soy usurps a huge amount of resources. It requires immense amounts of water and chemicals to cultivate soy. In addition, the clear-cutting of forests to make room for soy changes the natural composition of the soil. 

woman holding sign save our planet

Soy Brings No Joy – Reason #4: Heavy Metals

When soy is cultivated in unhealthy/unnatural soil, the soil becomes eroded and often contains heavy metals like aluminum. If you have an excess amount of aluminum in your body, it creates oxidative stress in the brain, liver and kidney, says a 2022 study in Emerging Medicine International. 

Conventional soy is often processed in aluminum containers or boxes instead of the traditional Japanese wooden boxes. The aluminum can leach out of the box into the tofu. And if that’s not bad enough, conventional soy can interfere with the absorption of the good minerals you want in your gut like calcium, zinc and magnesium. 

The ultimate reason I’m not going to avoid soy over the next several months? I’ll let the aforementioned Lily Nichols explain. Nichols quotes a study on her website from Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior which concludes:

“Aluminum exposure during pregnancy has potential neurotoxic hazards to the in utero developing fetus brain.”

aluminum sheet, crumpled

Conclusion: Soy Isn’t Totally Evil

There’s no way I’m chugging gallons of soy milk while I’m pregnant or while I’ll be breastfeeding. However, I’m not suggesting that all soy is bad all of the time. I think with soy, the key is moderation and the type. I’m in favor of fermented soy that’s produced via traditional methods.

Miso soup, tempeh and natto are examples of fermented soy that are healthy sources of plant-based protein. Whole organic soybeans can also be your best friend if you’re looking to manage hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms, not something I’m not looking forward to.

For now, I’ll enjoy being a new mom, soy-free. 

Chef V, Coco and kale

Protein Powder: What you Need to Know before you Cleanse

Chef V

two Chef V protein powders held by a girl

When you think of a juice cleanse or detox diet, does protein come to mind? If not, it should. But not just any protein. In fact, many protein powders can be toxic to your health. Learn why you need protein if you’re cleansing and what kind is best for your body. Here’s what you need to know.

new protein shake

Doing a Cleanse? Why Protein Powder is important

All animals must eat protein every day to survive. Us wild human animals included. Now I’m not saying you need to eat a 72-ounce T-bone steak every day for health. I’d feel very sorry for your colon if you did that.

You don’t even need a small bite of filet mignon every day. In fact, there’s no proof that you need animal protein for optimal health. Any natural vegan protein will do, including nuts and seeds.

Here’s a fun nutrition fact to chew on: the human body can’t live more than 70 days without eating any protein. Give or take a day. I haven’t personally tested this theory. And I don’t recommend you try either.

But if you’re reading this because you’re researching the best juice cleanse, there’s a very good chance you’re going to kill yourself just a little bit. And thanks to me, I’m going to save you from that. I’ll explain how in just a sec….

You see, if you go ultra low carb like the keto diet, no problem. Some of that dietary fat you’re feasting on will be converted into glucose (sugar) for your brain to feed on. Even protein can be converted into glucose. If you eat that 72-ounce steak, there’s a good possibility some of the cow meat will turn into sugar and get stored as fat.

But your body can’t store excess protein. It also can’t make protein from carbs or fats or anything else. That’s why you need to eat protein everyday for optimal health.

Your lean muscle tissue, hair, skin, and nails all need adequate protein to look healthy.

So if you’re checking out some different cleanse or detox diet options out there, here’s the big problem with them….

Most cleanse programs contain zero protein. Instead, all juice detoxes are is a slick marketing trick for selling you fruit juice with loads of sugar. That’s the opposite of cleansing! (Compare my cleanse program to popular juice cleanses here.)

Think how brittle your hair and nails will look after going several days without protein.

Some people think that it’s not good to have protein during a cleanse. Why? They assume it’s bad for the digestive system. Well, in a way, that’s true. But only if it’s processed meat or unhealthy protein powder.

I’m here to steer you in a healthy direction and recommend a protein powder to take while doing a cleanse.

protein burger

Vegan Protein Powder For Cleansing

Multi-colored, attractive bottles of juice may be effective for marketing. But they’re not good for health. You see, many commercial juice cleanse programs include about a half dozen different kinds of juice, each a different color of the rainbow. But each containing 20 grams or more of sugar and zero protein.

As far as I’m concerned (as a certified nutritional therapist), you need just one color of juice: green. Green-leafy vegetables are the most nutrient-dense foods and play a critical part in the body’s detoxification process. But even my cold-blended Organic Green Drinks don’t have any protein.

That’s why several years ago, I brainstormed on a protein powder that would be healthy for everybody, including people doing a cleanse. The result is my Organic Vegan Protein Shake. With 17 grams of high-absorbance pea protein per packet, brittle nails don’t stand a chance.

You’ll have to trust me (or the 5-star reviews on Yelp) that the shake tastes great. How does it taste good without adding gobs of sugar? My recipe uses organic vanilla powder, stevia, and monk fruit extract. Stevia and monk fruit are natural, calorie-free sweeteners.

Pea protein has become more popular. When I decided to use pea protein a few years ago, I never thought it would be just as effective for the weightlifting community. But check it out. This study shows that it produces the same increase in muscle thickness as whey protein.

There are a couple reasons I don’t use whey in my Protein Shake for my cleanse programs. First, many whey protein powders are contaminated with heavy metals. (Says this Harvard research report.) And also, whey protein is not good for people with lactose intolerance. True, I could have used whey protein isolate, which contains close to zero lactose, but I just don’t trust how whey is manufactured. And I don’t think it’s good for cleansing overall.

What About Soy Protein Powder For Cleansing?

Some people are concerned about soy protein’s effect on women. This is because soy is a phytoestrogen, and if the body has too much estrogen absorbed, it could produce a hormonal cancer such as breast cancer.

Thus far, there are no studies linking soy protein powder to breast cancer. However, I do believe that processed soy is not good for health. Also, I think there is something to the too much estrogen theory. After all, it’s not just the food supply from soybeans that causes estrogen dominance, it’s all the plastics and everyday cleaners that can mimic the effects of estrogen.

50% off Chef V Cleanse

Muscle Heads

You don’t need to buy one of those huge tubs of protein powders that huge weightlifters buy for bulging biceps.

If you’re not doing a cleanse, I really don’t think you need any protein powder at all. But if you are going to do a cleanse, you absolutely do need some protein if you don’t want your muscles to waste away and your immune system to get weak.

Dietary protein plays a major role in virtually every thing that happens in your cells. And not only that, protein helps you feel full. If you go even a few days without it, just having juice will make your blood sugars go up and down. You’ll get tired and cranky.

Look, even if you don’t choose one of my cleanses, I do highly encourage you to consume a little high-quality vegan-protein every day (hemp and brown rice are also good choices).

A little protein every day goes a long way for health.

Best wishes and to your health,

Chef V

Chef V and kale

The Power of Pea Protein: Why You Will Cleanse So Hap-pea-ly

Chef V

peas for protein

Pea protein is one of the most popular vegan proteins with no signs of slowing down, and for good reason. It’s super easy to digest, contains all 9 essential amino acids and doesn’t cause nasty belly bloating. That’s why Chef V is excited to introduce Vanilla Ultra Shake with pea protein for cleanse customers. 

peas in pod

Puny plant-powered peas? Hardly! Here’s Why Pea Protein Rocks…

It wasn’t that long ago that if you would have told someone at the gym that you use pea protein, they would have likely responded, oooo, gross! 

After all, peas were something that only babies eat. And maybe grown-ups who ate the occasional split pea soup. But pea protein powder? That was something relatively unheard of a generation ago, much less 5-10 years ago. Peas have proven to shatter the myth of the puny vegan. 

No longer is it far left field for bodybuilders to heal the microscopic muscle-fiber tears after a lifting session with pea protein. In fact, some of the most accomplished bodybuilders are vegan and support their lean muscle tissue with plant-powered protein powders, especially pea.  

The total value of the worldwide pea protein market was worth about $380 million in 2017. By 2027, guess what the market is forecast to be worth…?

Over $1 billion. 

That’s a lot of “pass the peas, please!” 

Pea protein powder is not a fly-by-night fad. Thanks to the growing consciousness of the health benefits of eating a natural plant-based diet, plant-powered protein powders are becoming the norm, not the exception. (I say “natural plant-based” because you can be a vegan and still be unhealthy, eating lots of processed junk.)

But if you’re thinking about doing a juice cleanse, do you really need pea protein? 

Spoiler alert: YES!

And here’s why…


pea protein

The #1 Mistake With Doing a Juice Cleanse: Not Enough Protein

After doing a juice cleanse for a couple days, you might feel elated. Especially if prior to doing the cleanse you were not eating a clean diet, consisting mostly of organic produce and unrefined grains. 

But with most juice cleanses, by day 3, if not before, many people start feeling like complete $h!*. 

That’s because most cleanses on the market do not contain enough protein. In fact, most of them contain only the trace amounts of protein that are naturally occurring in fruit and vegetables. 

Speaking of fruit, that’s another problem with doing a cleanse. If you’re just drinking juice that’s primarily fruit-based, the lack of fiber and protein may cause dramatic blood-sugar fluctuations. 

You’ll become moody, irritable and you’ll eventually be so hungry, you’ll be dreaming and salivating about eating a bacon cheeseburger. Oh, and the not-so-sweet cherry on top of most cleanses is that the lack of fiber and protein will make you miserably constipated. 

So keep in mind that even if you’re doing a juice cleanse, you need to consume an adequate amount of protein, much more than one or two grams you would get per day from fruits and vegetables. 

doing a cleanse

Why Is Pea Protein Necessary When Doing A Cleanse? 

When most people think of protein powder, workout recovery and meal replacement are probably the two top things that come to mind. 

But if you want to reboot your metabolism to unclog your congested liver, then “cleansing” should be front and center of your mind when it comes to protein powder. 

And hands-down, pea protein powder is the best for a cleanse. That’s because pea protein powder is:

  • Hypoallergenic (it won’t trigger food allergies; with rare exceptions)
  • Highly-absorbable 
  • Easy to digest (won’t cause gas or bloating)
  • A complete protein (contains all 9 essential amino acids; no food combining necessary)
  • Non-inflammatory
  • High in iron 
  • Good for the cardiovascular system
  • Supports healthy skin, hair and nails

I want to briefly talk about this last benefit. I’ve been in this business for a very long time, first as a certified nutritional therapist and personal chef and now as the curator of the nation’s best home delivery Green Drink plan and Cleanse/Detox program. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen first-hand the brittle nails, pale skin and dull hair caused by an unhealthy cleanse program. 

When you go 7, 14 or 21 days or longer doing a juice fast and don’t get enough protein, you are literally starving your lean muscle tissue. Isn’t the whole point of doing a cleanse to feel better and sexier—no matter what your body type is? 

Well, I can personally guarantee you that if you don’t get enough protein while you’re cleansing, you will not look and feel your best. 


Chef V's cleanse

Just Say No To Animal Protein While Cleansing?

If protein is so important while doing a cleanse, why not eat a tiny bit of grass-fed beef or supplement with egg white protein powder? 

The reason why is because if you need to cleanse because of a sluggish metabolism, animal protein is extremely difficult to process. 

That’s because your liver produces bile, the greenish, detergent-like liquid that metabolizes dietary fat. 

If your liver is underperforming, you need to temporarily minimize your intake of dietary fat; I recommend completely avoiding animal fat while you’re cleansing and in the immediate days after your cleanse is done. 


Chef V vanilla ultra shake

New To Chef V’s Cleanse: Vanilla Ultra Shake With Pea Protein

The number one concern most people have about doing a cleanse is, “Will I starve?” The good news is that with a Chef V Cleanse, not only will you not starve, your belly will be hap-pea-ly nourished thanks to 4 Green Juices per day, 2 Vanilla Ultra Protein Shakes with pea protein per day, and 1 delicious DETOX SOUP for dinner. 

You can choose between a 5 Day, 3 Day or 1 Day Cleanse. 

Learn more here. 

Here’s to feeling “hap-pea” on your cleanse!

Love,  Chef V

Chef V, Coco and kale

Need A Liver Detox? Here’s The Safest Way

Chef V

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Top Ways to Successfully Detox with Chef V

Did you just have a junk food binge-a-thon? Or did you recently celebrate a birthday with bottomless flutes of champagne? Then maybe you need a liver detox. But before you start one, Veronica Wheat, aka Chef V, explains what you need to know…

What Is A Liver Detox?

Did drinking too much red wine make you feel not so fine? Then maybe it’s time for a liver detox. But before I tell you the safest way to do a liver detox, let’s get to know your liver. 

Your liver performs hundreds of functions. If you’ve indulged lately, you can thank your liver for filtering your blood. That means that the liver removes toxins from drugs, alcohol and coffee and synthetic chemicals (like glyphosate) into harmless waste products. These waste products are eliminated when you pee and poo. 

But if your liver is chronically overworked because of what you’re putting in your body—or because of what your body is exposed to—its ability to filter the toxins in your blood becomes compromised. 

Time to reach for the liver detox pills? Well, let’s not jump ahead of ourselves. First let’s find out if you really need to do a liver detox. 

Free Liver Detox Resources

I’m  temporarily making available these incredible free resources:

  • Eat This/Not That chart that prepares you for the pre-cleanse and post-cleanse phase. No more guesswork about what to eat ever again!
  • Healthy Portions Guide – know exactly how much of the good stuff to load on your plate.
  • Breakfast Smoothie Guide – In a rush? No sweat, you don’t have to sacrifice your health thanks to these delicious and luxurious liquid breakfasts.
  • Lunch And Dinner Guide – Knowing what to make is frustrating. Chef V holds your hand with oodles of healthy meal creation ideas. 

You can find these invaluable resources here. 

Top 7 Signs You Could Use A Liver Detox

Here’s how you can tell if you should consider doing a liver detox. 

  • Frequently tired—even after getting plenty of sleep
  • Experiencing headaches
  • Constantly constipated 
  • Easily putting on weight—despite exercising
  • Cravings for sugar and starchy carbs
  • Trouble digesting protein or fat
  • Post-meal nausea or bloating

To put it simply, if you just generally feel like crap, it could be because your liver’s detoxification pathways are clogged up like an L.A. freeway at rush hour. 

This is why thousands of people have transformed their health doing a safe and effective Chef V 21 Day Detox. It’s like a metabolic reboot for your liver. 


21-day-detox

How Does A Liver Detox Work? 

Liver detoxes work in two phases. The first phase is reducing the toxic burden on the liver. This simply means that you remove all sources of toxic overload: junk food, alcohol (sadly this includes mimosas), tobacco, conventional brands of laundry detergent and dryer sheets (don’t underestimate how much chemicals in your everyday household goods can clog your liver), etc. 

By eliminating these toxic sources, your liver can take a breather. Then, iln the second phase of liver detoxification, you introduce foods that nourish the liver and accelerate its filtering optimization. 

In the Chef V 21 Day Detox, I teach people exactly what to eat and what to avoid in the days leading up to the detox. This is the first phase. 

And in the second phase, I provide you with liver-boosting recipes, Organic Green Drinks, Vegan Protein Shakes and Detox Soups. 

Beyond doing a 21 Day Detox, there’s other things can help you improve liver detoxification like:

  • Doing high intensity interval training (like strenuous hot yoga)
  • Using household cleaners and body/haircare products that are free of synthetic chemicals. (Sorry ladies: no perfume or anything with fragrance.)
  • Getting enough sleep
  • Sweating in an infrared sauna 
  • Eating a low inflammatory diet
  • Taking supplements to support liver function

woman holding painful stomach

What Are The Best Supplements For A Liver Detox? 

Want to improve your liver function? Then you may also want to think about taking some of the following supplements that are backed by research.

But before you start popping supplements to detoxify your liver, let me give you a warning. First of all, not all supplements are created equal. Unless you really understand the nutritional supplement marketplace, you could end up buying a supplement that clogs your liver even more. That’s because many conventional supplement manufacturers add fillers to the products. Soybean oil? That’s nasty! (Read my take on soy here.)

The second problem with relying on supplements is that many people feel like they can continue eating like crap. 

It’s true that there are some people who have low-functioning livers because of environmental contamination. But by and large, it’s a food problem. Most people aren’t flooding their trillions of cells with phytonutrients to support liver health. 

And that’s why I created Organic Green Drink in the first place. It’s a staple of my 21 Day Detox program. (4 servings a day!)

What Are The Risks Of Doing A Liver Detox? 

Not all liver detox programs are safe and effective. In my “industry” juice cleanses are synonymous with liver detoxes. But I’ll tell you a dirty little secret about the juice industry. 

The majority of juice cleanse and detox programs are just glorified fruit juice. I call it “diabetes in a bottle.” How can consuming 25-50 grams or more of sugar a few times a day contribute to liver health? 

But the insane thing is that these big brand juice companies are getting away with it. They’re marketing their juices as healthy for the liver when in fact it’s the opposite. Juice detoxes do not include enough protein. That’s why on the cleanse days within my 21 Day Detox program, you get 2 Vegan Protein Shakes. They are super easy on the liver unlike animal protein. 

In addition, you need a tiny amount of healthy dietary fat while you’re cleansing the liver. That’s why on the Cleanse days within the 21 Day Detox, you get a delicious DETOX SOUP. It contains just a gram of dietary fat. Believe it or not, that’s enough to keep you satisfied and prevent cravings. 

And don’t get me started with detox pills. Any pill that promises to eliminate toxins also has the potential to strip your digestive system of good bacteria and vital nutrients. 

If there’s one thing I want you to take away from this article, don’t take liver detox pills. 

woman woth green chef v protein powder packs

Does Doing A Liver Detox Work? 

A safely designed liver detox program can definitely help you get back on track with your health goals. In fact, in a study published in Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine a 7-day detox program was found to enhance health and prevent the development of disease.

But don’t just let the research do the talking. Let’s give the spotlight to real people who have had huge success after doing a Chef V cleanse/detox. Like Maddi, who says, “When I need to get back on track, I love the Chef V cleanse – the 5 day cleanse for me has been an effective detox and metabolic reset. I love the soups, shakes, and juice and always end up feeling better after I complete one of the cleanses.”

What Is The Safest Way To Do A Detox? 

You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on supplements, fad diets and pills that could end up causing scary side effects. 

If you want the cheapest detox? Then start each day by drinking fresh lemon juice water. But if you need more support, including all the education you’ll ever need for successfully doing a liver detox, check out:

CHEF V 21 DAY DETOX

Want a sneak peek into what a 21 Day Detox is like? Check out Chef V’s 21 Day Detox Directions. This resource is usually kept private until you sign up for the detox. 

To your liver health!

Love, 

Chef V

Chef V eating mac and cheese

Is It Time For A Social Media Detox?

Chef V

Veronica reading a book

Detoxes aren’t just for resetting your digestive system after having too many In-N-Out burgers and margaritas. If you’re feeling a little insane in the membrane (like me with a pineapple on my head in the photo below), taking a social media break can be just what the mental health doctor ordered. Plus, Veronica Wheat, aka Chef V, has some tips to make social media, well, social and positive again…

salmon, nuts, beef, protein sources

We’ve all experienced it.

Checking our social media feed, we come across one post that for whatever reason stirs up feelings of inadequacy, jealousy, and even loneliness. Which is crazy because it’s called social media. 

Maybe a friend from high school posted pics from an epic family vacation, staying at a 5-star resort. And meanwhile, you’ve been working your butt off and haven’t taken a vacation in years, let alone a glamorous one like your peers. Or maybe you come across a post where a bunch of your friends are out on the town seemingly having a blast but you didn’t get invited. 

Whatever the reason, there’s no denying the fact that social media fuels anxiety and depression. A lot of research has been done over the past few years that concludes that social media can stir up some toxic sh!t in us. And just like we need to do a dietary DETOX from time to time, it’s a good idea for us to take a break from social media every once in a while. And rather than being on social media to keep up with the Kardashians, we can actually use it for good. I’ll share some ideas about how to do just that so keep reading…

Why We Use Social Media 

If much of the news about social media is focusing on its bad effects on our mental health, then why do we continue scrolling? Why do we insist upon making ourselves feel potentially worse when we compare ourselves to other people? The simple answer is that we are social creatures and so social media, perhaps falsely, has led us to believe that connecting with our peer network has positive effects. But the paradox is that for many people, social media is an oxymoron, fueling even more disconnectedness. 

Another reason 7 out of 10 adults and 8 out of 10 teens use social media is that social media is addictive. To our brains, social media is no different than a gambler chasing a jackpot. Or a sad person drowning their sorrows in a pint of ice cream. Or a dope fiend hitting the crack pipe. 

When we scroll through our feeds, it feeds us a hit of dopamine. That’s the feel-good chemical that lights up the synapses in our brain’s reward center. The problem is that some people need more and more and more dopamine to stimulate this reward center. 

Like a casino pumping fresh oxygen into the room and fueling gamblers with free coffee so they never get tired, social media platforms are designed to keep us coming back. 

But why is that? 

If we feel jealous or insecure about seeing certain posts, why do we keep coming back for more punishment? Where is the reward in that? Well, we just never know when the next hilarious cat video will tickle our fancy. The point is that one session of social media scrolling is never the same as the next. Sure, there may always be foodie and vacation pics. 

But the experience is always different. And that’s what keeps us coming back for more.

Do You Like Likes? 

Despite the potential harm to mental health, some people use social media because they want to feel validated. They need people to acknowledge their accomplishments (or vacation and foodie pics). 

Although some platforms have removed likes (Instagram replaced likes with a heart emoji), that action does nothing to prevent comparing yourself to other people. And that includes comparing the number of, if not likes, then heart emojis your post received versus somebody else's. 

It’s all silly, really, the folly and whims of human nature. And the people who design social media platforms are Dr. Evil’s when it comes to exploiting human psychology. 

At the end of the day, we can’t help checking our feed to see if our post got any other likes (or hearts). This is part of the vicious cycle of chasing another hit of dopamine. And the first step to taking a social media detox is to realize you have a problem in the first place. 


21-day-detox

Got Social Media FOMO?

Another reason it’s hard for some of us to stop checking our feed—even though we know that it may fuel anxiety or other negative emotions—is because of FOMO. We have a fear of missing out on seeing a photo from high school that half your graduating class has commented on. What if you miss out on that one? It stirs up feelings of being excluded from certain activities when we were kids or being picked last. 

Should You Detox From Social Media?

Look, if you know in your heart of hearts that scrolling is robbing you blind of joy then maybe it’s a good idea to take a break. Just like a Chef V CLEANSE has 1, 3 or 5 days options, you can start by dipping a pinkie toe in the deep end. Go one day without being on social media. See how that feels. 

If you really want to feel lighter mentally, then I recommend going longer. Don’t let FOMO trip you up. You’ll be fine not looking at all your friends’ baby pics. You’ll come out of the experience with greater awareness of what’s really important to you. And, you’ll discover what truly makes you feel connected to spirit. 

almond milk

Make Social Media Social Again

If you decide to stay on social media, set some boundaries. Don’t check your feed an hour before bed or first thing in the morning. Instead, establish a spiritual practice and stick to it. Do 10 minutes of yoga or meditation morning and night instead of scrolling. 

You can make social media social by inviting friends to join you for a yoga session in the park. Instead of following friends from high school that bring up feelings of inadequacy, follow thought leaders in the spiritual movement like Deepak Chopra. Organize a mini-meditation session with your “true friends” on social. Encourage everybody to comment about how they feel after meditating.

The bottom line is that if you’re going to check your feed for posts, it might as well feed your spirit. Follow others who you find to be inspiring, enlightening, and a positive for your mental health. 

Conclusion

The truth is that rates of stress, anxiety and depression are up for reasons other than social media. But numerous studies suggest social media is fanning the flames of mental disharmony. Instead of chasing dopamine rewards by constantly checking your feed, spend more time in nature. Do more yoga. Meditate more. This is what will fuel your spirit. 


Making Cleansing Easier book

Using MCT Oil For Weight Loss? Here’s 5 Reasons To Think Twice.

Chef V

MCT oil capsule

MCT oil is all the rage in the keto and low-carb community. But if you’re thinking about swallowing spoonfuls of MCT oil, certified nutritional therapist and founder of ChefV.com, Veronica Wheat, has a warning…

Imagine eating all the ice cream you want and never getting fat. (Or at least fatter.)

Sounds like heaven, right? 

Well, MCT oil is that fairytale fat. That’s because it doesn’t get stored as body fat? 

And there’s even more incredible selling points about MCT oil. With promises of fast weight loss, boundless energy, faster exercise recovery, lower inflammation and enhanced cognitive function, it’s no wonder MCT oil has become popular over the last few years. Especially in the keto diet and low-carb community. 

Without doubt, MCT oil may be extremely beneficial for some people. But for others, could it be a ticking time bomb? 

In this article, I’ll cover the basics of MCT oil plus I’ll list some of the surprising reasons it could potentially backfire on your health. I don’t mean to scare you, if you’ve been using MCT oil for some time. Just consider the following info food for thought…

MCT Oil & Coconut Oil

If you’ve been following my recipes over the years, you know I should have started my own coconut oil company. I use a ton of coconut oil and love it so much I even named my dog Coconut. Years ago, long before I was carrying a baby in my belly which I’m blissfully doing now (nausea excluded), I traveled to Bali and Thailand, where I took cooking courses. When I got back one of the first things I did when I got home was hit Costco and fill my trunk up with coconut oil so I could recreate all those scrumptious Southeast Asian dishes.

Coconut oil makes many cardiologists squirm. That’s because it’s made up of about 90% saturated fats. Saturated fat has long been considered the Dr. Evil of nutrition. 

But here’s the thing. Unlike red meat and other animal products, all of which have a ton of saturated fat, coconut oil contains a special kind of fat. Hello, MCT. 

What is MCT Oil?

MCT stands for medium-chain-triglycerides. Over 50% of the fat in coconut oil is MCT fatty acids. (Fatty acids are the building blocks of fat, just like amino acids are the building blocks of protein.)

Now, I hope I don’t put you to sleep with a boring biochemistry lesson. So I’ll keep this simple. Basically, the fat you eat in animal products consists of long-chain fatty acids. (Snoring yet?) Long chain fatty acids get stored as body fat unless you’re running a marathon. 

But the neat thing about MCT fatty acids is that they don’t get digested in your small intestine. Instead, they get processed in the liver. To your body, MCT is like a Starbucks venti latte. It’s a quick burst of fuel for your body, especially your  brain. 

Rather than eating a huge bowl of pasta to fuel up for a workout (that’s the old-school way), you can use MCT oil for sustained energy. That’s why MCT oil has become popular in functional coffee drinks.


bulletproof coffee

Unfortunately, your brain can’t rely on caffeine for fuel. But it can use MCT oil for energy. That’s because MCT oil is an external source of ketone bodies. 

When you keep carbohydrates low, your body and brain can use ketone fatty acids (also called ‘ketones’ or ‘ketone bodies’) for energy. 

Remember: sources of ketones like MCT oil, for the most part, don’t get stored as fat. This is what leads to rapid weight loss and the other possible health benefits of the ketogenic diet such as a reduced risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

(Fun fact: There are four main types of fatty acids in MCT oil: caproic, caprylic, capric and lauric acid. Coconut oil is abundant in lauric acid.)

All great stuff. But before you load up on MCT oil there are some things that may lead you to reconsider. 


21-day-detox

Reason #1 MCT Oil Might Be Overrated: It’s Not Natural 

While medium chain fatty acids like lauric acid in coconut oil are 100% natural, MCT oil is not. (In nature, MCTs are also derived from palm kernels.)

MCT oil hasn’t been around for that long, all things considered. In fact, the National Institutes of Health says that MCTs were first extracted in the 1950s. The first MCT oil product wouldn't be introduced to the market until decades later (thanks to the Bulletproof Coffee craze).  

The truth is that MCT oil is an industrial product. It’s not a naturally-expressed oil. Naturally-expressed oils don’t need heat or chemicals to be extracted. But many MCT oils you see on supermarket shelves require harsh chemicals and solvents to extract the oil from the coconuts and palm kernels. 

Chemicals that I don’t want my baby exposed to such as hexane are used in the extraction of MCT oil. Not only that, some manufacturers use corn oil to make MCT oil. Corn is one of the most highly-inflammatory oils. 

The difference between many store-bought MCT oils and expeller-pressed olive oil is like the difference between Chef V Organic Green Drink and name-brand juices. Chef V’s is made fresh without the use of high-heat pasteurization (HHP), which basically kills most of the nutritional value. Big name juices? Yup, they’re making a killing by killing the nutrients via HHP. But I digress. 

Honestly, I don’t know what the long-term effects of MCT oil are. And I don’t think anybody does. Even though it’s been shown to speed up the weight loss process if you ditch most of your carbs, I’d still take it easy on it. 

mct oil and coconut products

MCT Oil Warning #2: Detox Danger

Very few people have problems digesting coconut oil even though it’s loaded with saturated fat. But if you dive in the deep end with MCT oil it could clog up your liver. Remember I said that it’s your liver that mostly processes MCT oil instead of your digestive organs? Well, let’s say your liver is sluggish to begin with. 

—–> Need to DETOX your liver? Start here

If you consume too much MCT oil, your liver may freak out and send the contents back into the digestive system. If this happens you may find yourself running to the bathroom with loose stools. 

And more seriously than diarrhea, anybody with any liver problems should absolutely stay away from MCT oil. 

MCT OIL Warning #3: A Heart Attack In The Making?

Does the high saturated fat content of MCT oil pose a risk for heart disease? Honestly, most studies on MCT oil say it’s not really a big risk. For instance, a review of several studies in the Journal of Nutrition concluded:

“MCT oil does not affect total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, or HDL cholesterol levels, but does cause a small increase in triglycerides.”

Higher triglycerides, which are fats in the blood, is not good. But overall, not a huge problem.

Unless…

…You’re someone who carries a genetic mutation called APOE4. 

The APOE4 gene is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s. Roughly 20% of people carry a copy of this gene. And 2% to 5% carry 2 copies. Even if you only have one copy, your risk of developing Alzheimer’s doubles, says research from Stanford University. If you have 2 copies, well, let’s just say you should put down the jar of MCT oil right away!

Again, not to scare the bejeezus out of you. But it’s interesting that one of the biggest supposed health benefits of MCT oil is that it can prevent brain disorders. 

However, it’s possible that for some people with a mutation of the APOE4 gene, consuming MCT oil could contribute to heart disease. Or Alzheimer’s. 

Getting lab work done is the only way to know for sure if you have this genetic mutation. I say that’s worth splurging for if you plan on using MCT oil. 

Having certain variations in the APOE4 gene can mean your body doesn’t do a good job of clearing cholesterol from the blood. MCT oil could potentially lead to a heart attack or stroke 

According to a website dedicated to all things APOE4, if you have this genetic mutation, stick with a high-quality caprylic oil. (Also called C8 oil). This is because it doesn’t impact cholesterol in the blood as much.

Veronica and Brandon kissing, showing sonogram

MCT Oil Warning #4: Avoid When Baby Is On Board

In researching this topic, I stuffed my MCT oil in the back of the pantry. That’s because I read that it might not be safe for expecting or breastfeeding moms. It isn’t advisable for people with essential fatty acid deficiency.

Reason To Avoid MCT Oil #5: Insulin Resistance

I’ll probably get a lot of heat for this one, so let me just say I totally admit that this next warning is controversial. You see, there’s so many non-scientific articles that claim that MCT oil is great for people living with diabetes because it can help regulate blood sugar levels. 

But the thing is there are some studies that suggest that MCT oil can actually induce insulin resistance. This means that the body has to release more insulin to remove sugar from the blood and drive it into the cells. Now, the study I linked to was a tiny one. So take this with a grain of salt. 

The important takeaway is that if you have diabetes you should speak with your doctor before going hardcore Keto and using MCT oil. 

Conclusion

No doubt there are thousands of people who have gotten leaner and feel great thanks to using MCT oil. MCT oil is an external source of ketone fatty acids that your brain and body can burn for energy instead of carbs (sugar). Your body doesn’t process or store MCTs like it does other fatty acids. That’s why it’s a special type of fat that’s become a godsend for low-carb dieters. 

But as the saying goes, one man’s food is another man’s poison. Whether MCT oil is medicine or poison for you largely depends on your genetics. Before you start using lots of MCT oil, get some lab work done to see if your genes (and skinny jeans) will benefit from it. 

Finally, don’t use MCT oil to cook with. It’s got a low smoke point and spoils more easily. Also, if MCT oil causes your belly to rumble, try using MCT powder. 


Making Cleansing Easier book

Are You Eating The Perfect Amount Of Protein?

Chef V

arms holding weights

Certified Nutritional Therapist, Veronica Wheat, founder of ChefV.com, has  surprising news about the protein intake for the average American. Find out if your protein consumption is supporting your health…

I couldn’t believe it when I came across a study that said that most Americans aren’t eating enough protein. 

Seriously? We’re the land of burgers. Steak. Wings. Chicken fingers. Bacon. Pork chops. Protein powders. And enough dairy products till the cows come home…

So how can most Americans be deficient in protein? Aren’t most Americans getting too much? Never mind that most Americans’ protein intake consists of factory-farmed meat and dairy. I’m not talking about protein quality here … just straight up grams of protein. 

Well, a study from the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging examined the food intake of nearly 12,000 participants. Based on the data, a third of the people were eating 30 grams of protein LESS than they should be. 

30 grams of protein is roughly half the amount of protein that an average woman should consume every day. That’s a huge amount of protein that the study participants were missing. 

salmon, nuts, beef, protein sources

How Much Protein Should You Eat Every Day?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is 56 grams per day for men and 46 grams per day for women. This is not a one-size-fits-all recommendation. For example, if you lift weights or are pregnant (like yours truly; I need a minimum of 60 grams per day according to UCSF), you’ll need more. 

It seems really easy to eat 50-60 grams of protein per day. And again, I bet you, like me, think that most Americans are getting way more protein than that. I came across articles that suggest this. Like this one that says “Most Americans eat twice the protein they need.” 

But here’s the shocking truth. According to the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the average person consumes far less protein than they need. In fact, some estimates suggest that up to 80% of the population may be protein deficient.

What about you? Are you getting enough protein in your diet? Before we try and figure that out, let’s review why getting enough of this macronutrient is so essential for your health. 

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Sinking your teeth into a morsel of protein not only tastes good and curbs hunger. 

(Sorry, I have to interject here that I’m a natural plant-based protein advocate. I recommend limiting animal protein to relatively clean, healthy sources like wild salmon.)

And here’s other reasons why you need to eat enough protein every day. 

  • Contains amino acids that support healthy skin
  • Boosts metabolism 
  • Prevents muscle loss and bone fractures
  • Repairs and builds lean muscle
  • Maintains strong nails and lustrous hair
  • Regulates blood sugar levels
  • Supports the immune system

And last but not least, for women, eating enough protein has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. In fact, a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association says that PLANT-BASED protein lowers risk of premature death, heart disease and dementia. 

But here’s the thing about protein. You have to eat enough of it every day. That’s because our bodies don’t store excess protein to be used for repairing and supporting the body when needed. 

Nope, excess protein, unfortunately, just like carbs, gets stored as body fat. 


21-day-detox

Why Are People Not Getting Enough Protein? 

With so many protein sources to choose from, what are the reasons many people are protein deficient? 

For starters, blame it on fast food culture. Most people in the U.S. do not lead a European lifestyle. We rush from one project and appointment to the next. We’re always on the go. We don’t take the time to make well-balanced, nourishing meals. 

Instead, many of us wolf down a sandwich for lunch. Then late at night, to make up for the lack of calories consumed during the day, many people snack on processed foods. But those chips, crackers and pretzels barely have any protein. Plus they’re loaded with cheap, rancid vegetable oils and excess sodium. 

—-> Don’t have time to eat healthy? Then drink healthy every morning. It’s easy and delivered fresh to your front door. Learn more about Chef V Delivery Plan.

Another reason that some people don’t eat enough protein is they simply don’t realize they need more of it. Older people, especially, need more protein to prevent muscle wasting. 

The bottom line is that for many people, it’s feast or famine with protein. One day you’re eating a whole steak for dinner. And then the next, it’s back to toast and coffee for breakfast, a turkey sandwich for lunch and then spaghetti for dinner. That’s not enough protein. 

almond milk

How Can You Tell If You’re Protein Deficient

Here’s how you can tell if you need to up your protein intake:

  • You’re frequently tired and have low energy
  • You have cravings for snacky foods, especially anything with added sugars
  • You feel weak
  • You get sick often
  • You’re moody and irritable

You can easily keep track of your protein intake with apps, many of which are free or low cost. Remember, aim for a minimum of 50 grams a day. I think a little more is actually ideal, so shoot for 60 if you’re a female and 70 for men. The standard formula is 0.8 grams for every 2.2 pounds you weigh. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you should eat 55 grams of protein a day. 

To determine how much of a food you need to eat, try this chart from cancerdietician.com.


chart of protein in foods

Best Protein Sources

Here are my favorite protein sources:

  • Chef V’s Ultra Vegan Protein Shake (which comes with Chef V’s CLEANSE  programs). 
  • Lentils (make sure they are pre-soaked to avoid bloating)
  • Beans (same issue as lentils)
  • Non-processed soy (tempeh, edamame)
  • Nuts
  • Nut milks
  • Eggs (pasture-raised only)
  • Salmon and other sustainable wild-caught fish.

wild salmon in river

How Can You Get Enough Protein?

In our land of abundance, getting enough protein should not be hard. I recommend eating protein three times a day. Every morning, I begin my day with a 16 ounce serving of Organic Green Drink. About half an hour later, I’ll make a smoothie with vegan protein powder like brown rice or pea. I always include protein with lunch and dinner. And if you need some healthy meal creation ideas, check out my recipes here as well as my e-book, Making Cleansing Easier, which is included with all my CLEANSE and DETOX programs.  

Protein is a dish, best served hot or cold every day.


Making Cleansing Easier book

Your Body Has An Internal Bliss Chemical, Anandamide.

Jean Yates

anandamide

Your Body Has An Internal Bliss Chemical, Anandamide. Here’s How To Activate It…

How do you bliss out?

Yoga retreat (can’t wait to do one of those again!)? Essential oil bath? A day at a spa? Meditation?

All these external, get-your-Zen-on rituals are fantastic for stress-management.

But I bet you didn’t know that deep within your body’s miraculous inner-workings is a neurotransmitter that when activated, can help you feel more joyous. And the best part about it is you don’t need to spend hundreds of bucks on a yoga retreat to activate this chemical.

The catch is that anandamide, the bliss chemical I’m talking about, needs to be activated over and over again. It’s effects are very short-lived. But in a little bit, I’ve got some great tips for you on how to frequently stay stoked.

anandamide and THC

Anandamide: A Molecular Mirror of Marijuana

First, though, a little background on this bliss chemical.  If you’re wondering why you never learned about it in high school chemistry, there’s a couple good reasons. For starters, anandamide wasn’t discovered until 1992.

And second, researchers discovered it is because they were studying how THC—the chemical in marijuana that makes users feel high—interacts with certain receptors in the brain. That’s not something a high school chemistry curriculum covers.

In 1988, specific THC receptors in the brain were discovered. A few years later, anandamide was singled out as the molecule that most closely resembles the molecular structure of THC.

Anandamide is Sanskrit (the ancient language of India) for “extreme joy” or “bliss”. The molecule plays a role in memory, pain, depression, appetite and even fertility.

So … am I getting at that the best way to stimulate anandamide and feel ecstatic bliss is by getting high?

It’s quite the opposite actually. Research shows that too much anandamide stimulation induces forgetfulness. That’s why if you smoke pot, you may forget where you’ve put your keys. Although similar in molecular structure to THC, whatever joy one feels from anandamide is very short lived, unlike pot, which can make you feel high for hours. Anandamide breaks down very rapidly.

The trick to feeling steady joy throughout the day, then, is not by getting high off the wacky weed…

CBD and anandamide

Feel Normal By Activating The Endocannabinoid System

One way to activate anandamide is by using the second most common chemical compound in cannabis sativa: CBD. CBD doesn’t get you high like THC. CBD comes from industrial hemp and marijuana. It’s legal in all 50 states as long as it comes from hemp and contains less than 0.3% THC.

CBD works by indirectly activating two types of receptors—CB1 and CB2—in the endocannabinoid system (the ECS). The ECS is definitely something that should be taught in high school chemistry. Consisting of receptors all over the body, the ECS is like your body’s internal health spa. Anandamide stimulates the ECS, and in doing so, promotes a state of homeostasis.

If there’s anything in life that you should wish for, it’s homeostasis. Homeostasis is a perfect state of balance. All body systems are functioning as they should. Mood, appetite, detoxification, digestion, immunity are normal. Everything is peachy keen when the body achieves homeostasis.

But CBD alone isn’t the answer to activating anandamide and feeling great. First of all, many CBD products, because they are not regulated and new to the market, are garbage. I highly recommend CBD but only if it’s full-spectrum CBD oil grown organically and sold by a company that prominently shows on its website 3rd-party- verified lab results for every batch it sells. This way, purity is guaranteed.

cbd oil

Best Foods For Bliss

There’s a good reason why eating certain meals or individual foods makes you feel happy. Eating ice cream or a donut elicits a feeling of guilty pleasure. But one reason why the pleasure is short-lived is because, as mentioned above, the effects of anandamide quickly wear off. After anandamide binds to its receptor, the molecule quickly dies.

Certain foods, however, can activate anandamide in just the right amount. And in doing so, the ECS is better able to promote homeostasis. (Remember: anandamide is a chemical in your body that activates receptors in the ECS.)

Jump for Joy with Organic Green Drink 

And wouldn’t you know it, in researching this topic, I’ve discovered yet another selling point for my Organic Green Drink. It turns out that certain cruciferous green veggies such as kale (one of the 7 veggies in my Green Drink recipe; actually there are 2 types of kales!) are rich in a compound contained in sulfur called sulforaphane. Sulforaphane interacts with the ECS and prevents the breakdown of anandamide.

There’s a lot of times I get up in the morning, feeling a bit on the groggy side even if I got plenty of sleep the night before. Then, after drinking some water and then having some Green Drink, I feel great … back to normal! After reading about this fascinating bliss chemical, I wonder if that blissed-out feeling I get after having my daily morning Green Drink is because of anandamide activation?

The key to promoting balance in your body is to keep fueling your cells with high-nutrient density foods that prevent anandamide breakdown. Using essential oils (especially citrus, eucalyptus and lavender) also stimulate the body’s internal cannabinoid receptors. So on that note, off I go to take a nice relaxing bath…

Chef V and kale

5 Best Homeopathic Remedies For a Cold free, Healthy Spring

Jean Yates

Veronica Wheat, aka Chef V, the innovator behind Organic Green Drink and cleanse/detox programs, is all about using all-natural solutions to improve health. This last winter, lots of people were nailed by colds and flu. In this article, Chef V takes a look at homeopathy and the best homeopathic remedies for quickly kicking colds to the curb – in any season.

What a crazy winter it’s been! I feel bad for anybody who has recently moved to San Diego, where I live and home to Chef V’s West Coast headquarters. It has been insanely rainy, blustery and cold. In fact, just the other night, we had a hailstorm that dusted our back yard with strange-looking white stuff. SNOW! In San Diego!

Add to that insanity the fact that I’m now pregnant and, during the last rain storm, our condo got flooded! But hey, enough about my first world problems. Let’s talk about you. How are you handling this bizarre winter? If you’ve been struck down by a cold or flu, what’s the quickest way to get over it and feel like yourself again? Spring is just about here, and now is the time to conquer a cold.

Have you ever heard of homeopathy or homeopathic remedies? If not, let’s dive in. 

homeopathic dried herbs

What is Homeopathy? 

Out of all the alternative and complementary forms of medicine like acupuncture, massage, chiropractic, etc., I think homeopathy is the most fascinating. That’s because it’s the only form of healing to my knowledge that operates on the principle of “like cures like.” 

What “like cures like” means is that one natural substance can cause symptoms in a totally healthy person while the same substance can be used to treat the same symptoms in a healthy person.

Let me give you an example. Take onions for instance. If you’re a chef like me, you’ve probably experienced watery, itchy eyes when chopping onions. So if my eyes are fine to begin with, onions make my eyes water. However, and here’s where homeopathy is so interesting … If I already have watery, itchy eyes because of an allergy, a trace amount of onion in a homeopathic solution can relieve my symptoms. 

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How Old Is Homeopathy?

Unlike other modalities like acupuncture that date back thousands of years, homeopathic remedies are the relatively new kid on the block. Invented in the late 1700s by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann, homeopathy, like other forms of holistic medicine, doesn't just treat symptoms. The idea is to treat the whole individual. 

Another example of the “like treats like” principle was discovered serendipitously (by accident) like Viagra by Hahnemann himself. Searching for a treatment for malaria, Hahnemann was turned on to the bark from a South American tree called cinchona. Not sure what dose to take, Hahnemann took a high dose of the tree bark extract and developed malaria-like symptoms.  

It’s fitting that homeopathy was invented in Germany because in modern times, homeopathy remains widely accepted even in the mainstream medical community. This is widely different from the attitude that mainstream medicine has towards homeopathy here in the U.S., which is downright hostility. 


21-day-detox

How Does Homeopathy Work? 

It’s easy to see why some people think homeopathy is a snake-oil disguised as medicine. (If you’re curious, the best homeopathic remedy for snake bites: ledum palustre, aka Labrador tea.)

This is because homeopathic remedies are extremely diluted in water or alcohol. You can say that the “trace essence” or the “spirit” of the homeopathic remedy—usually a plant, mineral, or even a virus—is what’s left. The highly-diluted remedies are supposed to kickstart the body’s natural healing processes. In homeopathy, the dilution process is based on the principle of potentization. Basically, the remedy is vigorously shaken each time after it’s diluted. This action is what theoretically increases its potency. 

Again, it’s easy to see why mainstream medicine bashes homeopathy because of these woo-hoo principles. But there are plenty of people who swear by it. I’m not here to take an official position on it. I just want to introduce it to you as an option for when you’ve got a nasty cold or flu. It’s up to you to decide whether homeopathy is right for you. Millions of people around the world have successfully used homeopathy. Whether it’s because of a placebo effect or the remedies actually work, who is to say. 

pasqueflower

pasqueflower – used to make Pulsatilla

Best Homeopathic Remedies for Colds and Allergies

As I mentioned, it’s a nasty cold and flu season, at least out here in the west, where it’s been COLD A.F. (Earmuffs, little one in my belly.)

Here are 5 homeopathic cold, flu and allergy remedies. 

  1. Allium cepa: Remember the onion example? Well, that’s what allium is (garlic, too). Made from red onion, allium is used for symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, and watery eyes.
  2. Oscillococcinum® is a patented homeopathic medicine that is made from a 1% solution of wild duck heart and liver extract. Obviously, you’ll pass on it if you’re a vegetarian. But keep in mind it’s diluted 200 times with water and alcohol. So the true amount of animal parts is like a grain of sand on a beach. 
  3. Arsenicum album – Ingesting arsenic can kill you, but a homeopathic remedy with a trace amount of arsenic may help sneezing, coughing, and  sore throats. 
  4. Nux vomica – Although it sounds way too similar to “vomit” this remedy can help you if you have a stuffy nose, headache, and feel like a whiny bitch (the less politically incorrect term: irritable). And don’t be turned off by the fact that it’s made from strychnine. Hey, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right? 
  5. Pulsatilla – This one’s good for nasty mucus and noses that think they’re running a marathon. Vegetarians will delight that it’s made not from weird animal parts but the pasqueflower. 

For best results, I recommend not self-treating but actually visiting a homeopathic practitioner. Or at the very least, research the bejeezus out of it to make sure you’re taking the right remedy not only for your symptoms but other patterns. 

nux vomica tree

nux vomica evergreen tree used to make nux vomica

Does Research Support Homeopathy?

Like I said, your average mainstream whitecoat probably has a negative opinion about homeopathy. Most of Google’s top listings for the search “is homeopathy effective” links to articles that bashing it. 

Yet for every article that bashes it, you’ll find a study that supports it.

Here’s one study from Brazil that examined the effects of administering homeopathic remedies to 445 children. The conclusion of the study:

“These results suggest that the use of homeopathic medicines minimized the number of flu and acute respiratory infection symptomatic episodes in children, signalizing that the homeopathic prophylactic potential should be investigated in further studies.”

In another peer-reviewed study, the researchers made a bold statement: “There is little evidence that the decongestant, antihistamine, or cough suppressant medications commonly used to treat cold symptoms in preschool children are effective.”

So the researchers set out to see if 154 kids ages 2-5 years old who were diagnosed with an upper respiratory tract infection would get better when given a commercial homeopathic cold syrup versus a placebo. The syrup was given to them for 3 days. The outcome of the study was that the homeopathic syrup “appeared to be effective in reducing the severity of cold symptoms in the first day after beginning treatment.”

In another study, this one published in Global Pediatric Health, the efficacy of a commercial brand of homeopathic medicine called Influcid was examined. The 2016 study recruited 261 kids in Germany and Ukraine. Researchers concluded that the group treated with Influcid used less medication and their symptoms were resolved significantly earlier. Not only that, the kids had higher proportions of fever-free from day 3 onwards. 

remedy used in study

Cleanse Your System To Fine Tune Your Immune System

Maybe you’ve been eating like crap lately? And not exercising. And maybe you’ve had a lot of stress and you’re not managing it …well, if you recently have been sick, doing a CHEF V Cleanse is the best way to reboot your immune system and your digestive system. 

Choose between a 5 DAY, 3 DAY or 1 DAY CLEANSE. 

That’s all the work you have to do. Chef V will take care of the rest. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CHEF V CLEANSE

Chef V eating mac and cheese

A Low FODMAP Diet: Chef V’s Recipe For Conquering IBS

Chef V

Veronica eating mac and cheese

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IBS Friendly Recipes

What the frick are FODMAPS? Veronica Wheat, aka Chef V, explains what they are and how avoiding foods with high levels of them may greatly reduce Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) symptoms. (For more general info on IBS click here.)

“Beans, beans they’re good for your heart … the more you eat the more you FART.”

Anybody with Irritable Bowel Syndrome can tell you that nursery rhyme is all too true. 

For millions of people living with this gastrointestinal disorder, eating foods that are considered healthy—even by dieticians and other so-called experts—can cause severe bloating, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, constipation, and yes, toots. Really stinky horrible toots. 

While we’re still waiting for science to invent a magical IBS cure—its exact cause is unknown—what we do know is that certain foods like beans and lentils can trigger IBS symptoms. 

Make no mistake about it, there is no 100% successful IBS intervention. However, one thing that really works for people with IBS is eating a low FODMAP diet. This makes it super important to eat most of your meals at home so that you’re in full control of the ingredients. And if you wanna jump ahead and check out my IBS-friendly recipes, I have a few to share with you here.

man gagging at bad smell

What Does FODMAP Stand For? 

Warning: this acronym is a huge mouthful. I don’t blame you if you won’t be able to digest it, no pun intended. Ready? Here goes: Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. Like I said, what the frick are FODMAPS?

What Are FODMAPS?

OK, so let me explain what that means. The “O” “D” “M” and “P” in the acronym are types of sugars. I’m not talking about simple baking sugar. Rather, these are the carbohydrates (sugar is a carb) that are found in fruits, veggies, grains, lentils and other plant-based foods. 

Some people can digest, say, a can of black beans just fine. But for people living with IBS, the specific type of carbs in the beans (oligosaccharides) don’t digest well in the small intestine. It’s as if the small intestine says, ‘no thanks, I’ll pass on the beans.’ Meanwhile, the beans move mostly undigested into the large intestine where they start fermenting. 


black beans

Isn’t Fermentation Good?

Trendy fermented foods like sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) have a reputation of being super gut healthy. But here’s the thing about fermentation: it basically means the same as rotting. This is not to say that certain fermented foods do not contribute to our health. In fact, foods like sauerkraut are probably better for your gut microbiome than a conventional probiotic supplement. 

However, the problem with certain fermented foods like sauerkraut is that they are higher in FODMAP sugars. And when the FODMAP sugars move along into the large intestine, it’s the fermentation that causes the black-bean-baby-belly and other symptoms. 

mold in petri dish

Low FODMAP Diet Chart

Eating a low FODMAP diet, then, is one of the easiest ways to manage IBS symptoms. And that simply means that you eliminate as much as possible the foods that have the highest level of FODMAPS. 

And to make it easy for you, here’s a list of good and bad FODMAP foods you can print out and take with you to the supermarket and restaurants. 

If you really want to take a deep dive into the science behind FODMAPS, I highly encourage you to check out this resource from Australia’s Monash University. The researchers at Monash are IBS experts and pretty much pioneered the low FODMAP diet. 

Another great resource, especially for people who are newly diagnosed with IBS is the IBS Group forum. You’ll never feel like you’re struggling alone with this condition that can make life a living hell at times… 

you got this in white chalk on asphalt

How Long Do You Need To Eat Low FODMAP For? 

The good news is that even if some of your favorite foods are high FODMAP, it doesn’t mean you have to give them up forever. The low FODMAP diet is basically an elimination phase. I recommend giving up all medium and high FODMAP foods for a minimum of four weeks. 

After that first phase, you can reintroduce one medium or high FODMAP food at a time. Don’t start your reintroduction phase by eating, say, a bowl of pasta and dipping Italian bread into the sauce. 

Personally, I think anybody with IBS should be gluten-free as much as possible but that’s for another topic. The important takeaway is that when you reintroduce medium/high FODMAP foods, do so one at a time. 

For best results, eat that one medium/high FODMAP food for 2-3 days. If no IBS symptoms develop, then you can reintroduce your next favorite high FODMAP food that’s considered healthy like GARLIC and ONIONS.

As long as none of the reintroduced foods give you problems, you can continue to eat them. But for the best chances of IBS symptom prevention, you may want to stick to eating a low FODMAP diet for the foreseeable future.

slicing onions

Conclusion

IBS is a bitch. Imagine not knowing if symptoms are going to flare up when you go out to dinner with friends. This is why it’s so important to memorize the list of  low FODMAP foods. Or like I said, print out a list or snap a pic with your phone. 

There is so much that’s unknown about IBS and for that reason, I’ll leave you with this last piece of advice… If you have really good health insurance or can afford to pay out of pocket, work with a functional medicine doctor or naturopathic doctor, one who has tons of experience working with IBS patients. Do your research and get a referral from someone who has successfully learned to control their IBS. 

In the meantime, pass on the beans. 

Love,  Chef V

Chef V eating mac and cheese

Insomnia, Fatigue, Stress & Weight Loss Success

Chef V

sleep and weight loss

How much you sleep and the quality of your sleep play a crucial part in weight management. For the millions of Americans who suffer from insomnia, the most pressing concern is the stress and anxiety caused by chronic lack of sleep.  

Few people think of the connection between weight management and sleep. I think the link between diet and sleep quality is fascinating. Let's explore…

sleep facts

The Link Between Obesity & Insomnia

But first, let me briefly explain why I think the link between diet and sleep quality is fascinating. Mostly, it’s because few people think of the connection between weight management and sleep. For the millions of Americans who suffer from insomnia, the most pressing concern is the stress and anxiety caused by chronic lack of sleep.

While habit-forming sleeping pills are the most common solution, perhaps the easiest and most overlooked sleep remedy is eating a healthier diet. After all, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the obesity epidemic has been paralleled by a trend of reduced sleep duration and quality.

In 2023, ChefV.com products were the focus of an independent clinical trial by Citrus Labs. The 38 participants who completed a 21 DAY DETOX and then continued on a GREEN DRINK plan for 7 days saw vast improvements in all areas of their life. This includes a 34% reduction in inflammation and an average weight loss of nearly 8 pounds, and a 44% improvement in sleep quality.


research result

Calcium In Leafy Greens

When most people think of the bone-building mineral, calcium, they think of milk and other dairy products. But dairy can promote inflammation in the body. A much better source of calcium is green leafy veggies, like the two kinds of kale in my Green Drink recipe.

Research suggests that if you don’t get enough calcium, you may have a more difficult time falling asleep. But there’s far more sleep benefits in green leafy veggies, according to research. These plants also contain micronutrients which may also influence sleep, such as tryptophan, potassium, magnesium, fiber, iron, calcium, vitamin C, lutein and zeaxanthin, choline, complex carbs, and beta carotene.

And when you drink cold-blended Green Drink, the fiber is preserved. Fiber has been shown to be associated with deeper and more restorative sleep.

Green veggies (and yellow ones) also contain the eye-health promoting antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin. Not only do these antioxidants help you see better in the dark, they also help you sleep better. That’s because lutein and zeaxanthin filter out blue light.

Blue light, which is emitted from your smart phone, TV and other devices interferes with production of the sleep hormone, melatonin.

In addition, green leafy veggies contain lycopene (another great source: tomato paste)  and beta carotene, which have also been associated with less difficulty falling asleep.

chef v and green drink

Selenium For Sleep

The trace mineral, selenium has also been linked to sleep quality. If you eat sustainable sources of seafood along with nuts, you’re getting enough selenium. Brazil nuts are one of the best sources. They are high in calories so make sure you limit the serving size to just one handful.

Besides its effect on sleep, this macronutrient is also linked to immune function and inflammation response.

Vitamin C

Less Vitamin C intake was associated with non-restorative sleep. Red and yellow peppers contain mega C. Brussel sprouts, kale, broccoli, strawberries and cauliflower are other healthy sources rich in C.

Vitamin B6

I don’t eat that much animal protein. But one reason I include wild salmon in my diet (along with the occasional tuna when I’m at a sushi restaurant) is because it contains a good amount of vitamin B6. Among the many benefits of this water-soluble vitamin (also called pyridoxine), one of them is melatonin production.

Magnesium

Magnesium is important for sleep because not getting enough of this mineral in your diet is linked to problems staying asleep. A great source of magnesium is grains. Not all grains are good for you, however, especially ones that don’t have a lot of nutrients and get digested too quickly. Barley, wild rice, amaranth, and triticale are a few examples of magnesium-rich grains that your body takes a long time to digest. (The longer it takes to digest, the less cravings you’ll have.

eat this not that

Don’t Eat This And That If You Want A Good Night’s Sleep

If you want to fall asleep fast, limit your intake of dairy and meat. Palmitic acid is a saturated fat. It’s found in butter, cheese, milk, and meat. One study shows that diets high in palmitic acid led to an increased difficulty in falling asleep. Another study reported rats fed a diet rich in palmitic acid, were unable to regulate their food intake.

The bottom line is that if you want to sleep better, it’s yet another reason you should get lots of green leafy veggies in your diet. I created the Organic Green Drink to make it very easy to get your daily dose of them. So Drink Up!

And if you need more guidance on what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat, when you sign up for a Green Drink Plan, or one of my Cleanse & Detox programs, you’ll receive all my healthy eating guidelines for long-term weight loss success!

To your health,
Veronica — Founder, Chef V

References:

Sleep Symptoms Associated with Intake of Specific Dietary Nutrients

Influence of Dietary Intake on Sleeping Patterns of Medical Students

Sleep and obesity

Chef V and kale

Go Veg: Healthy Gut, Smooth Skin, Glossy Hair And Strong Nails

Jean Yates

Veronica in kitchen with blenders

The best veggies for a healthy gut, skin, hair and nails are the same ones in Chef V’s mega-popular Green Drink. And it’s no coincidence that these same veggies are also the best for helping you cleanse and detox. Chef V covers how each of the veggies benefits your beauty.

I created the recipe for Organic Green Drink several years ago back when I was a private chef. Over time, demand grew for my Green Drink and that’s really the catalyst for launching Chef V.

I did a ton of research for the Green Drink recipe. I wanted to select the best veggies that would not only taste amazing cold-blended, but that would also be the best for a 3 day cleanse or 21-day detox. And as it turns out, the seven veggies in Green Drink not only happen to be the best for cleansing and detoxing, they also happen to be the best veggies for skin, hair and nails.

Now I admit, it would be a pain in the behind to have to chop green kale, black kale, collard greens, dandelion greens, green chard, curly parsley and green leaf lettuce every day. And then have to juice it. Then clean up.

The main reason why I transitioned from being a private chef to launching Chef V: making healthier easier for people just like you. And it doesn’t get any easier than having a bottle of our certified organic Green Drink delivered to your home.

Not only can you lose weight, gain energy and sleep more soundly by having Green Drink every day, there’s a very good chance your skin, hair and nails will look better.

So let’s take a look at how the ingredients in Green Drink are the healthiest veggies for skin, hair and nails.

varieties of kale

Best Veggies for Skin, Hair & Nails: Kale

Sure, there’s some excessive kale craziness these days. But for good reason. Kale is rich in vitamin K. And it’s really hard for most people who eat the average American diet to get enough K. Vitamin K actually helps minimize dark circles in your eyes. That’s why it’s one of the best veggies for skin.

In fact, kale can even help tighten your skin. How? Well, one of the reasons why your skin isn’t as tight when you get older is that the aging process weakens your collagen. Collagen is the body’s main structural protein. In fact, over one-third of the thousands and thousands of proteins in the body are collagen proteins. Collagen provides strength to your tendons, ligaments, teeth, nails, hair, bones, gut lining, and much more….

The vitamin C in kale along with the antioxidant, lutein, promotes collagen regrowth and production. In addition, the vitamin A in kale helps prevent damage to the skin. It also repairs and damage to the epidermis.

There’s a good reason why kale has been added to several beauty products. Because it’s such an efficient detoxifying nutrient, kale can help clean your pores. It’s even beneficial for your hair pores. Moreover, kale contains fatty acids such as omega-3s. These fatty acids provide moisture to your hair and skin.

There’s even a nail polish with kale extract. Supposedly, it can help stimulate keratin production. Keratin is the other main protein that’s in your nails.

These facts about kale make it one of the best veggies for skin, hair and nails. So drink your Green Drink and schedule that kale facial!


dandelion

Best Veggies for Skin, Hair & Nails: Dandelion

Another incredible detoxifying green veggie in our Green Drink is dandelion. Dandelion widens your pores. That’s how it helps your body get rid of toxins. And according to this article, dandelion shrinks wrinkles. It may also help whiten dark spots and reduce fine lines.

Like kale, dandelion also contains lots of beta carotene and vitamin C. It’s also rich in the B vitamins and vitamin E, which is a standard ingredient in many skin care products. Moreover, the minerals and trace minerals in dandelion may actually help regrow hair.

collard greens

Best Veggies for Skin, Hair & Nails: Collard Greens

The reason why collard greens is one of the best veggies for skin, hair and nails is the same reason as kale and dandelion: it’s loaded with beta carotene (a precursor to vitamin A). One benefit of Vitamin A for your skin is the production of sebum. You can think of sebum as a waterproof lubricant for your skin. Without sebum, your skin would feel like it’s been scorched in a sauna for hours. And sebum is also in your hair. Without enough of it, your hair feels like straw.

Collard greens also contain iron. And one major factor for thinning hair is low iron intake.

chard

Best Veggies for Skin, Hair & Nails: Chard

Here’s why I think chard is one of the best veggies for skin, hair and nails….

Just one serving of it contains over 700 percent of your vitamin K suggested intake. It’s also got about 200 percent of your beta carotene needs and about half of your daily vitamin C needs. And chard is also very high in minerals such as magnesium. Getting enough magnesium in your diet is very important for healthy skin. It can help balance the amount of oils you have. Obviously, you need some oil but not too much. If your skin tends to run on the oily side, magnesium can reduce the amount of oils.

Chard is also high in biotin. Biotin is vitamin B7. There’s a good reason why many hair care products contain biotin. That’s because biotin stimulates hair follicles. Consume enough chard and your hair may benefit by appearing shinier and fuller in texture. And like all the other of the best veggies for your skin, chard is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants repair and help regenerate new skin cells.

Best Veggies for Skin, Hair & Nails: Parsley

Poor parsley. Most people just eat a tiny bit of it as a post-meal garnish to freshen the breath. But here’s why you should consume more of it. (And what easier way to get your daily dose of parsley than having one or two Green Drinks per day?)

Parsley is a wrinkle destroyer. As I say above, vitamin C-rich foods help encourage production of collagen in your body. And parsley is particularly rich in vitamin C. And the more collagen production your body undergoes, the more wrinkles and fine lines will fade.

Moreover, parsley is a natural antibiotic. Thus, it can help kill bacteria-causing acne. There are several other benefits of parsley for your skin as well. But this post is already long and we’ve got one more of the best veggies for skin, hair and nails to cover:

Chef V and kale

Lettuce

One of the main reasons why lettuce is good for your skin is it contains the following three minerals: silica, sulfur and phosphorous. You don’t need a large quantity of these minerals from the foods you eat. That’s why they are called trace minerals. But these three trace minerals are vital for maintaining healthy skin, hair and nails. Without doubt, you’re not going to get many benefits by eating iceberg lettuce, which is devoid of nutrition. But green leafy lettuce can also protect your skin against harmful UV rays.

So now do you see why I selected these six veggies (7 really; Green Drink includes two different types of kale)? Not only are they the best-tasting and most detoxifying, they’re also the best for your skin, hair and nails.

Chef V, Coco and kale

Do You Have To Be Gluten-Free To Be Healthy?

Jean Yates

sourdough bread

“Let’s talk about bread, baby, let’s talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be…”

With apologies to Salt ‘N’ Pepa (I’m starting to show my age!), bread isn’t as sexy as a topic as, well, sex. But actually in a way it is, because the conventional logic in natural health circles is that if you want to be slimmer and feel sexier, you’ve got to abstain from bread. 

Personally, I don’t have bread every day or even close to every day. On the rare occasion I do eat bread, I’ll choose a gluten-free variety or organic sourdough cracked bread from Trader Joe’s. 

And what about you? How often do you eat bread and other foods that contain gluten? If you’re eating gluten everyday, is this a ticking time bomb? Are you setting yourself up for an autoimmune disease or other serious health condition later on in life if you continue on your gluttonous gluten-filled path? 

Here’s what I think about whether or not it’s necessary to go gluten-free…

ancient breads

Today’s Gluten: A Different Breed 

When wild wheat was first collected some 20,000 years ago, it was much different than the wheat that’s harvested today. Through selective hybridization, wheat has been modified thousands of times. 

Wheat, which contains gluten, the glue-like protein structures, is one of the most complicated species in terms of gene variation. You and I have about 25,000 genes that contribute to our individual traits. Wheat can contain as many as … get this … over 330,000 genes!!!

That’s right, wheat is more genetically complex than human DNA. But it wasn’t always like that. During the last 50-60 years or so, as the industrialization of food became the norm, wheat has become so bastardized that it would hardly be recognizable to the first agrarians who started cultivating it. 

And as wheat has changed, so has gluten. The gluten molecules over the years have become larger. And modern wheat products contain more gluten than their ancient counterparts—gluten has become bigger and badder!

What does this mean for your health? If you’re eating lots of processed wheat and other foods that contain gluten, your blood sugar levels are going to suffer. That’s because modern wheat elevates blood sugar levels higher than ancient wheat varieties. 

In fact, Dr. William Davis, author of the best-selling book from a decade ago, Wheat Belly, compared his blood sugar levels after consuming processed wheat bread compared to an ancient variety of wheat. With his baseline, fasting blood sugar at 84, Davis’ blood sugar spiked to 167 mg/dl after eating modern wheat bread. But after eating a variety of ancient wheat, his blood sugar rose to a far more moderate 110 mg/dl. 

So you see, like most things in life, not everything is black and white. The devil is often in the details as they say. 

The same is true with gluten. Gluten has a bad reputation, and for good reason; 99% of supermarket products contain highly-hybridized wheat gluten. 

And with bigger gluten molecules and more of them, it’s no wonder that many people have bad reactions after eating gluten. 

But not all gluten is bad…


green drink plan

Organic Sourdough Bread: Good Gluten?

Sourdough bread contains gluten. But there’s less gluten in sourdough than in wheat bread. Another benefit of sourdough is that it acts like a prebiotic fiber. Prebiotic fiber is what the good bacteria in your gut feed on in order to survive and thrive. 

When I do eat sourdough bread, I always opt for organic. That’s because organic foods in general have less glyphosate. That’s the potentially-cancer causing herbicide and pesticide in Roundup weed killer that was developed by Monsanto, and the focus of over 125,000 lawsuits and counting.

Organic sourdough bread is fermented and contains more antioxidants than other varieties of bread. Plus, it’s easier on your belly to digest than wheat bread. 

ancient grains

Gluten: The Older The Better

Besides sourdough bread, what other foods with gluten may actually be good for you? Try eating ancient varieties of wheat that have not been hybridized to the extent that modern wheat has, and that won’t spike your blood sugar as high.

Einkorn and emmer wheat are a couple examples. There’s also spelt, kamut, farro and teff. 

Considering how used to modern wheat your taste buds are, it may take some getting used to ancient heirloom wheat varieties. 

But if you don’t want to give up gluten and want to take charge of your blood sugar levels and your overall health, give ancient wheat a try. Unless you have a true allergy to gluten such as Celiac Disease, you’ll probably find ancient wheat is easy to digest and won’t cause wheat belly. 

Chef V and kale

Eating For Your Blood Type: Does The Blood Type Diet Work?

Chef V

blood typing

Eating right for your blood type. I’ve always been so intrigued. I recently found out I’m type A+ and my husband, Brandon is O+.

So from now on, should my food shopping ritual be different? Should I fill half the cart with A-friendly food while the other half will be O-centric?

(The polarity [+/-] of the blood type doesn’t really matter when it comes to dieting.)

According to the blood type diet, I should be eating lots of vegetarian-friendly food. As somebody who eats a 99% plant-based diet, I would have no problem eating for my particular blood type.

But what about Brandon? Should he go on a hunting trip and shoot some wild game? Type O’s should eat basically a Paleo diet: high in lean animal protein with a minimal amount of grains.

When Brandon and I go out to dinner, we usually share a couple of entrees. But if we’re both following the blood type diet does that mean we can no longer share food?

birds sharing food

While I always believe in really listening to what your body is telling you and following the 85/15 rule—consume at least 85% of your calories be from clean, organic, unprocessed or minimally-processed plant-based foods—I wanted to dive a little deeper into the blood type diet and see if I should be sticking to it 100% of the time.

Here’s what I found…

Each of the four main blood types comes with its own preset dispositions to lots of different physical characteristics. For example, the risk of developing a chronic disease, how much stomach acid your gut produces and the composition of your gut microbiome may be, at least in part, predicated on your blood type.

In fact, a study published in Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics said the risk of cardiovascular disease is lower in individuals with blood type O and increased in individuals with blood type A, compared with those in other blood groups.

So should I be freaking out that I’m more at risk of dying from a heart attack because I’m type A? Meanwhile, Brandon gets to enjoy playing caveman and worrying less about croaking from a heart attack because he’s type O. And is having a higher risk of developing heart disease the reason why type A’s like myself should be predominantly vegan?

(“B” blood types can get away with eating dairy while A/B can eat a more varied diet.)

To answer the first question, no I definitely shouldn’t worry about cardiovascular disease just because I’m type A. Especially not if I’m following my 85/15 rule and managing stress through yoga and meditation.

To answer the second question, whether or not type A’s should follow a blood type diet, here’s what the researchers from the study above concluded…

The study participants were asked to follow a low-fat vegan diet and attend weekly educational classes to help them stick to the blood type A diet.

But the researchers discovered that the participants’ body weight, body fat, triglycerides or blood sugar was not affected by specifically following the blood type diet.

Instead, the participants’ health improved just because they were eating a healthier diet to begin with.

vegan vegetables

Where Did The Blood Type Diet Come From?

A naturopathic doctor named Paul D’Adamo popularized the diet in the west. His book, The Blood Type Diet “Eat Right For Your Type” was published in the mid-90s and remains popular to this day.

D’Adamo claims in his book that the diet is based on a plethora of scientific evidence. But the truth is, for the most part, research studies do not support the blood type diet.

Without doubt, there’s a lot of people who have followed the blood type diet and claim that it has significantly improved their health. But again, was it really the specific diet or was it simply the fact that the Standard American Diet of heavily-processed food was replaced by generally healthy foods for all blood types?

In fairness to D’Adamo, in order to properly study whether or not the blood type diet works, you would need hundreds if not thousands of participants in a very well-designed clinical trial. But that takes a lot of time and money to pull off. And with no backing from a major university or pharmaceutical company, that kind of gold-standard research is unlikely to happen.

Another strong talking point for D’Adamo is that in some cultures, blood typing runs blood deep in the culture. Take Japan for instance. Known as ketsuekigata, the Japanese blood type theory does not so much apply to diet; in this homogenous society, the traditional Japanese diet applies to all four types. Instead, the four blood types rule apply to personality traits.

Blood type matching in Japan plays a big role in marriages. Even some job ads in the country list preferred blood types to fill available positions.

image below Photo by National Cancer Institute

woman in lab

Does The Blood Type Diet Work? Conclusion

There is some research that supports following the blood type diet to minimize the risk of developing certain health outcomes to which your specific type is genetically more susceptible.

For example, type O is more likely to develop stomach ulcers. So if you’re a type O and you eat a ton of grains, it may (or may not) make you more at risk for developing gastric problems.

If your blood type is A like mine is, and you eat a ton of animal protein, you may find yourself getting sick more often or even developing a chronic disease.

Likewise, if you’re type O like my husband, Brandon, and you’re eating a ton of dairy, the same scenario could occur.

Does that mean if you are type AB, which has more flexibility, you can get away with eating whatever you want?

No. The takeaway is that everybody regardless of blood type should be eating adequate amounts of low-sugar fruit and lots of low-starch, nutrient-dense plants.

And if you need to get more antioxidants in your diet the easy way, check out my Organic Green Drink delivery plan.

But there’s no harm in trying the blood type diet. Do it for a month or so. And if you feel better, then try sticking to it.

Chef V and kale

The Most Important $7 You’ll Spend In 2023

Chef V

green drink skin benefits

Chef V is an industry leader in helping people restore their health after the holidays with cleanse and detox programs. But those metabolic reboots are short-term. To keep the health benefits going every day in 2023, Veronica Wheat, the “V” in Chef V, has a simple, perfect plan…

Think about all the frivolous stuff that you spend money on every day or several times a week. How many of those expenses are actually contributing to your overall health and happiness? 

Is the half-caf, extra-foam soy vanilla latte really necessary? What about all those meals at restaurants, where most of the time, your food is cooked in rancid canola oil? Have you counted how much you spend monthly on dining out?  

Hey, I get it. Life is short. Spend your money on things that make you happy. Go travel. Book a monthly spa day. Retail therapy shop once in a while. Just don’t neglect to invest in daily things that will support your total wellness. 

kale

The Best Daily Investment In Your Health For 2023

What a cluster— the last couple of years has been. Thankfully, for the most part, we have emerged from the fear- and anxiety-fueled dystopian reality of the pandemic. However, it seems that there’s no shortage of flus, viruses and other crazy current events that can lower your vibration. 

But what if I told you that for just $7 a day — way lower than the cost of eating out, and about the same for that latte with a tip for the barista — you can easily eliminate the physical and mental toxins we’re bombarded with on a daily basis and support your health in every way imaginable, including:

    • Having great, buzzing energy in the morning — no caffeine needed!
    • Feeling leaner and sexier 
    • Thinking more positively with no mood swings
    • Sleeping more soundly
    • Focusing more sharply
    • Superb antioxidant protection for your immune system 
    • Supporting your friendly gut bacteria 
    • Assisting your body’s Detoxification
    • Enjoying having more beautiful skin, strong nails and lustrous hair


success

Buying Juice From A Store Is Like Paying Someone To Poison Your Body

You decide: 3 grams of sugar per serving or over 50 grams of sugar per serving? 

It’s shocking how much sugar there is in big juice brands. I’m usually not one to name names. But this time I’ll make an exception: Naked, Odwalla, Suja, Evolution. I could go on and on. 

These corporate brands — Naked and Odwalla are both owned by Pepsi! — don’t care about your health; they care about their bottom line. That’s why they pump tons of blood-sugar-spiking fructose in their juices, even ones named Green Machine. (Naked Juice’s Green Machine has 53 grams of sugar per 15 ounce serving!) 

Store-bought juices trick customers into thinking that their products are good for them because the slick marketers give their products healthy-sounding names. But at the end of the day, these glorified fruit juices are only contributing to the obesity and diabetes twindemic. 

In comparison, with Chef V’s ultra low-sugar Organic Green Drink plan, you’ll  flood your 37 trillion cells with supreme nutrition every day. Think of your body as a high-performance sports car. Green Drink is the fuel your body needs to perform at peak levels every day!

Just $7 a day. Cheaper than the competition. Waaay easier than making your own.

Think about how much money the average person spends on dietary supplements and personal care products to receive all those benefits. It’s a lot more than $7 a day, I can guarantee you that!

All you have to do to FEEL YOUR BEST in 2023 is:

GET ON THE Chef V Organic Green Drink Plan. 

—->Learn more about the top 5 research-backed benefits of Green Drink.

green drink and digestion

Top Reasons You Need To Go Green in 2023

Oftentimes in life, we neglect the best things for us. For instance, we take our spouse or partner for granted and don’t tell them how much we appreciate them. We don’t spend enough time nurturing our soul in nature. The same could be said about a humble bottle of 7 certified organic leafy green vegetables. 

If you previously had a Green Drink Plan maybe you forgot how this simple solution supported your health and happiness day in and day out. Life happens. You get sidetracked and revert to old habits. 

I’m happy to set you back on the easiest and most affordable daily wellness plan. But don’t just take it from me. Check out the radical health transformation that customers like Michael, Pashelle, Carey, Gabrielle, and K.I. experienced from being on a Green Drink plan. 

Look, I realize you might be skeptical. “All these incredible health benefits can come from just a daily serving of Green Drink? Can’t I just buy some other veggie juice from the store once in a while or make my own at home?” you might be wondering? 

Totally valid questions. But here’s how Chef V is different than 99.9% of the juices out there:

    • Certified Organic (no pesticides) 
    • Delivered to your home (effortless health)
    • Made fresh every week
    • Less expensive per serving than most brand-name juices
    • No messy clean up, no prep work
    • No preservatives
    • Sourced from local farmers that Chef V has a personal relationship with
    • Feeds and supports your healthy gut bacteria because it’s raw and cold-blended
    • Never high pressure pasturized – that chills the nutrients
    • All store brands are produced with high pressure pasturization
    • Super low in natural sugar with zero added sugars

—-> See how Chef V Organic Green Drink Crushes Top Juice Brands

Support Your Total Wellness in 2023 Right Now

There’s a thousand and one excuses to not take advantage of this incredible deal of just $7 a day. 

But if you’re somebody who wants to live their best life in 2023 then take charge of your health right now and get on the plan. 

It’s the easiest, most convenient and most affordable way to support your health and happiness in every way possible. 

As a small business owner who literally gets her hands dirty in the kitchen, managing the Green Drink operations, I’m so excited for you to get back to feeling your best.

$7 a day. That’s all it takes to receive so many health benefits week after week.Your health and happiness is worth it. 

START (OR RENEW) YOUR PLAN NOW.

Chef V and kale

Green Drink Skin Benefits: Way Beyond Skin Deep

Jean Yates

green drink skin benefits

The benefits of Green Drink for skin can have much more of an impact than a cosmetic procedure like a facial. After all, facials and other beauty care methods are only, well, skin deep. But green drinks can benefit your skin from the inside out. Chef V explains….

Take a look at my picture. If you’ve never seen a picture of me, that’s me. Oh, if only I looked as stunning as Coconut, my beloved pooch.

But in truth I do get compliments on my skin from time to time. Now, I might be comfortable in my skin, so to speak. However, I consider myself a modest person and not vain in the slightest bit. Therefore, I’m not one to usually talk about my appearance. I’m going to make an exception here. You see, sure, genetics might have to do with how youthful your skin looks.

kale

Benefits of Green Drink for Skin: Collagen

Let’s talk about protein. Not the protein you get from food, but the protein that makes up who you are. Your body has hundreds of thousands of different proteins. And the most abundant human protein is collagen. Roughly one-third of your body’s protein is collagen. Collagen is the foundation of your connective tissue.

Collagen is a matrix-like structure formed by amino acids. It’s the most common protein in the skin along with keratin. The reason why we look older as we age is that our collagen denatures, weakens and shrinks. It gets weaker and weaker every year. In fact, after age 30 or so, you lose at least one percent of your collagen’s strength every year. That means by age 60, you’re collagen will be 30% weaker than when you are 30 years old.

But here’s one of the key benefits of green drink for skin: the vitamins and minerals help prevent or even re-generate your own body’s collagen. How cool is that? Do you see why I consider having a Green Drink every day the healthiest thing you can do for your health and beauty?

The dark green veggies in Organic Green Drink encourage collagen production. The older you get, the more important this is. That’s because collagen production slows down as you age. However, veggies rich in vitamin C inhibit the breakdown of collagen.


success

Benefits of Green Drink for Skin: Better Digestion

Here’s another reason why it’s great to have green juice for glowing skin. Because of poor diet, many people have insufficient stomach acid. Adult acne and other skin problems is a direct indication that not only does the gut not have enough good bacteria, the stomach doesn’t have enough gastric juice to break down the nutrients. This results in inflammation. And acne and other skin disorders are a symptom of inflammation.

And if you don’t have enough stomach acid, you can’t efficiently digest protein. Moreover, just like probiotics, gastric juices help fight bad bacteria. Consequently, if you can’t fully digest your food, microbial overgrowth occurs, leading to inflammation and potential skin problems.

But one of the main benefits of green drink for skin is that the veggies help stimulate the release of stomach acid. Moreover, the veggies in our Organic Green Drink alkalize the body and reduce inflammation.

green drink and digestion

Benefits of Green Drink for Skin: Enzymes

Now, not all green drinks are great for your skin. That’s because most green drinks are pasteurized. However, our Green Drinks are raw. And what this means is that when you chug some Green Drink, you get a ton of naturally-occurring enzymes. Enzymes are critical in absorption of nutrients. One major factor why many people have chronic disease is that they don’t eat enough enzyme-rich foods like raw green veggies. Cooked food destroys enzymes. That’s why one of the healthiest and easiest things you can do to ensure you’re getting some enzyme-rich raw veggies in your diet is to have a daily serving of Certified Organic Green Drink.

Chef V and kale

Easy Homemade Nut Milk: Almond, Cashew, Hazelnut, Macadamia

admin

nut milks

Making your own nut milk is SO easy! All you need is a blender (I prefer Vitamix), a nut milk bag or cheesecloth, raw almonds, cashews, hazenuts, or macadamia nuts and filtered water. I soak the nuts for 24 hours to remove the dust or any mold from shipping and handling, which also improves the nutritional value. Then drain the nuts and use fresh filtered water to blend. Cheese cloth is great because you get so much in one package, it’s so versatile, and you can use it on a million things (making nut cheese, poaching fish, nut milks, straining seeds from fruit, and lots more.) However, I bought a nut milk bag and it is so much faster and easier to use the nut milk bag.

I use nut milk in so many things. I cook with it any time a recipe calls for milk and no one can ever tell the difference. I also use it in my smoothies to make them creamy. You can add it to coffee or tea, cereal, or just have a refreshing glass with ice.

The milk will stay fresh about 3-5 days in the refrigerator. I keep them in mason jars, since each jar is about 2 cups and this recipe makes 4 cups. I use two jars so the milk stays fresher for use later in the week.

Once you try homemade nut milk it will be almost impossible to drink store-bought milk again, which is pumped with artificial crap to keep it fresh on the shelves. Read my article about nut milks and their ingredients.

The sad part is that a typical consumer would have no idea about what is inside of store bought nut milk or that it’s actually bad for you. The toxic ingredients found in commercial nut milks stress your immune system and weaken your health. The ingredients are also misleading and include words such as Vitamin A Palmitate, which can cause birth defects and bone fractures. Vitamin D2, which if taken in excess, can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, muscle weakness and bone pain. But the worst thing about store-purchased almond milk is it usually doesn't even contain much nuts!

In light of this, I suggest making your own nutritious and delicious nut milk. And the great part is, it’s really easy!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup raw almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, or macadamia nuts
  • 2 cups water, for soaking
  • 4 cups cold filtered water, for blending
  • High power blender (I prefer Vitamix)
  • Nut Milk Bag or Cheesecloth

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak the nuts in 2 cups of water overnight. Drain the nuts and rinse. Blend 1 cup of nuts and 4 cups of cold water on high for 2 minutes. Pour the nut mixture into the cheesecloth or nut milk bag. Squeeze out excess milk. Pour into mason jars or a milk jug. Save the leftover nut meal for future recipes.

You can do this by heating the nut meal at 170 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 hours. Make sure to mix the nut meal frequently while baking to dehydrate the water from making the milk. Use Chef V’s Nut Milk right away or store in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks.

You can add some nut milk to your Green Drink to make it a little creamy. Yum!

Chef V’s Easy Homemade Gluten-Free Oat Milk

Chef V

nut milks

If you are allergic to nuts, my gluten-free oat milk recipe is a delicious alternative to my homemade nut milk.

Making your own oat milk is SO easy! All you need is a blender (I prefer Vitamix), cheesecloth or a nut milk bag, organic gluten-free oats and filtered water.

Cheese cloth is great because you get so much in one package, it’s so versatile, and you can use it on a million things (making nut cheese, poaching fish, nut milks, straining seeds from fruit, and lots more.) However, I bought a nut milk bag and it is so much faster and easier to use the nut milk bag.

I use oat milk in so many things. I cook with it any time a recipe calls for milk and no one can ever tell the difference. I also use it in my smoothies to make them creamy. You can add it to coffee or tea, cereal, or just have a refreshing glass with ice.

The milk will stay fresh about 3-5 days in the refrigerator. I keep them in mason jars, since each jar is about 2 cups and this recipe makes 4 cups. I use two jars so the milk stays fresher for use later in the week.

Once you try homemade oat milk it will be almost impossible to drink store-bought milk again, which is pumped with artificial crap to keep it fresh on the shelves.

The sad part is that a typical consumer would have no idea about what is inside of store bought oat milk or that it’s actually bad for you. The toxic ingredients found in commercial oat milks stress your immune system and weaken your health. The ingredients are also misleading and include words such as Vitamin A Palmitate, which can cause birth defects and bone fractures. Vitamin D2, which if taken in excess, can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, muscle weakness and bone pain. But the worst thing about store-purchased oat milk is it usually doesn't even contain much oat!

In light of this, I suggest making your own nutritious and delicious oat milk. And the great part is, it’s really easy!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup gluten-free oats
  • 2 cups water, for soaking
  • 4 cups cold filtered water, for blending
  • High power blender (I prefer Vitamix)
  • Nut Milk Bag or Cheesecloth

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak the oats in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes. Drain the oats. Add oats and 4 cups of cold water to blender and blend on high for 2 minutes. Pour the oat mixture into the cheesecloth or nut milk bag. Squeeze out excess milk. Pour into mason jars or a milk jug.

Use Chef V’s Oat Milk right away or it keeps for 3-5 days refrigerated. Shake before use.

You can add some oat milk to your Green Drink to make it a little creamy. Yum!

Wait Until You’re Hungry – Losing Weight & Keeping It Off With Green Drink

Jean Yates

losing weight with green drink

Having a Green Drink every day increases your chances for weight loss success—and keeps the extra pounds off in the long run. I share some tips on losing weight and keeping it off for the long run. Check out these inspiring success stories, too! – Veronica

Recently, I’ve shared with you reasons why my Green Drink can make your skin glow and look radiant.

And let’s not forget your hair and nails, too. If you have brittle nails or dull, frizzy hair, Green Drink is a potent nail and hair strengthener and tamer.

But can Green Drink help you lose weight? And if it can, can it keep the weight off for good?

Sure, plenty of our customers have had weight loss success with Green Drink. I’ve shared some of our amazing customer success stories with you, too. You can also check out our 450+ 5-star reviews on Yelp.

But in all this time, I can’t believe I haven’t explained to you why Green Drink works for weight loss.

In case you’re not sure what my Green Drink is, it’s seven certified organic green leafy veggies: black kale, green kale, collard greens, green leaf lettuce, curly parsley, green chard, and dandelion greens. It’s sweetened with only a tiny bit of organic green apple and organic apple juice with filtered water to aid in absorption.

Read K.I.’s heartwarming story of weight loss success!

weight loss success

Green Drinks For Weight Loss: Make It A Daily Habit

Even though I’m at a body weight I’m comfortable with, I want to keep it that way. That’s one reason I start each day off by drinking 16 oz. of Green Drink about 30 minutes after waking up and having some water.

I’m so confident that if you adopt this routine and combine it with intermittent fasting, you’ll see the extra pounds start melting within days, not weeks.

But is there any proof that the veggies in Green Drink can help you lose weight?

There is. I’ll summarize some of the research for you in a little bit. By doing so, I’m not merely trying to prove my enjoyment of geeking out on nutrition studies (after all, I am a certified nutritional therapist).


success

As Easy As….

On the contrary, my intention is by offering proof, you’ll feel motivated to start making Green Drink a part of your life. Seriously, I want Green Drink to be an easy, automatic routine for you like brushing your teeth, flossing (you are flossing every day, aren’t you?) and washing your hands.

You don’t even have to do one of my 3, 5 or 7 Day Cleanses and certainly not my 21 Day Detox Challenge to experience weight loss with my Green Drink.

The cleanses and detox provide you with four (4) Green Drinks a day. But I’m telling you all it takes is one 16-oz serving per day.

Obviously, if you eat three fast food meals a day, the Green Drink won’t have much as much impact on your health nor will it help you lose much weight.

However, having a Green Drink in the morning sets the tone for rest of the day. If you eat a donut, bagel, muffin or most commercial bread, you’re setting yourself up for weight loss failure.

That’s because after the yeast in your gut eats all the sugar from the donut, they’ll quickly send a signal to your brain demanding more junk carbs.

So, if you have a cold-blended veggie cocktail like Green Drink, you’re not giving the bad bacteria in your gut a chance to party.

Veronica and Brandon at the beach

Proof Green Drink Works for Weight Loss

“You want the truth, you can’t handle the truth!”

Sorry, Brandon, my hubby and Chef V CEO was just reading over my shoulder and suggested I put that one in. He loves “A Few Good Men.”

So here’s the truth and the proof about Green Drinks for weight loss….

Let’s start off with this study on kale. Besides numerous beneficial effects on health, it lowers your blood sugar levels after a meal. What does that mean for weight loss?

When blood sugar levels are high, your cells can no longer allow sugar from the bloodstream to enter. And as a consequence, the excess sugar gets stored as fat by the liver.

Unless you plan on doing several rounds of sprints or go for a long-distance run, that extra fat’s going to go where you least want it.

For this reason, kale is considered a superfood for people with type 2 diabetes.

Green Drinks for Good Gut Bacteria

Remember I was saying that when you eat a donut or other junk carb in the morning (or anytime of day), it feeds yeast in your gut? More specifically, it causes yeast to proliferate (multiply in number). And what this means is that you’ll end up with too much bad bacteria in your gut.

But this study proves a vegetable juice-based diet improves gut health. In the study, the participants consumed only a vegetable/fruit juice blend for three days. On the fourth day, the researchers observed a significant decrease in weight and body mass index.

And this weight loss was maintained until day 17. The only reason it wasn’t sustained for longer is that from day 4 onwards, the participants resumed their normal diet.

In addition, by day 4, the researchers noticed less harmful strains of gut/stool bacteria and more beneficial bacteria. Having enough friendly critters in your gut, as creepy as it may sound, is necessary for sustained weight loss.

Here’s one more study I’ll leave you with for now. It says that diets containing green leafy vegetables improve liver fatty acid profiles. The study is the first one to prove how green leafy veggies improve the liver health in animal predisposed to developing hypertension.

Your liver has to be in optimal condition in order to properly detoxify and break down dietary fat. If you have a “sluggish” liver, you’ll have trouble losing weight.

One of the green veggies in the study is collard greens, which is in my Green Drink. The study concludes that green leafy veggies not only improves liver health but also lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.

Bonus points for Green Drinks! And all it takes as drinking one bottle a day. That’s one of the easiest, most affordable weight loss strategies you’ll ever find. 

Check out Dawn’s weight loss success!

Dawn's weight loss success

Chef V and kale

It’s RAWGUST! Summer is the Best Time for Raw Food

Jean Yates

raw food for summer

Thinking about doing a cleanse? Going raw vegan in summer is easy and can help detoxify your body before, during and after the cleanse.

There’s a misconception about me….

Some people describe me as a vegan chef.

Maybe it’s because another Chef Veronica out there. But she’s a low fat vegan chef. Personally, as a certified nutritional therapist, I don’t think low fat diets are very healthy.

Or, maybe because my first job, at age 15, was working at a vegetarian restaurant.

But I’m not vegan nor 100% vegetarian. 

However, I do love and advocate the vegan diet.

Going raw and vegan in summer (or anytime of year, really) is like pouring fuel cleaner into your car.

Meat, especially non-organic meat, gunks up your transmission; it’s much harder on your digestive system. Consequently, when you eat lots of meat, it can slow down your liver’s natural detoxification abilities.

So you can use my recipes for giving your system a cleanse while feeling like your indulging.

Especially now because as I write this, it’s the heart of summer: the best time to do a cleanse.

One of the keys to successfully doing a cleanse—anytime of the year—is to not feel like you’re missing out.

raw veggies

Going Raw Vegan in Summer

And when you learn to make raw vegan recipes that taste just as good as their non-vegan cooked alternatives, you definitely won’t feel like you’re punishing yourself doing a cleanse.

Eating raw makes you feel lighter. Which helps if you’ve fallen off the wagon as of late, like I did during my three-week trip to Europe eating decadent meals.

Here’s another plus of going raw in summer: cutting down on electric bills. The last thing you want to do when it’s really hot outside is turning on the oven to 425 degrees to bake, say, a salmon fillet.

Sure, you might have air conditioning. But where I live, in San Diego, many people don’t have it. Especially those people who live near the coast. Even if you do have A/C, though, you’ll save money by not using your oven.


vegetarian food prep

What is Raw Food?

Technically, raw food is prepared at a temperature that won’t destroy naturally-occurring compounds and enzymes. There’s some debate as to what that magic number is.

But most raw foodists consider 104 degrees (fahrenheit) to be the maximum cooking temperature.

Therefore, if you like broccoli but not when it’s completely raw, you can lightly cook it.

You can also buy a food dehydrator to make raw food snacks such as dried fruit. However, here’s where the raw food temperature debate comes into play.

Dehydrated raw food still qualifies as raw by some people even though the dehydration temperature is usually between 105 and 115.

And don’t get me started about raw almonds. That’s for a whole other blog topic.

(Raw almonds really aren’t raw; they are pasteurized.)

Don’t get caught up in the technicality of what is and isn’t raw food.

If it’s something that comes directly from the ground or a tree, and is, at worst, very minimally processed, then I consider it a raw food.

In other words, if it’s a fruit or vegetable or nut or seed, it’s raw. Or, if it’s a byproduct of any of these, cooked at an ultra low temperature, it’s also raw to me.

raw vegan greens

Going Raw Vegan in Summer: Isn’t Going Raw Enough?

Most raw food is very easy for your belly to digest, with maybe the exception of nightshade veggies like peppers, tomatoes and eggplant.

That’s why introducing plenty of raw vegan foods into your diet when you are cleansing is smart.

But isn’t going raw enough? Why also vegan? Can’t I eat raw cheese during a cleanse?

Great questions! Glad you asked 🙂

Yes, raw dairy is an option. But like raw almonds, raw dairy really isn’t raw, according to raw foodie purists.

The more important point is that dairy, even if it’s raw is not ideal for cleansing. In fact, I suggest you completely avoid dairy for at least 3-7 days before you start a cleanse.

Dairy gums up the works. If your liver is sluggish, eating cheese certainly isn’t going to help it release toxins faster.


Chef V's cleanse

Going Raw Vegan in Summer: Here’s What I’m Eating Now

Hardly anybody wants to eat hot soup in summer. Or drink scalding bone broth.

But a light yet satisfying cold soup is just what Mother Nature calls for this time of year.

That’s why I love gazpacho in summer.

And here’s one of my favorites: Raw Cucumber Cilantro Avocado Gazpacho. I know, sounds like a mouthful, right? Well, it’s got a huge taste.

For a main course, how about some pasta. Pasta … That’s not raw, is it? And it’s not vegan if it’s got ricotta in it.

But my Raw Pesto Lasagna with Macadamia Ricotta contains zoodles, not noodles. Check out the recipe to see how I make a raw vegan ricotta!

Finally, it’s time for dessert. I’m a sucker for cheesecake. But obviously, regular cheesecake is a no-no when you’re cleansing.

To get my healthy dessert on, I’m making this Raw Caramel Cheesecake.

Yes, it’s possible to enjoy a decadent-tasting dessert while doing your own cleanse?

Now, I feel I have to clarify something important here. If you’re doing one of my 3, 5 or 7 day cleanses, you’re sticking to Organic Green Drinks, Vegan Protein Shakes and Detox Soups.

But before and after the official cleanse is over, treat yourself with one of these delicious raw vegan desserts.

Follow these recipes to a T, or, pardon the corny pun, to a V, and you’ll have no problem going raw vegan in summer!

Chef V, Coco and kale

Easiest Way To Be Eco Friendly: Power Yourself by Plants!

Chef V

vegtable protein sources

Even if you drive a gas-guzzling car, crank up the A/C in the summer and heat in the winter, you can still do your part to tread more lightly on the Earth. Learn how easy it is to be more eco friendly….

Power Yourself with Plants: Plant Powered Proteins

The easiest thing you can do to tread more lightly on the Earth is eat less meat.

Did you know that over 30% of the Earth’s landmass is being used livestock (meat- and dairy-producing animals.) Nothing wrong with enjoying a piece of meat every now and then if it’s grass-fed, organic and humanely-raised.

However, for me, that’s a rare treat. Especially knowing that almost 10 percent of the carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere is because of feeding and caring for livestock.

Ten percent might not sound high, but here’s the problem: Livestock accounts for a shockingly-high amount of harmful greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are chiefly responsible for global warming. Feeding and taking care of domesticated animals that eventually turn up on our dinner plate generates about 65 percent of nitrous oxide (N20). What’s the difference between N20 and CO2?

cattle in stockyard

Nitrous oxide has the potential to warm up the planet 300 more times than CO2.

Also, all those animals grazing and pooping uses a lot of water and takes up land that could otherwise be used for public open spaces.

My intention isn’t to freak you out about global warming nor is it to convert you to vegetarianism.

Rather, my intention is to let you know how easy it is to be more eco friendly simply by eating less meat. Do you eat meat three times a day? Cut down to twice a day. If you eat meat three times a week, see how you do eating it just once or twice a week.

protein burger

And now that there are so many delicious plant-based meat alternatives it’s really easy to have less of a carbon footprint. In fact, if you’re already vegetarian or vegan, let your friends and family know about the delicious brands of plant protein burgers. Bring a package of Beyond Meat’s “Beyond Burger” to the next barbecue you go to.

While it’s true that Beyond Burger is a little on the pricey side, it’s a fraction of the cost of what you’ll have to pay should you God-forbid develop a chronic illness.

That’s not to say that vegetarians don’t develop chronic disease, but there’s no denying the fact that eating lots of meat puts you at more risk for developing certain cancers like colorectal. (This is especially true if you’re eating lots of red, processed meat like bacon, as well as deli meats with nitrites and nitrates.)

In addition to yummy pea protein burgers, you can also boost your plant-protein intake with hemp protein, which is one of the plant-powered proteins for my Organic Protein Shake recipe, which you get when you do one of my Cleanses.

Chef V protein shake

Reduce Water and Plastic Usage

Reducing the amount of water you use is another way to be more eco friendly. Try to reduce the time you’re in the shower by one minute. Set a timer on your phone to let you know when time’s up.

Another way to cut down on the amount of water you’re using while showering is by installing a low-flow showerhead.  If you own a home, the incentive to be more eco friendly will be worth it. That’s because low-flow showerheads will result in a lower water bill.

Also, if you’re still using plastic water bottles, get with the program and use stainless steel water bottles. If you’re using plastic because the water at your home doesn’t taste good, spend the money on a good water filter for your sink. Or you can buy one of those water filter pitchers.

The overwhelming majority of plastic water bottles end up in garbage landfills. In fact, it’s estimated that 80 percent of commercial water bottles end up in landfills. Every time you toss a water bottle in the trash, keep in mind that it’ll take up to 1,000 years for it to decompose. And in the meantime, the bottle will be leaking harmful chemicals into the environment.

You can easily do your part to reduce the amount of plastic that’s discarded into landfills. Just say no to plastic water bottles. We offer a glass option for our weekly Chef V plan delivery (not available for shipping at this time), just email customer service to make the switch.

When I travel by plane, I bring my own water bottle and fill it up at the airport. They always have water stations or if not a restaurant will fill it for you.

water bottle

Ditching The Dairy Is Eco Friendly

As I mentioned above, livestock (think: cows) require an enormous amount of land, feed and water. And the methane gas from their back ends is a major contributor to greenhouse gas. In fact, methane is 85 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat. That’s right, cow farts and poop are bad. Real bad. (And it’s worse than we thought, according to this Forbes article.)

So in addition to cutting down on meat, it’s eco friendly to ditch dairy, too. But if you can’t stand the thought of not having your milk and cookies, there’s plenty of healthy plant-based “mylks” out there. For example, try my recipe for almond milk. I add almond milk to Golden Milk, which is one of the healthiest, most delicious drinks on the planet.

I realize some people can’t do without cheese. Having a picnic in a field with some red wine and slices of delicious Manchego (a variety of sheep cheese) is heavenly. I get that. But that doesn’t mean you have to eat huge wedges of cheese every day. I’m not saying you need to give up cheese completely. Just as with meat consumption, try to reduce the amount of conventional dairy you eat. The cows are still going to be farting away in the fields. But the less demand for cheese and dairy overall, the less the livestock will need to be fed.

Brandon and Veronica

Other Easy Ways to Be More Eco Friendly

Just cutting down on the amount of meat and dairy you eat as well as the amount of water you use are impactful ways you can more eco friendly. Doing so makes a huge difference.

And other ways you can easily reduce your carbon footprint include:

  • Keeping canvas bags in your trunk to use everytime you go to the supermarket or farmer’s markets. You can also bring them into restaurants when you’re getting take-out.
  • Speaking of restaurants, buy some Pyrex containers and use them for leftovers.
  • Use organic sunscreen. Conventional sunscreen is partly responsible for killing coral reefs.
  • Don’t use paper towels. Instead, use cloth hand towels to wipe your face and hands.
  • Wash your clothes in cold water instead of hot water.
  • Replace old lightbulbs with more energy-efficient LED lights.

Pretty simple, right? You don’t have to feel pressured to make these changes all at once. Adopt one recommendation at a time if that works better for you. Even making one of these changes will make a significant difference. It might not seem like much but every bit helps.

Love,

Chef V

Chef V and kale

Worried About Traveling Again? Here’s How To Protect Yourself…

Jean Yates

traveling healthy

Are you about to take your first trip in a long time? Excited but still a little nervous? Then keep reading because I have some tips to make your travel experience a little more easy-going.

Or maybe you’re not nervous at all to travel because you’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19….

If that’s the case, you shouldn’t let your guard down even if you’ve been vaccinated. 

That’s because there are well over 200 viruses that are known to be able to infect humans. Obviously, COVID-19 is the one that’s still on everybody’s mind, but it’s clearly not the only one that can make you sick if you’re flying. 

So let’s dive in and explore how to keep your immune system strong and balanced before you trip.

virus particle

Start Taking Care of Your Immune System Now

Suppose you’re meeting close friends for dinner before you trip. Your friends order a bottle of wine. Toasts are made to being fully vaccinated and returning to life, and to your upcoming trip.

One glass of wine quickly goes down. Then another. And another. And by the next day, you’re all congested and your energy is way low because you couldn’t sleep (the wine and the congestion interfered with your sleep cycle). 

At this point, your immune system has taken a huge punch to the gut. (No pun intended; 80% of your immune cells are in your gastrointestinal tract.) The congestion can then lead to a cold or sinus infection. 

If you’re sensitive to sugar and gluten like I am, all it takes is one celebratory meal to make yourself sick. 

Or suppose, you’re going to a birthday party shortly before your trip. Allow yourself one tiny square of birthday cake but no more. It’s not worth jeopardizing your immune system for what may very well be your first significant trip in over a year. 

In addition to limiting alcohol and added sugars, start supporting your immune system now by fueling your cells with nutrient-dense superfoods. If you don’t have time to prepare meals with green leafy veggies, you can drink them down and have it delivered to your home. 

Because of COVID, in addition to green, leafy veggies, I’ve been getting more edible mushrooms in my diet. Mushrooms are one of the best foods for immune support. Just like my Organic Green Drinks make it easy to get green leafies in your diet, mushroom powders make it easy to get ‘shrooms. 


green drink plan

Organic Hand Sanitizer

Are you still using hand sanitizer after every time you go out in public? I can’t say I blame you. However, I am concerned about the long-term health effects to the gut microbiome when using conventional hand sanitizer so often. 

This is especially true if you’re frequently disinfecting your hands with antibacterial soap. 

And when I travel, instead of antibacterial soap, I use organic hand sanitizer or an essential-oils based disinfectant like Thieves spray. 

Another thing you can do is carry some extra napkins on you when traveling. If you have to open a bathroom stall door, whip out the napkin and use it to grab the handle. I know it may sound wasteful, but, hey, as the saying goes, reduce, reuse, recycle. Don’t grab a huge wad of napkins next time you’re getting coffee to go. But if you already have napkins or tissues on hand, why not put them to good use for the rare times when you fly?

Take a good Probiotic

 Especially important before I travel, I make sure I eat probiotic-rich foods and take a high-quality probiotic supplement to colonize my gut with friendly bacteria. I recommend the brand probiotic I take it’s called Bio-k. They have dairy and non dairy fermented options. To me it’s the best source because it’s fresh not a pill. I have one bottle for three day’s servings, each day, on an empty stomach. Then I wait 15-30 minutes before having my Green Drink. 

probiotic

Nasal Spray

The bone-dry air of an airplane is the perfect breeding ground for viruses. Now, in fairness to many airlines like Southwest, they have done a great job installing high-tech air filters that, according to Southwest’s website, offers “a full exchange of cabin air with fresh, outdoor air and HEPA filtered air every 2-3 minutes.”

But even so, the dry air on an airplane can cause microscopic tears in your nostrils. This makes it more likely for any potentially-pathogenic virus to penetrate the mucosal barrier in your nose and infect you. The antidote to this is moisturizing your nose with a saline nasal spray or nasal lubricant gel or oil, as soon as you get on the plane. (Or better yet, apply it before you enter the airport.) 

Viruses Aren’t The Only Concern When Traveling

COVID-19 is the predominant health concern for those traveling. But don’t forget about traveler’s diarrhea, food poisoning and other digestive maladies that arise. 

As I mentioned in a previous post I wrote about traveling with kids, I always make sure to bring remedies that will soothe an upset tummy. Read it to find out why I like yeast probiotic and Oregon Grape Root the best as well as tea tree oil for other health mini-crises that may arise while traveling. 

child on plane

Stress Management

And perhaps the best advice I can give is to not give into fear. 

One excellent way to keep negative or fearful thoughts at bay is to maintain a daily health-manifestation practice. Repeat a simple mantra a few times a day that you’re healthy and your immune system is supporting you and well-balanced. 

You can recite the mantra mentally so the person on the plane next to you doesn’t think you’re kooky. 

And don’t forget to take long, deep breaths several times per day. If you’re currently not doing that now and your trip is coming up, start a breathing/meditation practice today, especially if you’re somebody who experiences a bit of anxiety before a big trip. 

Chef V and kale

That’s NASty! Are Non-Caloric Artificial Sweeteners (NAS) Making Us Sick?

Brandon Kress

non-caloric artificial sweeteners

Here’s a one-question nutrition pop quiz … what’s better for your health: regular soda or diet?

Clearly the answer is not regular soda, right? After all, a regular can of Coke has 39 grams of sugar. And all that sugar can lead to type 2 diabetes and obesity. So even though diet soda has chemicals, it’s much better for your health to have 0 grams of sugar than all that sugar in regular soda … right?

Wrong!

According to recent research, artificial sweeteners may be just as bad for your health as regular sugar. In fact, this study suggests non-caloric artificial sweeteners (NAS) damage your gut bacteria.

What does that mean for your health?

Well, I previously wrote about how your gut is like your second brain and plays a major role in your overall health. The amount of beneficial (good) bacteria versus harmful bacteria in your gut determines how effective your digestion is, how strong your immune system is functioning, and even how healthy your skin looks.

gut bacteria

They’re Everywhere, They’re Everywhere!

As if anybody needed more convincing that artificial sweeteners are bad for you, this new research takes the cake.

If you have a diet soda once in a blue moon, I’m not suggesting that your gut bacteria will be damaged over night. But the problem is artificial sweeteners are in so many products.

Chewing gum (Any brand of sugar free). Bread (Thomas English Muffins 100% Whole Wheat) Yogurt (Yoplait Light). Iced Tea (I’m talking about you, Snapple). Popcorn (Orville Redenbacher). Hot Chocolate (Nestle). Ice cream (Breyer’s Low Carb Smart).

Getting the idea?

So if artificial sweeteners are so bad for your health, why does the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) allow it?

I’ll play devil’s advocate for a second and say that in moderation, these fake sugars probably don’t do much damage. Maybe you’ve heard about studies that feed rats or mice the equivalent of 100 cans of soda a day. Of course, the rodents are going to get sick with that much junk pumping through their tiny, sensitive systems.

But here’s the thing….

Because these artificial sweeteners are in so many foods, most people aren’t aware they are consuming so much of them.

That’s why I try to eat as much organic and all-natural foods as possible. Not that I eat bread, but if I did, I wouldn’t buy a conventional name-brand loaf; I’d be buying it from a farmer’s market, knowing that the bread has only a few ingredients with no added or fake sugars.

gut flora

Artificial Sweeteners Are Making Us Sick

It’s easy to be cynical and say that I, as someone who is selling Organic Green Drinks for a living, is just trying to demonize sugar (be they real or fake) in order to make a buck. And don’t get me wrong, I am in business to make a living. But the reason I wake up excited in the morning has nothing to do with income and everything to do with the daily success stories I read on Yelp or that come in my email inbox.

The seven certified organic green leafy veggies in my Green Drink contain prebiotic fiber that result in good gut health. And as I mentioned above, your gut is in control of all aspects of your health. But millions of people who consume foods and drink with hidden artificial sweeteners have, or are in danger of having one or more metabolic diseases. What are metabolic diseases? Here’s a list:

  • Cancer
  • Diabetes
  • Obesity
  • Heart Disease
  • Dementia
  • High Blood Pressure

metabolic syndrome

image courtesy healthfreedoms.org

Stay Sweet, Naturally

As a certified nutritional therapist, my advice is to have real sources of sugar in moderation, mostly from fruit. If you need your healthy morning juice with a little sweetness, try my Tropical Smoothie. It’s contains the same 7 leafy greens in Green Drink that are great for gut health. It’s sweetened with a little pineapple juice. Pineapple has an enzyme called bromelain, which is good for digestion. There’s only 3 grams of naturally-occurring sugar in an 8 oz. serving of my Tropical Smoothie. (Compare that to other leading juice brands, which contain 30 or more grams of sugar!)

There’s some controversy over stevia and whether or not it’s really all-natural. True stevia comes from a plant and is therefore natural. But some brands of stevia also contain maltodextrin (corn sweetener) and/or are made in a lab.

My take on the stevia debate? You have to pick and choose your battles. I think stevia sweetener isn’t nearly as bad as other synthetic sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame potassium (ace-K), and sucralose. That’s why I recommend avoiding as much as possible the following brand-name fake sugars: Splenda, Sweet’N Low, Nutrasweet, Equal, and Splenda.

The best natural zero-calorie sweetener in my opinion is monkfruit extract. It’s more pricey than stevia. But isn’t your health worth a couple extra bucks? Your gut will thank you in many ways.

monkfruit

Conclusion

For several years, there’s been lots of concern about the dangers of artificial sweeteners. Do they cause cancer? Can they lead to hyperactivity in kids? Do they trick the brain into eating more calories? While the FDA still maintains that fake sugars are safe in moderation, this new research tying the synthetic sweet stuff to poor gut health, in my opinion, is the nail in the coffin (no pun intended).

Stay sweet, naturally, my friends….

Love,

Chef V

Chef V and kale

You’ve Heard About “Matcha Tea” Hundreds Of Times … So What Is It?

Jean Yates

making matcha tea

I believe in sharing with my followers every possible thing that can improve their health. This includes beverages other than my Organic Green Drink delivery plan. 

And hands down one of the healthiest drinks you should consume often besides Green Drink and water is matcha tea. 

Since I’m not a coffee drinker, I really enjoy drinking matcha green tea. Matcha does contain caffeine but roughly about a third of the amount as a regular cup of coffee. I have never felt jittery after drinking it. 

Are you somebody who has heard the term “matcha” but have no idea exactly what it is? Then this article is for you.

matcha tea and leaves

What Is Matcha Tea? 

Matcha tea is a shade-grown, whole-leaf tea powder. It’s made by taking tea leaves (from the camellia sinensis plant) and grinding the leaves into a fine powder. 

The highest-quality matcha tea, which is most often grown in Japan (the rarer white matcha tea powder is grown in Kenya), is made from leaves that have been shaded for up either two or three weeks before the first harvest of the season (which is usually in the winter). 

Then, the leaves are steamed, the veins and stems are removed and ultimately dried before being ground into a fine powder. So instead of drinking tea from a bag or loose leafs, matcha always comes in powder form. 

Nearly 5,000 years ago, China became the birthplace of tea. Buddhist monks introduced matcha to Japan approximately in the 1300s. Matcha tea mostly fizzled out in China but in Japan, the oldest type of tea in this tea-obsessed island nation, has remained popular. And over the last few years, matcha tea powder has become a huge health trend in the west. 

matcha tea in Japan

Is Matcha Tea Powder Better Than Regular Tea?

The fact that matcha is cultivated in the shade is very important. That’s because when the tea leaves mature in the shade, the levels of the green pigment, chlorophyll, increases. I recently covered the topic of liquid chlorophyll drops and how it’s a huge trend on TikTok. 

To sum up: consuming chlorophyll-rich foods and drinks can increase the amount of red blood cells in your body. This in turn, increases your oxygen capacity which gives you more endurance and energy. Also, the young TikTokers swear by chlorophyll for skin health. 

Does that mean drinking green matcha tea will make your skin look beautiful? Stay tuned for the benefits of matcha tea below…

Another difference between regular green tea and matcha is that the latter is much more concentrated. This means that by drinking green tea in powder form, you’re getting a larger dose of the beneficial phytonutrients. 

Any type of herbal tea offers health benefits. But it seems that matcha is the gold-standard. 

picking tea leaves

Benefits of Matcha Green Tea 

Matcha powder contains a wide variety of antioxidants and other nutrients. It’s also a great source of vitamin K, which is one of the best nutrients for your blood vessels and lungs. 

A study published in Nutrients supports drinking matcha tea powder for enhancing brain function. The phytonutrients in matcha “confer benefits upon cognitive functions of elderly people,” said the researchers, who led a 12-week trial involving 61 participants. Each of the matcha participants drank three grams of powder. 

There’s solid evidence that supports matcha for cardiovascular protection, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, inflammation, cholesterol  levels, anti-aging and pretty much every other health benefit. 

There’s a couple phytonutrients in matcha that a study in Food Research International says gives it the most benefits: l-theanine and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). 

L-theanine is a mood-boosting amino acid. It also helps you feel more calm because it activates the neurotransmitter called GABA. 

As for EGCG, there’s solid evidence that it can kill tumors. 

Conclusion

Keep in mind that just like everything else in life, quality matters. In Japan, matcha tea is used ceremoniously. Ceremonial-grade matcha is the highest quality. The green color is vivid, resembling a patch of Irish moss. Lower-quality matcha powder, but healthy nonetheless, is used for baking.

Go green with Organic Green Drink and green matcha tea for health!

Chef V and kale

Want to Live Longer & Avoid Cancer? Don’t Take Supplements (Do This Instead).

Jean Yates

wall of supplements bottles

Do you spend a couple minutes every morning popping pills? I’m not talking about dangerous, addictive ones. I’m talking about supplements. Lots of people take health supplements in the hopes of living longer and avoiding chronic disease like cancer.

But according to an article on the Consumer Reports website, if you’re popping supplements like candy, you might not only be wasting your money … you may actually also be harming your health.

The Consumer Reports article requires a subscription (a great website). So for your benefit, I’ll give you the brief skinny on what Consumer Reports found out about why supplements just might be not what the doctor ordered for living a long, healthy life…..


consumer reports on supplements

The Verdict Is In: Whole Food Is Better Than Supplements

Nothing shocking about this headline, right? You don’t need to be a scientist or certified nutritional therapist (like me) to know that eating whole foods is better for living a long, healthy life than relying on supplements.

Nonetheless, that’s the conclusion of the Consumer Reports article. What is shocking, however, from the study, involving 27,000 people is this: 90 percent of people don’t eat the daily recommended 1½ to 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Seriously? 90 percent? That’s absurdly high.

cdc results

Good thing I created an Organic Green Drink that makes it ridiculously easy to get your daily dose of veggies and then some.

So if 90% of the 27,000 people in the survey weren’t getting the recommended servings of fruits and veggies, could supplements be the answer for making up for the nutrient shortfall?

Nope. Not according to a source from the Center for Responsible Nutrition (CRN).

The source says dietary supplements shouldn’t be a substitute for healthy food. That’s because something you eat (or drink, like the 7 certified organic green veggies in Green Drink), might not just contain a certain vitamin. It’s also going to have a variety of other plant chemicals. These chemicals synergistically react with the other compounds. And scientists don’t yet fully understand how these compounds work. Isolated nutrients from capsules and pills simply don’t have the same effect.

kale varieties

Say No To (Most) Isolated Nutrients 

Here’s another reason to not rely on supplements to keep you healthy: isolated nutrients like vitamin C pills aren’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Companies can therefore get away with having heavy metals in protein powder.

Some supplements may contain far less of the isolated nutrient that what the package says.

If you can afford it, get a subscription to Consumer Reports or ConsumerLab.com. These two organizations are independent and test for purity and accuracy in supplements.

And if that’s not enough reason to ditch popping isolated nutrient supplements, let me give you a more compelling one.

Taking certain supplements may give you cancer. It’s true. It has been reported that if you take 1,000 mg per day of calcium in pill form, you might have a substantially increased risk of cancer. But when you eat foods rich in calcium your cancer risk doesn’t increase. Speaking of which, just one cup of kale supplies you with 100 mg of calcium. There’s 2 different types of kale in my Organic Green Drink.

water bottle

Are Supplements Necessary?

Sometimes they are. Especially if you’re trying to get pregnant or are already with child. Folic acid and vitamin D are critical for fetal development.

Vitamin D is also good if you’re stuck inside all day and can’t expose some of your skin to sunlight for at least 10 minutes.

And if you’re vegan, you might want to take a vitamin B12 supplement as well as algal oil, a vegan-friendly substitute for fish oil.

Speaking of fish oil, if you’re eating wild salmon a couple times a week along with plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids (walnuts) you really don’t a fish oil supplement.

(Want to know how to cook salmon to perfection? Check out my recipes in my cookbook Making Cleansing Easier.)


Making Cleansing Easier

Now, I’m not suggesting supplements don’t have their place. I believe certain supplements, especially ones that are time-tested such as traditional Chinese medicine formulas or Ayurvedic herbs can balance your system and make you healthier.

But eating whole, real food is always better than relying on popping pills for optimal health. Of course, you really didn’t need me to tell you that, did you? (Sometimes, though, the best health advice is hearing something you already know; the repeated message helps reinforce it until finally it sticks.

And I hope that if you’re not getting your daily dose of veggies, especially the healthiest kind–green, leafy ones–you’ll give my Organic Green Drink a try.

Chef V delivers Low Sugar Green Drinks nationwide. It’s the easiest way to get your daily dose of whole-food nutrients.

To your health,

Chef V

Chef V and kale

This One’s For The Dogs: Can Canines Consume Green Drinks & Veggies?

Chef V

Chef V feeding Coconut Green Drink

No offense to you if you’re on my Green Drink Plan …

But my favorite Green Drink customer of all time is Coconut. 

He’s my five pound, six-year old canine kid (a toy maltipoo). That’s right, Coconut sips on Green Drink. 

Just as Green Drinks support the health of bipeds like you and me, lapping up some cold-blended dark leafy greens can benefit your four-legged furry best friend.  

In this article, I’ll highlight: 

  • The foods you never want to feed your dog
  • What the research shows about feeding foods other than meat to canines
  • Tips on how to best prepare veggies to ensure easy digestion for your dog

Veronica and Coco

Are Vegetables Necessary For Dogs?

Not if you go according to mainstream advice. For instance, WebMD’s pet website, FETCH, says that if you purchase a brand of dog food that contains the seal of approval from the Association of American Feed Control Officials (or AAFCO), it means it offers a balanced diet.

But to me, that’s like saying if you purchase packaged human food from the supermarket that meets the criteria for the USDA Food Pyramid, it’s adequate for human consumption. And with the continuing rise in metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity, we all know how the federal government’s nutrition guidelines are working out for society….

The article on FETCH says that because all the nutrition dogs need is already in their food, you don’t have to worry about giving them vegetables to get a balanced meal.

But in my opinion, if I want Coconut to not just survive but thrive, Green Drink it is. Now considering he only weighs as much as a 2-liter bottle of soda, Coconut doesn’t need 16 ounces a day like I do. 

The fact is that dogs live such short lives. It’s one of my biggest beefs I have with the universe. Hopefully, with exercise and a little bit of Green Drink and other healthy food, Coconut will live to a ripe old age of 20 or so. 

veronica and coconut

Give Dogs These Veggies But Don’t Feed Them These…

Carrots, green beans and broccoli are some of the most popular veggies that dogs can safely eat. 

But by no means should you ever give your dogs the following:

  • Beans and other legumes
  • Potatoes

A research article published in the Journal of Animal Science says that in July 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned about a possible relationship between a heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs and the consumption of dog food formulated with potatoes and pulse ingredients. (Pulses are legumes like lentils.)

The popularity of feeding veggies to dogs has increased because of the same reason more people are eating organic human food. More and more dog owners have become conscious about the connection between the health of their pet and the quality of the food their pets eat. 

For instance, some of the questionable ingredients in dog food include wheat gluten, corn, grains like rice, meat by-products and preservatives. 

There are other ingredients that like beans and potatoes may seem harmless. But in reality, they can cause digestive upset or worse in dogs. These include:

  • Chocolate 
  • Citrus
  • Artificial sugars
  • Coconut oil (Sorry, Coconut, no coconut oil for you!) 
  • Grapes and raisins
  • Nuts
  • Milk, cheese and other dairy products
  • Onions 
  • Garlic (Your dog probably wouldn’t take onion or garlic from you anyway.) 


50% off Chef V Cleanse

Best Way To Give Veggies To Your Dog

According to the Journal of Animal Science, pet dogs have dietetically evolved much differently than their wild wolf ancestors. Whereas wild wolves consume a very high-protein diet, domesticated canines like my fluffball Coconut can much better metabolize carbs. The research article suggests that dogs consume a diet that’s about 30% protein. 

That means that there’s plenty of room to add veggies in your dogs diet. In fact, the research article’s co-authors say, “The inclusion of whole food ingredients in natural pet foods as opposed to the fractionated ingredients [in commercial pet food] may result in higher nutrient concentrations, including phytonutrients.”

The article adds, “The processing of commercial pet food can negatively impact digestibility, nutrient bioavailability, and safety….” 

But you shouldn’t just hand feed your dog a huge piece of raw broccoli or carrots. Even if your dog would eat raw veggies, chances are the food would pass mostly undigested. And perhaps your poor poochy would have an accident in your home because it’s not used to eating raw veggies. 

So the best way to give your dog a little dose of whole, unprocessed veggies is the same way I like eating my veggies: lightly steamed or pureed. 

Veronica, Brandon, and Coconut

Research On Feeding Veggies To Doggies

I found one interesting study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Society. It  looked at the effects of vegetable consumption and vitamin supplementation on the risk of developing bladder cancer. 

Sorry, Coconut. The dogs involved in the study weren’t toy maltipoo but Scottish Terriers. The owners of 92 adult scottish terriers with bladder cancer completed a questionnaire regarding their dogs’ diet and intake of vitamin supplements in the year prior to being diagnosed with cancer.  

Dogs who ate veggies three times a week—especially green leafy veggies—had the lowest associated risk of developing bladder cancer. 

I’ll drink Green Drink to that. 

And so will Coconut. 

Chef V and Coconut

Yoga for Beginners: What’s the best class to take?

Chef V

From Ashtanga to Yin Yoga and Hip Hop Cardio, there's dozens of different styles of yoga. Chef V has tons of experience practicing and teaching yoga. Here, she recommends the best types of yoga for beginners.

Many people know me as a chef, of course, as well as author and nutritional therapist. But I also have an extensive yoga background. In fact, I’m a certified yoga instructor.

Yoga is so good for you on so many different levels. It is one of the safest types of exercise you can suggest to family, and even the most out of shape friend can gently find a path to better health.

But many people who are new are overwhelmed with all the different types and dizzying amount of yoga information and classes and never take the healthy step and attend a class.

For you and yours, I have some advice….

Best Class for Absolute Beginners

Don’t know a downward dog from a cat/cow? Scared to bend and twist into a pretzel pose. No worries, there’s a yoga style that’s perfect for you. Many gyms like LA Fitness or your local YMCA offer gentle yoga classes. In a gentle yoga class, you won’t feel intimidated surrounded by hyper-flexible, rail-thin advanced yoginis.

Gentle classes are also great for advanced practitioners. Without doubt though, most people who take gentle yoga classes are beginners or those with physical limitations. The great thing about gentle classes is that you really don’t need to be an expert to feel like you’re getting a good workout.

That’s because when you focus on your breath, you can really move a lot of energy through your body. I’ve taken gentle classes and felt an out of this world experience at the end of the class. Your mind feels clear and your body tingles with great energy.

When you try poses that are too difficult, you have a tendency to not breath. That’s why it’s super important that you pick a gentle or introductory class so that you can focus on breathing steady, not on how deeply you can stretch into a pose.

Best Class for Athletic Beginners

Never taken a class but you can easily do 20 pushups followed by 20 jump jacks? Give a Vinyasa class a try. “Vinny” is usually a flow sequence, meaning that one pose logically progresses into another flow. With the exception of a few go-within meditative breathing breaks, a Vinny class is continuous. That’s why it’s not recommended if you’re really out of shape.

For some beginners, Vinny’s fast pace can be overwhelming. However, if you need a breather, nobody will judge you for taking a break. Simply rest in child’s pose (sit on your knees, with your knees hip-width apart and fold over stretching your arms). This is true of any class you choose.

Best Class for Emotional Recovery

Let’s say you just went through a rough break up. Or lost your job. Or something else traumatic. Any type of yoga can help you keep your center. But perhaps the best type of yoga for periods of extreme stress is a Restorative class.

In this rejuvenating class you hardly move. Instead, you use blankets, pillows, blocks and other props and stay in gentle poses for long periods of time. Remember I mentioned the parasympathetic nervous system? When you’re really stressed, you’re activating the opposite of your parasympathetic side, which is your sympathetic nervous system. Although sympathetic sounds nice, it’s not the sympathy you might be thinking about. On the contrary, your sympathetic nervous system is your flight or fight mechanisms. And when you’re going through a lot of turmoil, you don’t need more flight or fight. You need to rest and relax.

Best Class for Type A Personalities

One of the many health benefits of yoga is that this ancient discipline brings your life back into balance. But take a look at what many fast-paced, always on the go people do for exercise. Their exercise routines mirror their type A lifestyle. CrossFit, Mud Runs, intense spin classes, Iron Mans and other triathlons, etc….

Intense exercise is a form of stress. Stress is stress. Therefore, if your life is hectic, you need a Yin yoga for your Yang lifestyle. Try finding a class that’s moderately laid back and focuses on breathing. An introductory Hatha class will stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system. That’s your rest and digest operating system.

If you absolutely need a challenge, try an Ashtanga class. Theoretically, it might not be the best for a type A lifestyle but doing an athletic, advanced style of yoga is better than doing no yoga at all.

Best Yoga Class for Beginners: Conclusion

There are dozens of other types of classes. But these styles above have become very popular and there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find a class.

To your health,

Chef V

They Tried Organic Green Drink For 30 Days And Here’s What Happened

Chef V

green drink at pool

If you have Chef V’s Organic Green Drink everyday for breakfast for one month straight, what kind of results can you expect? 

Will Green Drink make that much of a difference in your overall health, energy and mood? Will you really notice a difference after just 30 days? 

After all, you’re American and in America, we want results fast. Find out what people are saying about incorporating Green Drink into their morning routine for 30 days…

Or you might be like Michael, (photo above) and lose 245 pounds!

weight loss success

READ MORE  about Pashelle's success

If you eat two fast food meals a day, will having an Organic Green Drink every morning instead of a typical breakfast help you drop lots of weight? Will it help you normalize your cholesterol levels and give you the endurance of an Olympic long-distance runner? 

Hey, I’m not a miracle worker. 

But after a decade of serving thousands of customers Organic Green Drink, I continue to be amazed by the transformation stories. 

And here’s the common theme:

weight loss success

When Chef V customers break their fast with a 16-ounce serving of Organic Green Drink and eat a sensible diet the rest of the day, combined with regular activity like yoga, walking and other forms of exercise, impressive health makeovers take place. 

And the amazing thing is that these impressive success stories occur within 30 days. Imagine struggling for years with health problems. You’ve tried everything, from fad diets to diet pills, but nothing worked. And if it did work, it was only temporary because as soon as you stopped with the extreme diet, you put the weight right back on. 

weight loss success

Check out K.I.'s heartwarming story –  READ MORE

weight loss success

weight loss success

7 Cold-Blended Organic Dark Leafy Greens Daily For 30 Days

But the amazing thing about the 30 Day Green Drink Challenge—it’s actually not a challenge because it’s so easy: just drink 1 a day! You don’t really have to change your lifestyle that much. 

True, if your diet is terrible to begin with, you’ll have to make some changes. But the good news is if that’s you, I’ll give you all the resources you need to prepare delicious, filling and satisfying meals at home when you choose your Green Drink Plan. 

But if your diet is pretty decent to begin with, you really don’t need to make any radical lifestyle changes in order to experience a very noticeable health transformation. Just replace breakfast with 16 oz. of Green Drink. You can have a protein shake with a plant-based milk after the Green Drink if you need more sustenance before your first meal of the day. 

That’s it. It’s that simple. 


success

above, Valerie's transformation READ MORE

So what can you expect if you make this one change for 30 days in a row? 

Lots of customers report having clearer skin, thicker hair and stronger nails.  

And way more energy. Instead of dragging in the morning and relying on multiple cups of coffee to wake up, Organic Green Drink fuels your cells with the nutrition they’ve been craving.

You also may notice your digestion has improved. And you can think more clearly. 

And here’s another awesome benefit. Instead of craving donuts in the morning and other foods with added sugars during the day, Organic Green Drink will help curb your cravings for empty calorie junk. 


success

above, Kortney lost 12 pounds in 5 days

“Every morning I wake up, I have my Chef V drink in the morning, it is absolutely awesome. I’d say in the last 4 weeks or so without even thinking about it (and I already eat a healthy diet) I’ve probably lost 20lbs…”

– John Allen Mollenhauer


Brynny

above, Brynny's Before and After with Green Drink

Not All Green Drinks Will Make You Feel Awesome

It seems that every neighborhood juice bar offers some kind of green veggie drink. But let the buyer beware because most veggie juices are loaded with added sugars. In fact, some popular juice brands have more sugar in their green juices than cola!

But each serving of Chef V Green Drink contains only 3 grams of sugar. When I first came up with the recipe for Green Drink, I felt guilty that there were even 3 grams. But the 3 grams are naturally-occurring and after I compared my recipe to supermarket brands, I could sleep comfortably at night knowing that 3 grams of sugar is way less than 30 or more grams. 

Plus, the 7 certified organic super greens are cold-blended. That means Green Drink has the fiber, vitamins and minerals you need to experience a noticeable transformation in as little as 30 days or even less. And here’s another reason you’ll notice the difference: Chef V Organic Green Drink contains beneficial bacteria for your gut. That’s something the big juice brands can’t claim because they destroy the good bacteria in the manufacturing process. 

A healthy gut is a healthier, leaner and happier you!

MacKenzie

above, MacKenzie's Before and after

weight loss success

Check out what happened to Angelica!
READ MORE

gut health

NIKKI

above,  Nikki's success READ MORE

Green Drink Transformation Timeline

I want you to look back on the last month. It flew by pretty quickly, right? Well, just imagine one month from now. Visualize your health goals. One month is nothing. I wish I could help you experience a radical transformation in just one day. I get being impatient. I’m the same way, too sometimes. 

But in fact, in as little as 3 days, you may notice some positive effects. You may notice a pep in your step and you’ll wake up feeling more energetic. And within two weeks, you may notice a significant improvement in how your skin looks and you may even start noticing that your pants fit looser. 

And just imagine that if you can feel that way within a couple weeks, how you’ll feel after 30 days or even a few months. Again, how quickly did the last 3 months go by? It seemed like just yesterday I bet. 

I can’t emphasize this enough. The best part is you don’t have to make any major sacrifices in order to experience a health transformation. All you have to do is have a Green Drink for breakfast and eat a sensible lunch and dinner. That’s it. 

Above, before and after with Green Drink

Rick's weight loss success

Above, Rick's results

CAREY'S SUCCESS

Get Free Stuff With A Green Drink Plan

I offer a 100% Money Back Happiness Guarantee when you sign up for a Green Drink Delivery  Plan. 

And with your order, you’ll get at no extra cost:

  • Chef V’s Eat This / Not That Guide
  • Top 5 Ways To Use Green Drink Guide
  • Chef V’s E-Recipe Book “Making Cleansing Easier”
  • Intermittent Fasting With Green Drink Guide
  • Top 5 Research-Backed Benefits Of Green Drink

success stories

Whitney has type 1 diabetes and uses Green Drink 

success stories

Chef V and kale

Better than Celery Juice for Headaches

Chef V

headaches and celery juice

A More Affordable And Less Messy Alternative to Celery Juice For Headaches

Some health trends come and go. And some stick around. A couple years after writing about the celery juice bandwagon here and here, it seems like going to the store and stocking up on stalks of fresh celery and making an absolute mess in your kitchen juicing it, shows no signs of slowing down. 

The reason why the celery juice trend is evergreen (no pun intended) is thanks to Anthony William, aka “The Medical Medium,” who I detailed in my article, “Celery Juice Part 1 – Miracle, Hype, or Both?”

The more I’ve read in The Medical Medium’s books, the more I am convinced that he is some sort of natural health savant. And the reason why I wanted to revisit the topic of celery juice is that many people are using it as of late to prevent or cure headaches. And keeping your electrolytes in balance is a better way to keep headaches away.

celery juice and headaches

What Causes Headaches?

You’re not normal if you don’t ever get headaches or migraines. But there’s the thing about these nuisances, which can actually be so intense, they become debilitating conditions…

Headaches and migraines might be common, but they are not normal. If your body is functioning in a state of homeostasis (perfect balance), it’s impossible to get a headache.

The Medical Medium says that there are many causes of headaches. 

That analysis doesn’t exactly make him a genius; almost everybody knows that. 

But there are a few root causes that William offers that your doctor won’t tell you about. Even a functional medicine doctor or naturopathic/alternative/holistic health practitioner may not be familiar with William’s explanations. 

One of the root causes of headaches, according to William, is neurotoxins caused by the shingles virus. Or more accurately, viruses. William claims there are more than 30 types of shingles (who knew?), which itself is caused by inflammation of three nerves in the body: phrenic, vagus, and trigeminal. 

Another reason headaches are a frequent occurrence these days isn’t just because stress has gotten worse. 

William says the reason headaches are common stems from toxic heavy metals in brain cells. Mercury and aluminum impede the brain’s circuitry flow. This inefficient electrical impulse firing causes the brain to heat up, which requires you to use more energy to process information: “How do I use this damn TIVO? Frickin’ A … my head is killing me.” 

Yet another cause of headaches William alludes to is no shocking revelation: dehydration. A lack of oxygen from “dirty blood” causes the liver to become sluggish, William says. Despite the popularity of keto diets, William says that high-fat diets, coupled with a sluggish liver lowers oxygen levels in vital organs such as the brain. 


shingles, celery juice, and headaches

Can Celery Juice Cure Headaches?

The Medical Medium doesn’t outright say that celery juice is a cure for headaches. If he did say that on his website, he would likely get a warning letter from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). But William—or his attorneys—is expert at dancing around health claims. The Medical Medium website has a disclaimer that’s over 300 words long, or six times longer than the preamble of the U.S. Constitution. 

“Drinking celery juice daily in the way I recommend … is so important for these health problems and so many other chronic illnesses and symptoms for these undiscovered reasons and many more,” William says. Notice he doesn’t say that celery juice can cure headaches or chronic diseases. If he could, he would, but he can’t so he smartly tiptoes around the health claim. 

But you have to be careful drinking celery juice. People tend to go overboard with things, even when it’s something healthy. Drinking a lot of celery juice, some people report, actually may cause headaches. How much is too much celery juice? It’s hard to say, but let’s just say several stalks a day may not keep the doctor away. 

Blending For Headaches

If you’re not stoked about how expensive celery juice has gotten (thanks in big part to The Medical Medium) and how messy it is, there’s a far easier solution. 

The Chef V Organic Green Drink Plan delivers directly to your front door a weekly supply of cold-blended juice, consisting of 7 leafy greens.

Imagine getting your daily dose of antioxidants and not having to go to the supermarket every other day and worrying about using all your produce before it goes bad. And just picture all the time and energy you’ll save by not having to wash your veggies, chop them up, blend them and clean them. 

And don’t get me started about cleaning your juicer after juicing celery! That itself will cause a headache!

Many juice cleanses are just high-sugar fruit juices in disguise. All that fructose spikes your blood sugar. And when your blood sugar levels are all over the place, guess what happens? 

That’s right, you get a headache!

But my Green Drink contains only 3 grams of naturally-occurring sugar per 8 oz. serving. 

So save yourself the headache of juicing celery everyday. Instead of supporting your health with just one veggie, get 7 nutrient-dense greens per serving. 

LEARN MORE

Chef V and kale

Dairy Free Recipes That Taste Sinfully Creamy & Cheesy

Chef V

Dairy free recipes don’t have to taste like they’re missing something. In fact, some of Chef V’s favorite meal creations are vegan recipes with delicious cheese substitutes such as nutritional yeast and cashews.

For some people, cheese is an essential ingredient for all things pasta and pizza. But I want to share with you some delicious dairy free recipes. Some of these meals I’ll share with you are actually vegan recipes.

Personally, I’m not vegan. Nor am I dairy free. I’ll eat a cheeseburger once in a very blue moon.

Before I share some of my favorite dairy free recipes and vegan recipes with you, allow me to elaborate on what I just said above. You see, my eating philosophy mirrors that of famous food writer Michael Pollan: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

In Pollan’s book “Food Rules,” he has some other advice I wholeheartedly agree with:

“If it’s a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don’t.”

“Don’t eat breakfast cereals that change the color of your milk.”

“It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car.” (The good news is you can enjoy delicious drive through vegan recipes if you’re in the San Diego area. Thanks to Plant Power Fast Food.)

I also agree with his last rule in Food Rules: “Break the rules once in awhile.” That’s why once in a very blue moon I’ll have a burger or steak. And that’s why if you’ve never tried dairy free recipes or vegan recipes, try breaking your rules of eating. And with the recipes I’m about to share with you, you won’t be disappointed!

Dairy Free Recipes for Pasta that are also Vegan Friendly

Who says you need real cheese in pasta? Dairy is one of the most inflammatory-promoting foods. And in the U.S., we consume way too much calcium from dairy. This is bad news for your bones. Although calcium is thought to be good for your bones, too much is very bad. In fact, the countries with the highest calcium consumption also have the highest rates of hip fractures and osteoporosis. The relationship is not a coincidence. Hopefully, this frightening fact provides motivation for you to try one of my favorite dairy free recipes, Mac & “Cheese“.

nutritional yeast

I have a couple other pasta dairy free recipes. If you’ve been following this blog, you may know my fondness for pumpkin recipes. One of them is a gluten-free, vegan-friendly pumpkin lasagna with faux ricotta. The ricotta is made from macadamia nuts. Speaking of nuts, how crazy is it that you can make nuts have a cheesy texture? (Thank you, Vitamix!) To be honest, about a decade ago, I don’t think I would have been able to be vegan. But now, with all these great recipes, it’s super easy. The best part is you don’t feel like you’re missing out. Even though the meals are lighter than their dairy counterparts.

Dairy free recipes and vegan recipes that taste amazing thanks to nutritional yeast

There’s one vegan and dairy-free ingredient in my sour cream you might not be familiar with: nutritional yeast.

I can’t do without nutritional yeast in my pantry. Now, I realize the name nutritional yeast might not sound appetizing (thanks to you, yeast infections!). But if you can get over the name and give it a try, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Nutritional yeast recipes have flourished over the years because of its uncanny ability to mimic the texture and taste of cheese.

One important nutritional yeast health benefits for vegans is its relatively high amount of vitamin B12. B12 is critical for your nerve cells. Nutritional yeast allows vegans to get their B12 requirements without getting a B12 injection. (But I recommend if you are vegan to get a blood test by your doctor to make sure your B12 is adequate.)

Other nutritional yeast health benefits include other vitamins and minerals. Aside from the B12 benefit, many people who use nutritional yeast probably don’t use it as a superfood; they do so because it helps dairy free recipes taste rich and nutty.

tiramisu

Dairy free recipes: Dessert

I can’t sign off of this blog post without giving you at least one dairy free recipe that also happens to be vegan. Warning: this dessert is decadent. But who says you have to feel guilty while eating decadently? With my Vegan Homemade Tiramisu, you don’t. You might be wondering, Chef V, what do you use for the mascarpone? Glad you asked! Surprise, surprise, I use nuts (cashews). For the lady fingers I use coconut oil.

Now look, if you don’t exercise, eat a bunch of chips (even if they are vegan and dairy-free) and several slices of my tiramisu, that’s not healthy either. But isn’t it nice to know that you can lead a balanced life and enjoy the finer things in life without sacrificing taste, texture and your health?

I have several more dairy free recipes and vegan recipes in my cookbook, Making Cleansing Easier.

Is It Safe For People With Type 1 Diabetes To Do A Cleanse?

Chef V

Diabetes and cleanse

Yes–If  You Have Support From “The Happy Pancreas” @happypancreas

For those with diabetes, having to constantly monitor blood sugar can be overwhelming. For people with no blood sugar issues, doing a cleanse is a great way to get rid of toxins that cause water weight retention. But are cleanses safe for those with diabetes? If you do one under the guidance of “The Happy Pancreas”, @happypancreas the answer is a resounding yes!

When I launched Chef V several years ago, my intention was to introduce an easy (and great-tasting) way for people to get their daily dose of nutrient-dense, disease-preventing veggies.

But I’ll admit, even as a certified nutritional therapist, I didn’t give much thought about the impact Chef V products would have on the 1.25 million people in this country that are living with type 1 diabetes.

After all, it’s easy to overlook Type 1 diabetes. In comparison to the 30-plus million people with type 2 diabetes, type 1 accounts for only 5% or so of this blood sugar disease.

If you are one of those with type 1 diabetes, I can only imagine how challenging it is managing this potentially-deadly condition. Having to constantly monitor your blood sugar levels is enough of a burden.

However, what if your belly is bloated, your skin isn’t radiant and healthy-looking and your energy is low—and you have type 1 diabetes? These problems affect most people. But the physical and emotional effects are magnified if you have to prick yourself with insulin everyday.

Those without diabetes can easily do a cleanse to reboot metabolism. But what about those living with type 1 diabetes? Is there a way to safely and effectively do a cleanse?

diabetes syringe and salad

Thanks to Whitney Lewis, a Chef V customer living with type 1 (make that, thriving!), it’s never been easier. To date, Whitney has successfully finished five Chef V cleanses. Inspired to make life easier for those with type 1, and to share her challenges living with the disease, Whitney created the blog, Happy Pancreas.

About 2 ½ years ago, Whitney was invited by a friend to do a cleanse. Along with her friend’s support, she was able to complete it. Whitney realize how important accountability and community were for people with type 1 diabetes.

I’ll tell you more about Whitney’s program in just a bit. But first, a little 411 is in order…

diabetes patch

What is Type 1 Diabetes?

Approximately 5 years ago, Whitney was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. If you’re not familiar with the disease or the difference between it, I’ll briefly fill you in.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. That means the body attacks itself. In the case of type 1 diabetes, the body’s immune system response leads to the inability of the cells in the pancreas to create the blood-sugar-controlling hormone, insulin.

Without insulin, sugar in the blood cannot reach the cells. Cells need glucose (sugar) to function properly. Without enough glucose, cells die. And when blood sugar levels fall too low, the function of the  brain, which depends almost entirely on glucose as a source of energy, can go haywire, causing, dizziness, confusion, and even coma and death in severe cases.

By comparison, type 2 diabetes, is mostly a lifestyle disease, resulting from eating too many foods rich in added sugars or refined carbohydrates (although genetics can also be a contributing factor in developing the disease.) Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 is not an autoimmune disease.

Some people think the cause of type 1 diabetes is sugar. However, the true cause is mostly genetic.

Additional Resources on Diabetes

Chef V Clinically Proven To Lower A1C Blood Sugar Levels

Is It Safe For People With Type 1 Diabetes To Do A Cleanse?

Chef V’s Perfect “Prescription” For Eating Healthy While Taking Ozempic

Can You Get Diabetes From Eating Too Much Sugar?

Understanding the Risk Factors of Diabetes

What’s It Like Living with Type 1 Diabetes? 

As Whitney says, this disease is a lot.

You have to constantly manage your blood sugar and be aware of everything you put in your body.

Every day, you have to manually inject insulin to keep blood sugar levels in a normal range—and to stay alive.

Type 1 diabetes is an incurable disease. But Whitney manages it with a tongue-in-cheek response, or more accurately, a hand-in-pocket solution: she carries a pancreas-shaped purse that contains her syringes and insulin.

lounging with Green Drink

Those with type 1 diabetes must monitor their blood sugar levels before meals and workouts, and other situations whenever the body would normally create insulin.

“Lots and lots of pokes every day … it’s not easy,” says Whitney, adding, “It can be extremely daunting…. With type 1 diabetes you must always be on and aware of your ever-changing (and sometimes dangerous) blood sugar levels. It throws a wrench in almost every ordinary situation and can often leave you feeling hindered and limited in trying things ‘normal’ people try.”

But Whitney’s type 1 diagnosis about 5 ½ years ago has led to a silver lining. Living with type 1 diabetes has led to a “passion and love for helping people with this autoimmune condition.”

Why Chef V Organic Green Drink Is Best For Type 1 Diabetes

Chef V Organic Green Drink, the foundation of the Cleanse/Detox programs I created, offer many nutritional benefits. As Whitney points out on her blog on type 1 diabetes, the biggest benefit is from the fiber in the Organic Green Drink. Whereas blended juices contain virtually no fiber, thus causing the juice to be absorbed into your bloodstream very quickly, leading to mood swings, energy loss, and extra stress when managing your diabetes, Chef V’s Organic Green Drink contains hardly any sugar. And super important, it contains the pulp (fiber) that’s necessary to keep blood sugar levels steady.

I’m both humbled and grateful that Whitney has chosen the Chef V Cleanse to help those living with type 1 diabetes reach their health goals.


Chef V

CBD and Anxiety: What Your Doctor Isn’t Telling You

Chef V

cbd oil

Don’t get me wrong, I love being an entrepreneur and helping coach aspiring lady business leaders….

But as I’ve mentioned before, owning a business isn’t all Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous.

In fact, despite all the yoga I do to manage stress, anxiety can still get the best of me; I’m only human.

So … I’ve been thinking about using CBD to chill out when work pressure starts bubbling up to the surface.

Recently, I wrote about the promising results of CBD on lowering inflammation.

I’ve also been reading lots of reports online about people using CBD to calm the nerves.

Being a certified nutrition therapist and research geek, I wanted to see if there were any studies that support claims that CBD for anxiety is legit.

Here’s what I found out….

cbd candy

How Do You Use CBD For Anxiety?

But before I go over some of the research, I wanted to share a few common questions people have about using CBD for anxiety.

“Will I get high if I use it? ”

The answer: maybe.

You see, CBD is just one of about 100 identified compounds in marijuana. But CBD is non-psychoactive. That means that unlike THC, the infamous compound in weed that gets you high, CBD doesn’t make you feel high. In fact, CBD counteracts the effects of THC.

Now the reason I answered ‘maybe’ to the question is that some tinctures (a therapeutic liquid made by dissolving a drug in alcohol) contain a mix of THC and CBD. As I said, CBD works in opposition to THC. But if you have a high ratio of THC in the tincture, it can make you feel loopy.

But you don’t need any THC in order to get the anxiety-relieving effects. Instead, just buy pure CBD oil.

Just make sure that you get CBD oil that comes from hemp, which contains almost no THC (no more than 0.3%; not nearly enough THC to get you stoned).

CBD oil is extracted from industrial hemp.

Although it’s a natural product, CBD has the same problem as pharmaceuticals when it comes to dosage: everybody is different. In other words, the standard serving size of 25 mg of CBD twice a day may affect people differently.

I’ll give you an example: while on vacation, I talked to someone who took the full recommended dosage of 5 drops to help him fall asleep. But the guy ended up getting insomnia.

So here’s the important lesson if you’re new to using CBD for anxiety: start small. If the recommended dose is 5 drops, start off by taking 2. If you don’t feel anything, increase to 3 drops the next day and so on.

There are several other ways to use CBD for anxiety: there’s vape pens; edibles and more. If and when I try CBD for the first time, I’m going to try a few drops of a pure CBD oil tincture. I think it’s much easier to experiment with a small dose with a tincture than, say, a gummy bear (which I may be tempted to eat several).

CBD and aanxiety

Does CBD For Anxiety Work?

Judging by the immense amount of people posting reviews and stories on the Internet, yes.

But I’ll only take that at face value.

Until I see some research showing some promise on it, I’ll remain skeptical.

That being said, however, keep a couple things in mind about the medicinal uses of CBD.

First, your doctor won’t prescribe it for you. At least not yet in most states. Doctors can only recommend it; they can’t write you a ‘scrip.

And second, unless your doctor is doing some reading on his/her own, he/she didn’t learn about CBD in med school. The endocannibidoid system (fatty chemicals that help cells communicate with each other), of which CBD helps activate, plays a huge effect on the body’s response to pain, inflammation, and, yes, anxiety. But the FDA doesn’t regulate dosage of CBD; instead, it’s treated like a dietary supplement.

I don’t need large research studies to convince me that something works. As long as there is at least some preliminary research offering proof, I’m down to give it a try.

And the research shows that CBD  does indeed have a calming effect on the central nervous system.

For instance, this retrospective study of 72 adults showed that anxiety scores decreased within the first month for 57 patients (79.2%). The anxiety remained lower during the study duration. The cherry on top is that the test subjects also slept better. Only 3 of the patients did not tolerate CBD well. All in all, CBD “may hold benefit for anxiety-related disorders,” conclude the researchers.

Preliminary studies (like this one) also show that CBD may be an excellent remedy for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).

And this research from way back in 2014 (seems like ancient times, right?) says:

“Evidence strongly supports CBD as a treatment for generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and PTSD….”

That’s a promising endorsement. I’m convinced CBD for anxiety can work. But….

cbd oil

Not All CBD is Equal

As is the case with all supplements not created equal–and Green Drinks, too–so it goes with CBD products.

I don’t feel comfortable recommending a particular brand of pure CBD oil because I’m not experienced with taking CBD for anxiety.

But I do know there are some things to consider before buying a product. If you don’t do your due diligence and research reputable brands, you may end up buying a product that contains very little CBD. So make sure the product you buy has 3rd-party, independent testing verification. If you live in a state in which pot is legal, you can visit a dispensary, where they will most likely carry a high-quality brand of pure CBD, instead of a snake oil.

Keep in mind some people believe a full-spectrum product is best. In other words, medical marijuana. Remember, CBD is just one of 100 compounds in cannabis. Similar to how getting antioxidants from whole foods is better for your health than merely relying on supplements, it might be better if you take something that has a rich portfolio of cannabis compounds, but one that is very low in THC.

CBD For Anxiety: Chef V’s Conclusion

I still think that to be on the safe side, pure CBD oil tincture is the way to go. Pure CBD is 100% legal in every state.

And if you’re taking any medication, please talk to your doctor to make sure there won’t be any drug interactions if you use CBD for anxiety.

Remember, this post is not intended as medical advice. While it’s doubtful your doctor would tell you to take CBD, I do think it’s better to be safe than sorry to at least ask your doctor if taking CBD is recommended, especially if your anxiety is serious.

If you’re going to try CBD, choose a product that’s GMO-free; pesticide-free; and extracted using CO2 technology.

To your health,

Chef V

Chef V and meditation

Homemade Oat Milk

Jean Yates

oats

Making your own homemade oat milk is SO easy! All you need is a blender (I prefer Vitamix), a nut milk bag or cheesecloth, raw oats, and filtered water. I soak the oats for 30 minutes to remove the dust or any mold from shipping and handling, which also improves the nutritional value. Then drain the oats and use fresh filtered water to blend. Cheese cloth is great because you get so much in one package, it’s so versatile, and you can use it on a million things (making nut cheese, poaching fish, nut milks, straining seeds from fruit, and lots more.) However, I bought a nut milk bag and it is so much faster and easier to use the nut milk bag.

I use oat milk in so many things. I cook with it any time a recipe calls for milk and no one can ever tell the difference. I also use it in my smoothies to make them creamy. You can add it to coffee or tea, cereal, or just have a refreshing glass with ice.

The milk will stay fresh about 3-5 days in the refrigerator. I keep them in mason jars, since each jar is about 2 cups and this recipe makes 4 cups. I use two jars so the milk stays fresher for use later in the week.

Once you try homemade oat milk it will be almost impossible to drink store-bought milk again, which is pumped with artificial crap to keep it fresh on the shelves. The sad part is that a typical consumer would have no idea about what is inside of store bought oat milk or that it’s actually bad for you. The toxic ingredients found in oat milk stress your immune system and weaken your health. The ingredients in commercial oat milk may include added sugars, high sodium, inflammatory oils, carrageenan and xanthan gum. But the worst thing about store-purchased oat milk is it usually doesn’t even contain much oats!

In light of this, I suggest making your own nutritious and delicious oat milk. And the great part is, it’s really easy!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup raw oats
  • 2 cups water, for soaking
  • 4 cups cold filtered water, for blending
  • High power blender (I prefer Vitamix)
  • Nut Milk Bag or Cheesecloth

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak the oats in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes. Drain the nuts and rinse. Blend 1 cup of oats and 4 cups of cold water on high for 2 minutes. Pour the oat mixture into the cheesecloth or nut milk bag. Squeeze out excess milk. Pour into mason jars or a milk jug. Save the leftover oat meal for future recipes.

You can do this by heating the oat meal at 170 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 hours. Make sure to mix the oat meal frequently while baking to dehydrate the water from making the milk. Use Chef V’s Oat Milk right away or store in an air tight container for 3-5 days.

You can add some oat milk to your Green Drink to make it a little creamy. Yum!

Fuller Lips: Simple Tips and Tricks for Luscious Puckers (Lip Yoga?)

Chef V

SIBO - snacking

Fuller lips … we can’t help but be mesmerized by the beauty of thick, erotic, sexy-looking lips. But no doubt you’ve seen the after-effects of plastic surgery for fuller lips look not so attractive. Chef V’s here to fill you in on how to fill your lips without undergoing the knife or getting expensive collagen injections.

I travel a lot for work, traveling from coast to coast. And one of my guilty pleasures is catching up on celebrity gossip on those long flights. Go ahead and judge me if you want. But I can’t always be reading research studies on nutrition and health. My mind would explode.

In my mission to help educate Chef V customers about health and beauty tips, I got one idea for an article. And, guilty as charged, I got the idea from a celebrity gossip magazine (which will remain nameless). The article featured the celebrities–both living and deceased–with the best lips.

Who was on the list, you’re dying to know? Christina Hendricks of Mad Men fame. And of course Marilyn Monroe and Angelina Jolie. Other celebrities with top puckers include Rihanna, Scarlett Johansson, and Jessica Alba, to name a few.

But these celebs’ lips are rarely natural. Typically, they’re surgically-enhanced. Sure, you can get collagen injection shots for several hundred bucks or more, every six months. And, you can also spend lots of money on skincare products. But the ingredients in most skin care products are toxic. (How can you tell if the brand you use contains safe ingredients? Check out the Environmental Working Group website.) Furthermore, you can buy lip volumizers and lip plumping devices.

However, if you don’t have more money than God like these celebs do and don’t want to get surgery (which always has a risk of complications), is there anything you can do to get fuller lips? Is there anything for fuller lips that isn’t just a gimmick?

fuller lips with collagen

Fuller Lips: Trick #1 – Lip Yoga

When I heard about the following facial exercises I’ll share with you, I was very skeptical. But let me just say it works. After doing these exercises for fuller lips, my lips were tingling for a long time. It actually feels like your lips are getting plumper after doing them. The first thing you need to do is make sure you’re hydrated. Even if you’re not sure if you are, go ahead right now and chug a glass of water.

Next, pretend you’re about to blow up a balloon. But don’t blow out. Keep about half your breath. In other words, blow your cheeks up halfway. Then, you’ll transfer the air inside your mouth from one cheek to another. Supposedly, the article I read that describes this exercise for fuller lips says this helps reduce fine lines around the mouth. Does research prove it works? Probably not. All I can say is I really felt the effects of these exercises for fuller lips. And for this first one, repeat it five times. That’s all it takes for your face to feel all tingly.

fuller lips

Fuller Lips: Trick #2 – Go Kiss Yourself

Another trick for fuller lips is by practicing blowing kisses to yourself. What better way to get fuller lips than by practicing some self love? It’s not necessary to kiss your hand and point your fingers, blowing the kiss away. All you need to do is pucker your lips and pretend kiss. Do this for a minute or more. Your lips will get hot and tingly again. Whether or not your lips will get bigger over time is uncertain. But what’s equally important is that your lips appear fuller.

Fuller Lips: Trick #3: Be Like Nemo

Another trick I learned that I want to share with you will make you look like a funny fish. Simply suck in the sides of your mouth and make a fish face. Now here’s where the lip yoga really comes in. The next step you can say is the equivalent of a downward dog/upward dog routine for your lips. While your lips are inverted puckered like a fish, lift your lips up. Hold this lip yoga posture for up to 10 seconds. Then do the reverse, bringing your lips down. Same thing, hold for up to 10 seconds. Try for 20 reps both up and down.

A couple other lip yoga tips and tricks that I got from the article (on Livestrong.com): open your mouth super wide. No, wider! Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat several times. And here’s another one: press your lips together super tight. Make a popping sound. Then, relax your lips. If you want fuller lips, repeat several times.

lip yoga

Fuller Lips: Trick #4: Take Collagen

Collagen is the structural protein in your lips that makes them sexy and pouty and plump. Imagine collagen like the skeleton of a skyscraper. Super strong, erect steel. In fact, the fibers in collagen are as strong as steel cables. The problem is that your collagen loses strength with the aging process and lifestyle factors. Taking an oral collagen supplement such as collagen peptide powder can help strengthen your own collagen. Thus, your lips will look luscious and fuller.

Diet, of course, is critical in keeping your skin looking healthy. Did you know that sugar connects itself to the collagen in your skin. And consequently, it causes your skin to stiffen. So try to cut down on added sugars. Also, besides collagen peptide powder, eat lots of veggies that help build your own collagen. The seven green veggies in Chef V Organic Green Drink are rich in vitamins and minerals that provide the essential building blocks for your collagen fibers to stay (or get) strong.

Here’s to your health and better, fuller lips!

Chef V and kale

Traveling With Kids

Jean Yates

Traveling With Kids

Traveling With Kids? These 5 Essentials Will Keep Your Kiddos (And You) Safe

Disclaimer: As the parent of a furry kid named Coconut, it might seem disingenuous for me to be writing about traveling with kids. However, a couple mommy friends of mine recently came back from overseas trips with their little ones (one family went to Ecuador, the other to Cancun). Unfortunately, in both families, the kiddos got sick. So it got me thinking, if I were a momma to a human kiddo, what would I do to protect them?

The answer: the same way I protect myself when I travel, regardless if I’m going away for a weekend or to the other side of the world. And the remedies and tricks I’m about to share with you are totally safe for kids.

If you’re traveling with kids, bring these essentials along….

Traveling With Kids

Probiotics

More and more people are aware of the importance of gut health. Your gut not only dictates the well-being of your digestion, it’s closely connected with your brain. In fact, the gut is often referred to as the second brain. If you have poor gut health, your won’t be as happy. That’s a fact!

Green leafy veggies, such as the 7 different kinds in my Organic Green Drink are great for feeding the good bacteria in the gut. However, the bad news is that there are so many different probiotic supplements, it’s hard to know which one to get.

So what does this fact have to do with traveling with kids? Here’s what….

Traveling With Kids

There is one particular kind of probiotic that’s an absolute must when you travel. You see, not any probiotic will do. Not even the one you use everyday that might be working great for you.

When you’re on a trip you need Saccharomyces Boulardii. Sounds like a mouthful, right? When you take a mouthful of this probiotic it’s the best thing to either prevent or treat diarrhea. As this article on a children’s hospital website says, “Saccharomyces boulardii is  effective in treating diarrhea in babies and children.”

A mainstream medical institution wouldn’t dare conclude that unless there was enough evidence to back it.

Any brand of S. Boulardii will do. It’s easy to take. You just take a couple capsules a day when you’re travelling. I like Jarrow formulas. Jarrow is a trusted brand.

S. Boulardii is the only probiotic that’s a yeast strain. All other probiotics are bacteria. This means that this special probiotic can help kill harmful fungi that your kids’ immune systems aren’t used to.

oregon grape root - Traveling With Kids

Oregon Grape Root

Sometimes you need to call in the big dogs (no offense to you, Coconut). If you’re Traveling With Kids to a developing country, S. Boulardii will protect you and your kids from travelers diarrhea. But if you develop something more serious like a stomach bug, Oregon grape root is the natural remedy you need. The medication, Cipro, is famous for treating stomach bugs. Oregon grape root is the natural equivalent.

Studies have shown that berberine, a compound in Oregon grape root, kills parasites like amoebae. It can also be used for treating giardia infections (which can be picked up by ingesting untreated water). OGP also kills harmful bacteria. And if you’re eating rich food that causes heartburn or indigestion, OGP can help with those conditions as well.

tea tree oil

Tea Tree Oil

Essential oils are Mother Nature’s first aid kit. There are lots of essential oils that have therapeutic benefits, but if I’m taking one specific oil with me that’s highly versatile, it’s gotta be tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is good to carry with you at all times when you’re traveling because God-forbid your kid gets a bad cut or wound, tea tree (also known as melaleuca) is great for wound healing.

The oil will help kill any harmful bacteria that may otherwise lead to an infection. There’s nothing wrong with taking regular antibiotics when you really need them. But you can also use tea tree oil for extra protection.

Plus, TTO is great for relieving itchiness from insect bites. Your kids will think you’re a hero for making them feel better!

sugar free lollipops

Traveling With Kids #5:
Sugar Free Lollipops

Besides being a somewhat healthy snack for kids while traveling, there’s a more specific benefit of carrying these with you.

Because kids have developing ear canals, they are more vulnerable for experiencing ear pain when flying. Especially when landing.

Licking on a lolly activates the muscles that open up the eustachian tubes in the middle ear. Another helpful thing for your kiddies when flying is earplugs. Filtered earplugs equalize the pressure against the eardrum when the plane lands (and during takeoff; usually, though, ear pain is more of a problem during the landing phase).

The company, EarPlanes, has plugs for both kids and adults.

And besides lollipops, you should stock up on healthy snacks before you go. Bring a carry-on suitcase full of them. You don’t know if where you are traveling will have healthy snacks for kids, especially if it’s a developing country.

I’m not including obvious essentials like a first aid kit, baby wipes, sippy cups and entertainment. I’m only including a few essentials here that aren’t common knowledge. But if you bring these with you, you’ll feel secure that should a bout of traveller’s belly or flying ear strikes you’ll be well prepared.

Happy, safe traveling!

P.S. My favorite TSA secret is that you can bring anything frozen through. So freeze your green drink overnight and bring it through TSA to your destination.

Chef V and kale

This 4th of July, Think About The Freedom To Eat Healthy

Chef V

veronica in field

The beginning of summer presents us with two holidays that reflect on freedom: Juneteenth, the federal holiday on June 19th that celebrates the emancipation of slaves in the US, and of course, the 4th of July. 

Although our nation is far from perfect, we are afforded freedoms that billions of people around the world don’t have. Unfortunately, part of living in a free society means that our choices of what we put in our bodies is heavily dictated by the marketplace. And the marketplace is overwhelmingly filled with highly-processed food, or in other words, junk. 

When only a handful of mega corporations control 99% of the food supply, it can be challenging for some people to find farm-to-fork food that’s grown without potentially-harmful pesticides, herbicides and other synthetic chemicals. 

But you do have the freedom to eat healthy. 

farmers market

You have the freedom to consume organic, green-leafy veggies. If you don’t feel like buying them from the store and chopping them up, you even have the freedom to have organic greens cold-blended and delivered to you in juice form. Out of the 195 countries in the world, you could probably count on one hand the number of countries that offer that kind of freedom and convenience. 

The consolidation of food has led to less choice when it comes to buying the most popular staples like bread and dairy. And in order to maximize profits, giant food conglomerates increase the output of crops, often at the expense of our health. 

Consider the use of the weed killer, glyphosate, which the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer labelled “probably carcinogenic to humans” in 2015. 

Six years later, however, the Environmental Protection Agency still allows the sale and use of glyphosate for crop production. 

The good news is that you have the freedom to eat organic, non-GMO, gluten-free products. 

Every single day, you should maintain a practice of gratitude, especially for having the freedom to eat whatever you want to and how much you want to. Nearly 9 percent of the world’s population is food insecure. That’s roughly 690 million people. And it’s not getting better; worldwide, hunger is on the rise.


Veronica yoga

But having the freedom to eat whatever you want, whenever you want can of course backfire, with serious health consequences. 

On this 4th of July, think about having the freedom not to eat whatever you want and whenever you want, but having the freedom to eat for gut health. 

A key factor in eating for gut health involves eating sparingly, no more than three times a day. Frequent snacking is a freedom. One that the government shouldn’t try to eliminate. But frequent snacking in my opinion isn’t a freedom, it’s an unnecessary indulgence that can cause a long laundry list of health problems such as SIBO. 

Thankfully, as of 2018, with passage of the Hemp Farm Act, you now have the freedom in all 50 states to consume cannabidiol (CBD), the non-intoxicating chemical in the hemp plant. Long overdue, the Hemp Farm Act removed CBD from the Drug Enforcement Agency’s list of schedule 1 controlled substances, the same class as LSD, ecstasy and marijuana. 

But did you know you have the freedom to eat foods that activate the body’s internal cannabinoid system? That’s the same system that’s activated by cannabinoids like CBD and THC, the main chemical in marijuana? The internal (or endo-) cannabinoid system helps the body get back to balance. 

smoothie table

All over the world, even in the most repressed societies, people enjoy a stiff adult beverage from time to time. Unfortunately, alcoholism is a worldwide concern, with over 3 million deaths worldwide attributed to alcohol abuse. That’s over 5 percent of all deaths caused by alcohol! But you have the freedom to mocktails instead of cocktails. Just as delicious without the potential for abuse. 

You also have the freedom to drink low-sugar smoothies and shakes. 

As the saying goes, freedom’s never free. While you may have to pay a little more for healthier food, in the long run, having the freedom to eat healthy is far less expensive than paying out of pocket for medical bills caused by unhealthy lifestyle choices. 

Chef V and kale

Let’s get Outdoors!

Jean Yates

Veronica and Coco hiking

Stress. It impacts everything we do these days. And it has never been more important to de-stress, to find ways to relax and enjoy the good things in life.

How do I keep my cool during these times? I treat myself – and you should treat yourself too. And the treat that makes me happiest this time of year is to get outside. Whether hiking in the Arizona desert or doing yoga on the beaches here in San Diego, getting outdoors is just about the best stress reliever we have in these turbulent times.

We recently moved from the east coast back to one of the most beautiful places on the planet: sunny, temperate San Diego, where I can go to the beach. Taking an early-morning beach walk, watching the dolphins surf the waves (while sipping Green Drink, natch) takes me from stressed to blissful. Brandon and I de-stress regularly with long walks.

Veronica at the beach

What the Experts Say

The New York Times recently interviewed Julia L. Marcus, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. She says: “I think going outside is important for health… We know that being outdoors is lower risk for infection than being indoors. On a sunny, beautiful weekend, I think going outside is indicated, but I also think there are things to do to reduce our risk.”

We all know by now to socially distance and wear a mask.  Just this week, the CDC has published guidelines for going to parks and recreation areas, greatly expanding the options for going mask free.

cdc new mask guidelines

Outdoors safer than indoors

It is now well established that COVID viruses are much more likely to spread indoors than outdoors.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s health officer says that “the risk that somebody who is sick spreads this virus from coughing or sneezing outside and you walk by them very quickly, even when it is within six feet, that risk is negligible…. We always say ‘never say never’ in medicine, but the risk would be infinitesimally small.”

She emphasizes an important part of our daily routines in these difficult times. She says “going for walks and spending time in parks is important for mental health.” I agree – stress is bad for your health. We need to stay sane and calm to stay well.

veronica and coco at the pool

We’ll get through this together

Times are tough and scary but you are not in this alone. You, my customers and friends, are a blessing in my life and I am so grateful to you. Your health and safety are constantly in my thoughts and I thank you for your patronage and friendship. Know that you are not alone, we are all figuring this out together. – Veronica

Making The Most Out Of Your Chef V Experience

Jean Yates

chef V cleanse

Despite the thousands of satisfied Chef V Cleanse customers and incredible transformation stories, we’re never going to have a 100% success rate. 

I realize that. But knowing that there’s somebody out there—even if they are the 1 in a thousand that doesn’t have an awesome experience—well, it sort of weighs on me a little bit. 

So if you’re thinking about doing a cleanse or just starting out, here are some tips on how to maximize your experience and undergo the health transformation you want to achieve. 

checking out Chef V cleanse ingredients

Cleanse For Success Tip #1: Set Realistic Expectations

How long has your diet been, well, let’s just say far from perfect? 

If you’ve been consuming lots of processed food for many years, you can’t expect miracles from a 5 Day Cleanse. Sure, you can lose up to 20 pounds in 5 days. 

But then what? 

Are you going to keep the results going? And if you’ve eaten unhealthy for years, is 5 days going to reset your metabolism? 

Maybe not. 

That’s why in order to keep your success going, you can’t go back to eating the same foods and drinks that cause a toxic metabolism in the first place. 

You have to keep the success going my sticking to my Organic Green Drink plan. The plan is simple really. All you have to do is replace a regular breakfast with an 8-16 oz. serving of Green Drink. 

Then, eat a sensible lunch and dinner with a healthy snack in between if you have to. Make sure you also give your body 12-16 hours in between your last bite of dinner and your first sip of Green Drink in the morning.

This intermittent fasting will help balance your blood sugar levels and improve detoxification.  

Everybody has different reactions to cleansing. For some people, the weight melts right off because the liver and gallbladder are in pretty good shape. These organs can filter out the bad stuff. 

But for other people, the liver and gallbladder are so sluggish that it may take more than 5 days to do the trick. 

Carrot curry soup in Chef V cleanse

Cleanse For Success Tip #2: Extend The Cleanse

If you’re not satisfied with your cleansing results, you may also need a healthy lifestyle education. That’s where 21 Day Detox comes in. 

Many people are straight-up addicted to sugar and think that doing a 1, 3 or even 5 day cleanse will cure all their troubles. This goes back to unrealistic expectations from above. But if your brain has been hijacked by sugar or salt addiction, it’s going to take longer than a 5 Day Cleanse to reset your taste buds. 

Three weeks will do the trick!I know 21 days sounds like an eternity. But think how quickly the last 3 weeks have gone by. And really, doing a 21 Day Detox is not that challenging, not when you have me as your guide.

I’ll provide you with healthy eating guides and wellness resources along with dozens of recipes to choose from. Plus, throughout the 21 Day Detox, you’ll get to eat delicious meals and snacks. It’s not a starvation diet; it’s a lifestyle adjustment and Green Drink remains the foundation of the program. 

But losing up to 40 pounds in just 21 days is not for everybody. 

Veronica and Brandon with green drink at the beach

Cleanse For Success Tip #3: Don’t Quit & Maintain Your Desire To Transform

You have to want it. You have to put in the work. It’s not that difficult. You just need to have some temporary will power in order to put the sugar genie back in the bottle. 

And if you can do it for just three weeks out of your life, you can live the rest of your life buzzing with natural energy. Your vibration will be higher. Your skin will look more youthful. In short, you’re going to feel amazing. 

Cleanse For Success Tip #3: Adjust The Taste To Your Liking

Some people who don’t get results from my cleanse complain about the taste of Green Drink, of which you get four 16-oz servings each day. Again, that’s because their taste buds have been corrupted by added sugars.

There are seven leafy green veggies in Organic Green Drink and nothing else except for a tiny bit of apple. That’s why there’s only a couple grams of natural sugar in each serving.

If you want to reset your toxic metabolism that has been making your fat cells bigger, one of the most important things you can do is resetting your taste buds. 

After resetting your taste buds, eating a handful of berries will taste amazing. You’ll be hooked on “Mother Nature’s candy” instead of empty-calorie food with added sugars. 

But you have to be realistic and give Green Drink a chance to exert its metabolic-rebooting potential. You can’t expect Green Drink to taste like a Slurpee. 

You can add liquid stevia drops to Green Drink to add some natural sweetness to it without raising your blood sugar levels. 

Do you want to know the absolute best way to reset your taste buds and conquer a toxic metabolism? 

Your 100% Happiness Is My #1 Concern

I know it sounds cheesy… (Speaking of cheese, if you’re eating a lot of it and want to transform your metabolism, give it up as much as you can after your cleanse is over!)

But it’s true. I’m obsessive about customer satisfaction. 

Remember, we’re not perfect. Sometimes shipping errors occur. And sometimes the problems are out of our hands (maybe the UPS delivery person screwed up). But I promise you we will do everything in our power to make it right for you. 

I appreciate every bit of customer feedback we get. We must be doing something right when it’s 99% positive feedback. But I always strive for perfection. Maybe that’s a fault who knows. All I do know is that I want you set up for the biggest chance of success possible!

Love, 

Chef V

Veronica and Coco with Cleanse ingredients

How To Do A Juice Cleanse

Chef V

juice cleanse

WARNING: THINKING ABOUT DOING A JUICE CLEANSE? BEFORE FORKING OVER YOUR HARD-EARNED CASH, LEARN HOW TO DO A JUICE CLEANSE THE EASIEST, MOST AFFORDABLE, HEALTHIEST, SANEST AND SATISFYING WAY POSSIBLE SO YOU CAN BANISH CRAVINGS FOR JUNK FOOD ONCE AND FOR ALL!

making green drink

YOUR JUICE CLEANSE STARTS NOW!

Stop! Don’t click the buy now button on a juice cleanse just yet. Before you spend $100, $200 or more on a juice cleanse, take just a few minutes of your precious time to learn how to do a juice cleanse “successfully.”

What does successfully mean? It means that you get through the juice cleanse with no detox symptoms; you experience no cravings, especially for unhealthy snacks; and, you’ll be empowered to eat healthy long after the juice cleanse is over. You’ll have both the knowledge and motivation to stick to healthy eating habits. Moreover, a successful cleanse will reset your taste buds so that even a tiny morsel of junk food will taste disgusting to you!

You have tons of options when spending money on a juice cleanse. Without doubt, not all juice cleanses are the same. In fact, many juice cleanses are detrimental to your health. But the problem is, many people who buy a juice cleanse don’t do their research.

Instead, many people purchase a juice cleanse online almost as if it’s an impulse buy. Kind of like buying mints or chocolate or gum at the supermarket checkout line. However, a tin of mints costs only a few bucks, not a few hundred.

Perhaps It’s no surprise then that many online juice cleanse reviews read like these real ones:

“day TWO and I now can’t drink it – it is so SOUR / tainted like rusty nail I can’t drink it. A WASTE of $100.00…”

“I’ve done a few juice cleanses and this one is not very good at all. I wouldn’t waste your money on it.”

“Awful. Tastes terrible and made me incredibly sick.”

“Waste of my time and money. This all had way too much sugar in it to be a cleanse.”

“WORST JUICE EVER!!!”

“I’ve never craved for solid food so much.”

“Don’t believe the hype because that’s all it is. They taste awful are super expensive and I found a piece of plastic in my juice.”


juice cleanse experience

HOW TO DO A 1, 3, or 5 DAY JUICE CLEANSE SUCCESSFULLY WITHOUT EXPERIENCING DETOX SYMPTOMS & CRAVINGS

Want your juice cleanse to be a 5-star experience—like these 500 5-star reviews— and not an epic fail like the reviews above? 

Then take a quick peek at these TOP 5 MUST-HAVES FOR A HEALTHY JUICE CLEANSE:

  1. ORGANIC: All ingredients in the juice cleanse must be organic. You’re going to have a much more difficult time detoxing and losing weight if the juice contains pesticides. Only organic juice cleanses will really help your liver purge toxins that are responsible for weight gain and skin problems.
  2. BLENDED VEGGIES, NOT JUICED: Any juice cleanse (even an organic juice cleanse) that’s mostly fruit juice is a waste of your money and bad for your health. The massive amounts of fruit sugar will cause cravings for junk food because of unsteady blood sugar levels. In fact, a juice cleanse shouldn’t actually consist of juice at all! Instead, it should contain blended green, leafy vegetables. In other words, it should be an Organic Green Drink containing the planet’s most detoxifying and nutritious veggies that just happen to taste great blended. (Learn more about the difference between blended and juiced here.)
  3. FIBER: Blended green leafy veggies are infinitely better for your health because they contain fiber. Fiber is a must-have for a successful organic juice cleanse. That’s because fiber helps you go #2. You can’t detox if you don’t poop. And you won’t poop if your cleanse juice doesn’t contain fiber. Unfortunately, many people who spend lots of money on cleanse juice end up feeling miserable because they are constipated. Also, fiber helps you feel full. Without fiber, you’ll be way more tempted by cravings for junk snacks.
  4. PROTEIN: The majority of juice cleanses (again, even organic juice cleanses) do not contain nearly enough protein. Even going as little as 3 days without enough protein will start wasting away your muscle tissue. Your hair may feel like straw and your nails brittle. Fruits and veggies contain very little protein. Definitely not enough to support your body’s lean muscle. In light of this fact, you need an organic juice cleanse that contains ample protein. Maybe not a T-bone steak’s worth, but sufficient to boost metabolism.
  5. Pre- & Post-Cleanse Guidance: In order for you to have a 5-star organic juice cleanse experience, you need to know exactly what to eat and drink and what not to eat and drink—not only during the cleanse, but well before and after. It may come as a shock that there are some people whose first meal after a cleanse is over is a bacon cheeseburger with fries. But who can blame them if they’re not informed…. It’s easy to think how somebody can get duped into thinking “Oh, I’ll lose 10 pounds doing a juice cleanse and I’ll be so much healthier when it’s over,” only to resume their unhealthy eating habits.

 

How The Nation’s #1 Juice Cleanse Delivery Company Blows Away The Competition & Will Leave You Feeling Slimmer With Healthier Looking Skin, AND More Energetic, Focused & Empowered To Stick With Smart Eating Habits For Good!

doing a cleanse

The reason why over 10,000 people have chosen ChefV.com for their juice cleanse is we offer so much more than juice (really, they’re Organic Green Drinks). We are the only cleanse that includes Organic Green Drinks, Organic Vegan Protein Shakes & Detox Soup.

The Organic Green Drinks & Protein Shakes gives you all the nutritional support you need to experience an easy, satisfying, and successful cleanse.

Each day, on a ChefV.com Cleanse, you’ll enjoy:

  • Four (4) 16 oz Organic Green Drinks:
    The yummy green drinks cleanse vital organs and rid harmful toxins from the body without the discomfort of other juice cleanses. Cold-blended to preserve nutrient density, Organic Green Drinks consist of 7 of the most detoxifying leafy greens on the planet, all certified organic: green kale, black kale, collard greens, dandelion greens, green chard, curly parsley and green leaf lettuce. The Organic Green Drinks are sweetened with a tiny bit of apple to satisfy your taste buds.
  • Two (2) 16 oz Organic Protein Shakes:
    Maintaining lean muscle is critical for juice cleanse success. But a protein shake is no good unless it tastes great and is easy to absorb. The 20 grams of vegan-friendly pea protein powder is super easy to digest and won’t leave you with that chalky taste and bloated feeling characteristic of many other protein powders. This raw, whole food protein shake is delicious and contains all nine essential amino acids to keep you going strong all day.
  • 1 Detox Soup:
    Enjoy a 16 oz “SOUPer Detox” to end each day with a warm, delicious meal that flushes your vital organs and leaves you satisfied. This flavorful soup is packed with local, organic ingredients that may help detoxify your body. Not only does Detox Soup taste great, it’s extremely nourishing, containing some of the most therapeutic nutrients on the planet, such as turmeric and ginger. On each day of your cleanse, you’ll get either Ginger Carrot or Sweet Potato Curry Soup. All soups are vegan-friendly.


Chef V's cleanse

THE CHEF V JUICE CLEANSE DIFFERENCE

Can you see why and how the ChefV.com cleanse is different than every single other cleanse you’ve ever come across? No other 1, 3, or 5 day juice cleanse on the market is organic, delivers fresh to your home and offers Green Drinks, Protein Shakes, Detox Soups and Detox Tea, along with giving you step by step instructions on how to do a juice cleanse with success. 

It’s for these reasons that hundreds of people who have completed a Chef V juice cleanse have written a 5-star review.

Here are just a few:

“Absolutely loved the cleansing process and the products itself ! I’m a seasoned cleanser/detoxer and a certified Health Coach. I must say that Chef V’s system is a breeze and actually healthier compared to others of similar systems in certain aspects. Chef V’s cleanse/detox programs are healthy, effective, simple, straight to the point, enjoyable, and actually affordable (for what your getting compared to others). All of that without sacrificing quality! They also offer several levels/packages and options according to your experience level and needs (which not many brands do).”

Anaya M.

– Anaya M., Brooklyn, NY


“Still going strong by using these products!!! I just completed a 3 day cleanse in order to get ready for another 21 day cleanse challenge, and again I feel energized, light, and super glowing! Even after only the quick and easy 3 day cleanse I LOST A TOTAL OF 9lbs!!! I’ve kept it off too. CHECK OUT MY PROGRESS PIC THIS TIME AROUND FROM THE 3-DAY CLEANSE!”

Photo of Chef V - San Marcos, CA, United States
– Rick M., Studio City, CA


“The most delicious green drink you have ever tasted! I found this company through my best friend. She swears by it and always has it in her fridge. So, of course I had to get in on a good thing! 

The green drink and the cleanses are down right amazing. The cook book also gives great options for cooking at home. Chef V making getting healthy nutrition as easy as opening your fridge and pouring into the glass. Love it!”


– Alyse P., Burlingame, CA


Chef V cleanse plans


Ready to get started on a juice cleanse … but don’t know which plan to choose?

It’s simple…

Choose a Chef V Organic Juice Cleanse That’s Right For You


NEWBIE: 3-DAY CLEANSE
Never done a juice cleanse? No problem. Start with our 3 Day Juice Cleanse. This is our most popular organic juice detox for quick weight loss. You’ll receive easy-to-follow pre- and post-cleanse guidelines. How much weight can you lose? How does 5-15 pounds sound? And even if you eat junk food and drink coffee, you can easily do a 3 Day Cleanse. In fact, many people, like Alice, with no previous cleanse or detox program experience say they didn’t miss their coffee at all:

“Lost 6.5 lbs & my skin cleared up”

“Originally I thought I couldn’t do it because I love to eat junk food and drink coffee. Well I just finished my 3 day cleanse and I feel great! I lost 6.5 lbs and my skin cleared up. I did the cleanse with no problem and barely felt hungry the whole time. I would recommend that everyone do a cleanse at least once. This was my first cleanse and I’m glad that I did the research on Chef V because it was the right choice. The green drink was tasty and kept me energized. I was surprised that I didn’t need my daily coffee. I think that I will drink a lot less coffee.”

Alice
– Alice, USA


INTERMEDIATE: 5-DAY CLEANSE
If you have done a cleanse or detox program before but it’s been a while, our 5 Day Cleanse is perfect for you. This safe, highly affordable and enjoyable program may help you lose up to 20 pounds in just 5 days when you follow the easy guidelines. Five days might sound like a lot for some people. But with the Green Drinks, Protein Shakes, Detox Soups and Detox Tea you won’t feel famished or give in to temptations. 

“Healthier, energized & I crave the green drink!”

“The Chef V cleanse definitely gets my stamp of approval. My first cleanse was the 5-day and I have never done a cleanse before. I won’t lie: it was hard. I eat a lot of solid food and just drinking liquids is normally not my thing. I feel healthier, energized, and actually crave the green drink. It’s a super green, healthy drink and chances are your body isn’t used to getting so much of it. A cleanse isn’t just about losing weight, it’s about inputting good nutritious foods into your system so that your body and mind will thank you. But I did end up losing 6 pounds, from 128 to 122 which is a nice bonus!”


– Gloria, USA

“lost 13 pounds & feel better”

“I decided to do the cleanse after two of my friends showed me their fantastic results from Chef V’s cleanse! I bought the 5 day and started ASAP. Overall, I lost 13 pounds with the cleanse (was originally 130) and I feel so much better! I recommended the cleanse to a friend of mine after showing her my results and she also lost 10 pounds. In conclusion, if you’re trying to find a way to lose weight, try Chef V’s organic cleanse. You won’t be disappointed! Thanks Chef V!”


– Marlyn, USA

HOW TO ENHANCE YOUR ORGANIC CLEANSE

These simple (and sometimes luxurious) detox treatments can enhance your cleanse, leading to more weight loss, detoxification and relaxation.

  • Massage: Getting a massage releases metabolic waste from your tissues and improves your blood circulation. If you have the money, a monthly massage is great for detox. Try to get a massage a day or two before your cleanse.
  • Sauna: Byproducts of metabolism seep out your sweat pores in a sauna. This dietary waste includes lactic acid and uric acid. Your body also stores fat in the toxins, which a sauna can help purge.
  • Steam: Sitting in a steam room opens your mucous membranes. This is a great thing if you have congestion. Steam rooms and a Chef V cleanse are a powerful detoxing duo.
  • Facials: your skin is the largest organ in the body. And when you have skin problems, it’s really a mirror of what’s going on in your body. Some toxins are able to escape through the skin. For example, bad bacteria that seep out your pores can manifest as acne or blackheads. Facials can help eliminate the bad bacteria.
  • Colon Hydrotherapy: OK, so having a tube inserted up your backside might not be your idea of a glamorous spa treatment. But colon hydrotherapy is essential for detoxing, especially if you don’t poop regularly.
  • Yoga: A gentle, yoga class is a healthy and spiritual way to enhance your cleanse. But during your cleanse, take it easy. In addition to gentle yoga, go for walks or do other forms of low-impact, low-intensity movement. Wait a few days until your cleanse is over before exercising at high-intensity again.

HOW TO DO A CLEANSE: WHAT TO EAT

We’ll give you exact instructions on what you’ll need to do in the days before your cleanse begins. However, if you want a sneak peek, here goes:

PRE- & POST-CLEANSE TIPS FOR SUCCESS

Pre-Cleanse

  • Before you get started, take two days before AND after your cleanse to eat only the recommended foods below. This will help decrease your detox symptoms and help you ease into and out of the cleanse.
EAT THIS           NOT THIS     
Fruits & Vegetables
Unsweetened fresh or frozen whole fruits, fresh squeezed fruit juices, sea vegetables (seaweeds), avocados, olives, and raw, steamed, sautéed, juiced, or roasted vegetables
Oranges, orange juice, grapefruit, bananas, strawberries, grapes, corn, creamed vegetables, nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes)
Dairy Substitutes
Hemp, rice, and nut milks (such as almond, hazelnut, walnut, etc.) and coconut milk, coconut oil/butter
Dairy and eggs: including milk, cheese, cottage cheese, cream, yogurt, butter, ice cream, non-dairy creamers, ghee
Non-Gluten Grains & Starch
Brown, red, black and wild rice, millet, amaranth, teff, tapioca, buckwheat, quinoa
White rice, wheat, corn, barley, spelt, kamut, rye, triticale, oats (even gluten-free)
Animal Protein
Fresh or water-packed, cold-water fish (trout, salmon, halibut, tuna, mackerel, sardines, pike, kippers), wild game (rabbit, pheasant, bison, venison, elk, etc.), lamb, duck, organic chicken and turkey
Pork (bacon), beef, veal, sausage, cold cuts, canned meats, frankfurters (hot dogs), shellfish, any raw meats or fish
Vegetable Protein
Split peas, lentils, legumes, bee pollen, spirulina, and blue-green algae
Soybean products (soy sauce, soybean oil in processed foods)
Nuts & Seeds
Hemp, sesame, pumpkin, & sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, walnuts, cashews, macadamia, pistachios, brazil, nut and seed butters such as almond or tahini
Peanuts & peanut butter
Oils

Cold-pressed olive, flax, safflower, sesame, almond, sunflower, walnut, pumpkin, coconut
Butter, margarine, shortening, processed oils, canola oil, salad dressings, mayonnaise, spreads
Drinks
Filtered water, green, white or herbal tea, seltzer or mineral water, Yerba Mate, coconut water, green drink
Alcohol, coffee, caffeinated beverages, soda pop, soft drinks, fruit juice (unless fresh pressed)
Sweeteners
Stevia, coconut nectar
Refined sugar, white/brown sugars, maple syrup, high fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, Splenda®, Equal®, Sweet’N Low®, juice concentrate, agave nectar, brown rice syrup
Condiments
Vinegar, all spices, all herbs, sea salt, black pepper, stone-ground mustard, miso, coconut liquid aminos, wheat-free tamari and nama shoyu, unsweetened whole fruit jam
Regular chocolate (with dairy and sugar), ketchup, relish, chutney, traditional soy sauce, barbecue sauce, teriyaki, breath mints
Post-Cleanse
  • Drink 16oz of Green Drink first thing every morning. Continue for at least two days eating the pre- cleanse food to ease you back into a healthy diet. Keep it Going!

HOW TO DO A JUICE CLEANSE: DO IT WITH A FRIEND

Friends help each other stay accountable. It’s much easier to do a cleanse if you’ve got a good friend to help keep you in check. Craving ice cream while doing a cleanse? Your friend can slap some sense into you. Not literally. That wouldn’t be nice of your friend to slap you. But a good friend will help you realize that instant gratifications are false friends. The good news is you won’t want ice cream on a ChefV.com cleanse. That’s because we’ll provide you with all the yummy Green Drinks, Protein Shakes, and Detox Soups you need to avoid cravings. 

Even if you don’t have a friend to do a Juice Cleanse with, consider us your friend. We’ll hold your hand every step of the way.  REMEMBER: In order to lose weight easily and learn how to keep it off for good, you need a Chef V Organic Cleanse, not just any standard juice cleanse!  And if you have any questions before DAY 1 of your cleanse, do not hesitate to reach out to us. 

Good luck on your cleanse! 

(You really won’t need any luck because we make it really easy for you!)

Chef V, Coco and kale

© 2021 Chef V, LLC.