Articles From the Chef V Blog

Happy Easter! What’s more traditional than decorating Easter Eggs? But what is in all of those nasty dyes that we’ve been using on our food all of these years? Healthy Easter egg dye is easy to make. You can save money buying artificial dyes and get creative this year with household items you already have.

A big shout out to Amanda Patrick for mentioning my Chef V Green Drink on her super popular Instagram page. I’m so happy your beautiful little girls love Green Drink! Amanda says: “So I FINALLY found a green drink the girls will ACTUALLY drink Thank you for all the goodies @chefvlife …. the girls (and I) love you a lot!”

Veronica “V” Wheat is about to spill the (soy)beans with some exciting news: she’s pregnant! Her and hubby, Brandon, are expecting in June. Now with 2 mouths to feed, V is researching what the best—and worst—foods are for pregnancy. Here, she tells us the truth about soy…

Trying to lose weight? Obviously, diet plays a huge role, along with exercise. But did you know that how much you sleep and the quality of your sleep also plays a crucial part in weight management? And as stress effects your sleep and messes with your cortisol levels, you can spiral into a cycle of poor sleep, fatigue, and excess eating.

If you feel like eating tons of comfort food and hibernating this time of year, I don’t blame you. But spring is coming and it’s so important to stay active and healthy this time of year and I’ve got some easy, fun tips to do it! 

If you need a detox and digestion makeover, “V” encourages a pretty strict plant-based diet. That’s because meat is hard to digest and if your digestion is sluggish you should give it a rest.

But that doesn’t mean you should be eating vegan fast food burgers every day. There’s a big difference between plant-based meat and plant-based proteins. In fact, eating mock meat may be worse for your health than regular meat. Instead, find out what the healthiest plant-based proteins are…

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.

All dietary minerals are important. But in 2020-2021, zinc just might be the most important. It’s received a lot of attention in research studies. That’s because zinc can help prevent viruses from replicating in cells.

Our bodies do naturally cleanse; however, in today’s world, like you’re saying, we are loaded with toxins. All the preservatives in the food, all the additives, the colors, the dyes. In beauty products alone, there’s 2,000 chemicals that some companies are banning, and they’re not regulated here in the United States. Air pollution has lots of toxins. While our bodies they do naturally detoxify, there’s a lot of things out there that our body – it’s bombarded. It’s too much. So we really do need to give it a break.

Beets, including beet greens, contain an amazing array of antioxidants, other vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein.  – Veronica

Tough times now. 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.

This “What Do I Eat Today” gluten-free menu starts with warm lemon water, then Green Drink. For breakfast, Avocado Toast is a rich tasting treat. Lunch is my “Chipotle” style Burrito Bowl, and the day’s snack is a choice of three different hummus’s served with fresh veggies. Dinner is my Quinoa Enchiladas – you can follow the recipe online or watch me make it on my YouTube channel.

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?

Got a freeloader living in your gut? If you have been diagnosed with parasites, is it possible to kill them off with natural ingredients? For some of the 60 million people(!) in the U.S. that, according to the CDC, are living with toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection, a chronically-bloated belly isn’t the only concern.

Did you know there’s a non-stop party in your gut? It’s true. In your microbiome—the home of your trillions of bacteria, both the friendly and unfriendly kind—your gut bacteria are constantly eating our leftovers. If only we could claim them as tax dependents! So how can you make sure you’re feeding the good guys in your gut and not the bad? Chef V has one simple solution and offers her 3 favorite gut-supporting supplements…

For many people, cooking a meal at home just isn’t whole without garlic or onions. Harsh breath aside, garlic and onions (allium vegetables) possess potent health-building properties. But for certain people with poor digestion, alliums are just no fun. Chef V explains why garlic and onions can lead to indigestion.

You’ve probably heard of leaky gut but aren’t quite sure what it means. Your intestines are lined with a mucosal barrier. A thin (leaky) intestinal mucosal wall leaks undigested food particles, toxins and microorganisms (bacteria, etc.).

I’m not bragging, but I jumped on to the kale bandwagon long before the wagon rolled out of hipster neighborhoods and restaurants, serving kale chips and kale smoothies along the way. I may have jumped off other superfood bandwagons–mangosteen: that was fun while it lasted in the early 2000’s but açai berries won over my heart and tummy–but I plan on never abandoning you, kale, even if you do eventually lose hipster cred status.

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+. 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.

Too much dairy can be bad for digestion, especially for kids, which is why more people are choosing to limit their intake or eliminate it completely from their diets. Here’s a creamy and delicious mock milkshake recipe that will please your taste buds and your tummy! – Veronica

Scientists say that the state of our gut is vital to good health and influences our ability to lose weight.  Each of us have a “microbiome” in our belly – our own set of bacteria. Staying mindful of the impact of what we eat on our gut and following a healthy diet  has a huge impact on how we feel.

Have you ever heard the saying, “a healthy mind lives in a healthy body?” The way Chef V founder Veronica “V” Kress sees it, a healthy mind exists because of a healthy gut. But it’s not just mental health that’s linked to gut health. The immune system, cardiovascular health, skin appearance, and, of course, how you look in a swimsuit is all controlled by the health of your gut. So V is here to offer 5 easy tips to boost gut health.

A few Chef V customers recently posted how having a Green Drink first thing in the morning has improved their energy throughout the day and even their sleep quality. So I decided to look into the connection between how green leafy veggies affect sleep quality. I also provide a handful of tips on how to get restful zzzzz’s.

Try a mocktail if you are looking to enjoy refreshing drink but hate the added alcohol calories. Take a break and try a Chef V mocktail recipe

We know that eating more veggies can boost the number of friendly bacteria in your gut. But what’s a mystery to most people is if how we prepare our veggies affects gut health in any way. “V” reveals if there’s a winner between raw veggies or cooked plant-based foods.

This “What Do I Eat Today” menu starts with warm lemon water, then Green Drink. For breakfast, Warm Cinnamon Quinoa. For lunch, my Mediterranean Stew, and for dinner, Chicken Pot Pie, a gluten-free recipe with a vegan option, demonstrated in this month’s Chef V Cooking School video.

My moussaka “What Do I Eat Today” menu starts with warm lemon water, then Green Drink. For breakfast, Easy Cereal with Chef V’s Almond Milk.  For lunch, my Creamy Sweet Potato Soup, and for dinner,  Vegan Moussaka, demonstrated in this month’s Chef V Cooking School video.

“V” loves adding turmeric and ginger to her protein smoothies, which she always has about 30 minutes after breaking her fast with Organic Green Drink. Ginger and turmeric are powerful anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-inflammation fighters. But did you know that they’re also great for your gut microbiome? Here’s how…

This month’s “What do I eat Today” menu is all about eating healthy during the crazy busy holiday season. I’m working extra hours to manage holiday orders and when I get out of the office to shop for gifts, lines are long and traffic is heavy.  So this menu is all about eating well on the go.

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