Best Lifestyle Reading Guide | Amie Valpone | The Healthy Apple

Ashley Koff Interview

Amie — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:00:42 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to speak with the famous Ashley Koff, who is an incredibly talented RD out in California. Ashley runs her own business where she sees patients, teaches and also consults with companies, helping make ‘Nutrition for Optimal Health and Way of Life For All.’ Ashley was truly a delight to speak with and she shared so much of her incredible knowledge for nutrition, food, products and life in general. Below, Ashley answers some questions about her thriving business, her day-to-day schedule and her inspirations.

How did you come up with the idea for your business?

It was really a convergence of several different experiences. I worked in advertising for a major ad agency after college and my client was a global food marketer. Part of what I learned was that the logos on the packaging were often paid for – sometimes they cost a lot – and that seemed like a conflict to me for consumers who thought a product had “earned” a certain stamp. Other experiences included my work with clients, teaching healthcare practitioners, and being a resource for the media – I realized that they all were asking me different versions of the same question – “What products should I buy / can I trust.” So I decided to “approve” products by researching them (their ingredients, marketing messages, their sourcing and business practices), where I was not / am not paid for the approval, so that all these different groups could know what I believe to be the better options.

Tell me about your typical day as the Ashley Koff.

There’s no such thing. I am writing this on a plane to Australia to see chia seeds being harvested and yesterday I was in Beverly Hills seeing a few patients before I did a video on the set of HBO’s Big Love showing which AKA products (and why) we brought in as part of the “AKA Craft Services Makeover” project and I also reviewed notes from a chapter in my upcoming book (Fully Charged: A 3 Step Guide for Mom Energy) and spoke with a producer and physician about possibly being involved with their new television show. The day before that I was in NYC for Good Morning America Health and dining at my favorite Blue Hill. Life is anything but typical – and I’m grateful for that.

What was your inspiration for starting your own company?

I’ve started lots of companies in my life. My kid’s camp that I created for my fellow neighborhood kids when I was 10 probably inspired me because I got to a) hang out with friends, b) come up with different projects, and c) make money. In terms of inspirations for starting my own company as a dietitian? I think that had a lot to do with not being able to commit to working in anyone area – I have had so many different consulting projects that I didn’t want to have to choose – so I created a company that would let me do different things all the time.

What is your favorite recipe?

I’m not a recipe follower – and even the ones in my cookbook I change every time I make them.

What is your favorite meal to cook (and eat)?

This question and the next are like choosing between your children or family members or picking a favorite song. Can’t do it because it is so mood dependent – I love steaming broccoli and preparing it with hot sauce and hemp seeds…but I also love making a sustainable seafood paella… and then there are the nectarines or white peaches that I stuff with my spiced nut mix… and I love making creative salads… no way, can’t choose

What is your favorite restaurant?

See above – it would be so hard to pick a favorite. But in Venice it’s Axe or Shima, in Culver City it’s Akasha or Tender Greens, in Beverly Hills it’s Ammo or Lucques or Urth Caffe… around the world it’s Le Pain Quotidien… in NYC it’s Candle 79, GustOrganics, Blue Hill, 15 East, The Savoy – oh there’s no way I could pick a favorite!

What is one kitchen tool that you couldn’t live without?

Toss up… a great pan… my knife… my water filtration system.

How would you describe your cooking technique?

I describe my style as IKEA-style – some assembly required – which means that I love to take different ingredients and toss them all together… sans recipe. Experimental.

What do you see in the future for Ashley Koff?

I want to keep bringing my business to different arenas where food products are being purchased and consumed – and where we can swop out the less healthy for the healthIER while delivering the same if not better taste.

Describe your kitchen at home.

It’s stocked with different seeds, oils, salts, utensils, some wines (that have been brought over), grains and legumes, protein powders, in the fridge if I’ve been home there are wonderful organic delights from Rawesome, frozen organic vegetables, coconut water kefir, new products waiting to be evaluated, supplements that I take daily, and a quote on my cupboard blessing the space and food produced there.

Do you consider yourself to be more of a cook or a baker?

I’m not a baker so by default I will say cook.

What is your best kitchen advice?

Make it yours… your energy.

What inspires your recipes?

A passion for sensual pleasure (taste, smell, texture, visual appeal etc), and the knowledge that great food means never compromising on taste or health.

Did you always have a passion for food growing up as a child and throughout your adolescence?

I think so… a funny thing(s) happened on the way to being a dietitian – I enjoyed food, I had really bad food (Columbus, Ohio is the testing ground for a lot of the nation’s fast foods and the ’70s-’80s were especially big for that), I bagged other people’s foods (and graduated to being a cashier), I clumsily served foods (and found out I was better in managerial positions that weren’t dependent on steady hands and feet), and personally, I tried diet foods (Snackwell’s, anyone?), I tried being a vegan (processed soy foods, anyone?) and like many adolescents / college students / first jobs out of college workers, I tried not eating foods (coffee and cocktails, anyone?) all to learn that I love high quality ingredients and different tastes – so I became a qualitarian and that sums up my passion for food and health today.

What is always in your pantry?

Teas… in case mom and dad pop in for a visit.

Desert island cookbook?

One that has a lot of pages and is on paper that burns easily – I think it gets cold at night on most desert islands and I wouldn’t be following a cookbook recipe were I to stranded or choosing to be there.

I want to thank Ashley for such a wonderful interview. It was such a pleasure to speak with her and I greatly appreciate her time. Ashley, keep up the great work… I am looking forward to meeting you this fall.

The post Ashley Koff Interview appeared first on Amie Valpone.

Interview with Top Chef’s Andrea Beaman

Amie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:10:44 +0000

Last Spring, I had the opportunity to meet Andrea Beaman, Natural Foods and Health Expert, for hot tea n’ chit chat. A few weeks ago we got together again for more tea n’ chit chat… this time I decided to pop the interview questions and post Andrea’s responses to share with all of you.

Tell me about your Top Chef experience; did you find it hard to introduce nutritious cooking to the judges?

My Top Chef experience was great. I got to work in kitchens with professional chefs. I’ve never done that before. I’m a home-schooled chef. So, it was thrilling. I did find it difficult to cook with ingredients I don’t approve of. I use only naturally raised, organic or certified naturally grown ingredients. It made it tough for me to compete in that type of environment. But, I stuck it out as long as humanly possible.

Tell me about hosting WISE UP! and FED UP!, which allowed you to travel across the country in search of alternative therapies, organic foods and healthy lifestyles.

I love hosting both Wise Up and Fed Up (Fed Up was recently nominated for a cable award – best food series). Hosting those shows allows me to share my knowledge of food and healing with millions of people. I feel grateful that I get to teach from such a cool venue (cable tv).

What do you enjoy more; teaching cooking classes or traveling to find new discoveries? Are you a kitchen girl or an outdoorsy gal?

I am both a kitchen gal and an outdoorsy gal. I love to go outdoors hiking, biking, walking, swimming, fishing and hanging in nature, and then come home to cook up a fantastic meal. Life is delicious!

What was your diet like growing up? Do you think this affected your long term health?

My diet growing up was total CRAP! I was a chronic dieter and it definitely affected my health. I was eating everything that was fat-free, sugar substitutes like nutrasweet, diet soda and other “non-food” foods. I wasn’t eating food that was nutritious or wholesome and it caused my system to break down.

At the young age of 28 you were diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and a goiter; how did you take the steps to heal yourself?

I changed my diet and my lifestyle and I changed my life. I began taking full responsibility for my health and my life and amazing things happened. My skin cleared up, my body reached a normal healthy weight (without dieting), and my health improved.

Can you elaborate on your thyroid condition? What discouraged you from modern medicine and led you to a more holistic approach?

The doctors had recommend radioactive iodine for my thyroid condition and then to be on synthroid for the rest of my life. I watched my mom go through radiation treatments when she had cancer, and I vowed that I would never destroy my body in an attempt to heal a condition. I believe the body needs loving support, not destruction, to heal.

What, specifically, did you do to heal yourself through nutrition?

I began eating real food, straight from the farm or the ocean. Eating real food meant it was food in its most whole form (not in packages or boxes filled with chemicals and carcinogens).

As a graduate of IIN myself, I learned a vast array of useful information about natural healing; was IIN a valuable resource to you? Did you use your education at IIN to continue to heal yourself and your clients?

I healed my thyroid disease first and then attended IIN. I used my education at IIN to help set up my business model. It gave me the structure I needed to start my practice.

What is the most difficult struggle that you see clients facing? What is the hardest part for them to overcome, as I’m sure many clients are used to eating the SAD (Standard American Diet)?

One of the most difficult struggles I find with clients is that they put themselves last, or just don’t want to make the time to cook and prepare meals. It seems like this is a horrible chore for many people. Until clients get into the kitchen and begin cooking for themselves, optimum health may always be out of reach.

Tell me about your memoir and accompanying food guide that helps people heal from diseases.

My memoir is an inspirational story of hope and healing that teaches people why sickness comes, then it motivates people to get moving in a healthier direction. The accompanying Eating and Recipe Guide shows them how to do it; how to cook, what to cook and how to make it taste delicious.

What is your ideal meal to create in your kitchen?

Every meal for me is the ideal because I listen to my body’s needs and I give it what it craves. I never begin the day without breakfast. It helps set the precedent of self-care and self-love for the rest of the day.

When did you discover an appreciation and passion for food?

I became passionate about food when I discovered it had an effect on my body. It was no longer just a “substance” I put into my system. It became the fuel that drives me forward.

What is your favorite food that you can’t live without?

This question is too difficult to answer because there are too many foods I can’t live without.

Can you share with us a recipe for Thanksgiving?

Stuffed Acorn Squash with Turkey and Herbed Gravy

A delicious veggie-heavy Thanksgiving or fall dish that features squash and a turkey and rice blend.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Keyword holidays

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 2 5

Total Time 2 25

Servings people

Calories 410kcal

Author Andrea Beaman

Ingredients

2 acorn squash halved and deseeded
extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion peeled and diced
1 small red apple cored and diced
1/2 cup celery root peeled and diced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 tbsp. fresh sage minced
2 cups stock or water
1 cup wild rice blend (wehani, red rice, black rice, long grain, wild, etc.) soaked overnight
1 tsp. sea salt
12 oz. cooked turkey diced (dark meat, white meat)
2-3 tbsp. herbed turkey gravy (recipe below)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly oil halved acorn squash and place flesh side down in a baking pan.
Cover and cook 35-45 minutes or until soft. While squash is baking, saute onion in a frying pan until translucent. Add diced apple, celery root, cranberries, and sage.
Add stock and wild rice blend (discard the rice soaking water), and bring to a boil. Add sea salt, cover and reduce flame to simmer for 50-55 minutes.
After rice cooks, fold in pre-cooked turkey pieces.
Fill squash with wild rice mixture and tops with herbed turkey gravy.

Nutrition

Herbed Turkey Gravy

A delicious turkey gravy made with fresh herbs

Course Condiment

Cuisine American

Keyword holidays

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 44kcal

Author Andrea Beaman

Ingredients

3 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 cup turkey stock
1/2 tsp. fresh sage minced
1/2 tsp. rosemary minced
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine flour with turkey stock.
Add fresh herbs, sea salt and pepper.
Cook on medium heat until mixture becomes thick and creamy.

Nutrition

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