Tough Cookie Podcast – Episode 12 – Eating for Wellness with Suzanne Landry, Chef and Cookbook Author

Food is healing.

Our country spends more on healthcare than most of the world.

Size of the protein that I make is much smaller than what the standard American diet would recommend.

When I’m eating a calcium rich diet, I don’t miss dairy. I don’t need it.

If I am craving calcium, I better get my butt in the kitchen and make some kale! And then I don’t crave dairy anymore.

When I don’t quench my thirst with plain water, I add lemon, because of the potassium in it… it helps balance out the sodium in the food you’ve eaten.

You can’t live without water for 3-4 days. Salt is right behind that, it’s a major mineral in the body.

For conventional produce, they actually harvest actually strips the top 3-4 inches of the soil – the top 4 inches is the most important part of the soil for minerals and microorganisms. They strip the soil of the 45 trace minerals and in conventional farming only add back in three: Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. I think that when people are craving salty foods, it isn’t the salt so much as it is the other minerals (like himalayan salt and sea vegetables).

When I started vegan cooking, I got lit up about all the possibilities in food and seasonings and spices.

Animal protein is very acidic, so you always want to balance with at least 4-5 times more alkalizing food when you have that steak. The problem is when you serve a 6 oz steak and you don’t make sure you have a salad first or vegetables with it, your body will be satisfied with that protein and you won’t eat the vegetables.

Sea vegetables is alkalizing. Anything higher in minerals is alkalizing and anything high in vitamins, a little bit more acidifying. Vegetables and fruit for example, vegetables are higher in minerals, and fruit is higher in more vitamins but also in sugar. A kale will have vitamin c in it, but more alkalizing then an orange.

Protein in latin means “of first importance” it’s the basis for cells and hormones and makes up the structure in the bones, so yes it’s essential.

So when we switched to vegan it was actually better for the kids because I started baking more – you have to. The packaged food is too expensive and not very good.

1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in 4 ounces water will help with heartburn! Darlene’s going to try it. (update: it works!)