Take Charge with Chef AJ
Nov 08, 2019
Welcome to Take Charge!, a series of interviews with some of our favorite health and wellness thought leaders. Each post features advice on topics like longevity, nutrition, exercise, and physical optimization. You'll also receive guidance on how to follow through with your goals and work through feelings of fear and doubt. Plus, we compiled the best tips in this free ebook - click here to download it.
Today we're featuring Chef AJ, the author of Unprocessed, the bestselling The Secrets To Ultimate Weight Loss and the upcoming A Date with Dessert. She was the Executive Vegan Pastry Chef at Sante Restaurant and famous for her gluten, sugar, oil and salt-free desserts. She is the host of Healthy Living with Chef AJ which airs on Foody TV and the creator of The Ultimate Weight Loss Program and Feel Fabulous Over Forty and the host of The Real Truth About Weight Loss Summit. In 2018 she was inducted into the Vegetarian Hall of Fame and is proud to say that her IQ is higher than her cholesterol.
Whitney first met Chef AJ in 2011 when she attended one of the chef's cooking classes. Over the years they have crossed paths through many mutual friends and Whitney has tried several of her salt, oil, and sugar-free recipes (check out one in this video demo).
Jason has shared the stage with AJ for the past several years at Remedy Food Events in Toronto, Atlanta, South Carolina and Washington State. Her energy with a live crowd is totally infectious and she definitely knows how to entertain as a former standup comedian (she was actually on the Johnny Carson show in the 1980s!)
This interview series felt like the perfect time opportunity to receive Chef AJ's perspective on topics like eating well, following through on health goals, navigating stress and monetizing your skills. We gave her a few prompts and she had some excellent responses that we're excited to share with you.
Chef AJ's Tips on How To Take Charge Of Your Life:
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Eating a plant exclusive diet is Chef AJ's number one piece of health advice. She says, "I eat only PLANTS to fit into my pants and I have done so for over 42 years. No animal products and no processed food whatsoever is the secret," which applies to weight loss as well.
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When it comes to following through on health goals, Chef AJ finds the key is having an environment that supports you. You can't be healthy and well in the same environment that made you fat and sick. If it's in your house, it's in your mouth. Always be prepared. Preparation trumps motivation so always have healthy food prepared and with you wherever you go.
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Chef AJ has simple, straightforward advice for handling stress: BREATHE!!! She also suggests, "Do Yin or Restorative yoga and pet your pup. If you don't have a pet adopt one from the shelter. They are the best stress relievers known to humankind."
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"By eating an UNPROCESSED, plant exclusive diet free of all animal products, processed food and chemicals like sugar, oil, salt, flour, caffeine, nicotine, and tobacco" you set yourself up for achieving peak physical condition that is sustainable and healthy.
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When we asked Chef AJ about monetization she responded: "Only do for a fee what you would do for free. Spend all the time necessary to become an expert. Never do anything just for the money, it will always bite you in the ass."
- Travel isn't Chef AJ's favorite thing to do. In fact, she says, "I HATE travel. Like Dorothy in The Wizard of OZ, there's no place like home. If you love your home and where you live, why go anywhere else?"
Want more tips to help you take charge of your life?
Click here to receive a free ebook with advice from health and wellness thought leaders who want to help you thrive. Uplevel and get more consistent with a balanced diet, impactful fitness routine, and positive mental health practices. Find the motivation to achieve your goals and release feelings of doubt, fear, stress, and anxiety. Gain clarity, a sense of purpose and the drive to follow through so you can take charge of your life like never before!
Get more from Chef AJ on her website, Instagram, Facebook page, Twitter, and YouTube channel.
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