Change Starts in the Kitchen

NTI’s Chef Lynda Lacher may have years of experience in the kitchen and formal training at Le Cordon Bleu®, but her first recipe came to her in a dream. She was only ten years old when her unconscious mind invented “Magic Dream Balls.” A dessert any kid would gladly eat, the recipe was a mixture of peanut butter, Rice Krispies®, chocolate and nuts. It was this innocent dream and watching her mother in the kitchen that sparked Chef Lynda’s passion for cooking. It didn’t matter whether she was making marshmallows or soup, Chef Lynda’s mom always supported her- buying whatever ingredients her daughter’s latest culinary endeavor called for.

It is this same support- and a whole lot of guidance- that Chef Lynda offers students in the Natural Foods Chef (NFC) program at NTI. Her encouragement, and the intimate setting in a historic house near Denver’s City Park, fosters a real sense of community among participants in the program. Whereas most culinary schools have classes so large it can be hard to even find the instructor, class size in the NFC program is limited to 15. This means students get constant, personalized feedback. They also bond with one another in a way that is unique. It is not unusual for students to form life-long friendships or business partnerships during the 16 week term.

A typical day in the NFC program includes a lecture and instruction in the culinary skills and techniques needed to prepare everything from basic soups and stocks to raw foods. Students then work together to prepare lunch and dinner based on the day’s topic. There is no doubt that sitting down together and enjoying the meals they’ve prepared makes all the hard work worth it. While eating, the class often discusses and practices ways to make meals a time to unwind, share and re-connect. These are the lessons students incorporate into their own lives, facilitating change in those around them long before they graduate. It is that passion for change and impacting people’s lives in a positive way that Chef Lynda shares with her students. She says, “I kind of think of it as my quiet revolution in the kitchen. I’m here to affect people strongly, but we do it in the kitchen. It has a ripple effect from there.”

There is no question that graduates of the NFC program are making waves. Their training is unique in that it combines a rigorous, science-based nutrition education with traditional culinary skills emphasizing natural foods. As a result, their skills are in high demand. Many start their own personal chef business where they prepare therapeutic meals for people with food allergies or health conditions. Some cook for families that recognize the importance of eating healthy, homemade food but lack the time or energy to do it themselves. Others teach cooking classes or get their feet wet cooking for a natural food restaurant. A few have developed their own rejuvenating wellness retreats. Another was hired as the executive chef at an elderly care facility. One graduate even did the NFC program before going to medical school so he would know how to educate his patients on the importance of diet and nutrition. Regardless of what NFC graduates decide to do, it’s clear that the demand has never been greater for their unique talent and their commitment to a revolution that is best started in the kitchen…and continued around the dinner table.

Winter came on suddenly here in Denver- it’s only November and we’ve already had two impressive snowstorms! Despite the sudden onset of freezing temps and early season snow days, we’re still prepared with all the info you need on vitamin D- a nutrient it’s nearly impossible to get enough of in the winter.

It is estimated that 40% of the US population is vitamin D deficient due to limited exposure to sunlight, overuse of sunscreen and low dietary intake of vitamin D rich foods. It’s almost impossible to get enough vitamin D in the winter if you live north of latitude 37° or south of latitude 37° in the southern hemisphere. In places like Denver, which sits at latitude 39° north, the sun is simply not strong enough between September and May to trigger the conversion of vitamin D into its active form in the liver.

This is particularly problematic considering the long list of conditions associated with its deficiency. According to the vitamin D council, vitamin D deficiency contributes to at least 17 varieties of cancer, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects, periodontal disease, and more. That’s quite a list!

Some of vitamin D’s functions are well understood- like its role in regulating calcium levels in the blood and preventing osteoporosis. But no one knows exactly how and why vitamin D plays such an important role in so many body systems, and why its deficiency is a factor in the development of so many diseases. While we may not know every biochemical mechanism by which vitamin D exacts its amazing effects, we do know enough to protect against the devastating effects of deficiency.

Of course, the general rule at NTI is simple: prevent nutrient deficiencies by eating a healthy whole foods diet. You can prevent severe deficiency and malnutrition by eating plenty of vitamin D rich foods like fatty cold water fish, whole raw milk, egg yolks, liver from grass fed cows and butter. However, even a diet rich in these foods may not be enough to keep levels optimal since only about 50% of dietary vitamin D is absorbed. And if you’re relying on pasteurized, homogenized milk or fortified orange juice for your vitamin D, forget it. Most companies use vitamin D2, ergocalciferol, to boost their product’s nutrition label. Not only is the amount too small to boost your vitamin D to an optimal level, it also requires conversion to the active form, D3, cholecalciferol. This conversion relies on a healthy liver and efficient kidneys, two organs that are already overworked due to a high exposure of environmental toxins like pollution, pesticides, hormone and antibiotic laden meats, to name a few.

So even if you eat a diet rich in salmon and egg yolks, depending on where you live, it may be necessary to supplement in the winter. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin D was recently raised to 800 IU per day. This amount is an improvement from the 400 IU previously recommended for adults, but is likely still too low. Keep in mind, the research guiding RDAs is based on perfectly healthy populations. In reality, an optimal level would actually be higher since it would take into account the typical American lifestyle- chronic stress, toxic burden on the liver and a more sedentary lifestyle with less exposure to the sun. Some studies have shown that adults actually need closer to 3000 to 5000 IU per day and others show that adults can metabolize up to 10,000 IU daily without harmful side effects. The best way to know how much vitamin D to take is to have your doctor order you a blood test. Make sure they order the 25-Hydroxy-vitamin D blood test- it is the correct measure of vitamin D status. The “normal” range for vitamin D is 30 to 74 ng/mL, but it is generally agreed that a range of 50 to 74 is optimal. Should you decide to supplement on your own, it is safest to stick with 2000 IU per day or less- a dose that can be therapeutic, but is still considered safe according to the US Food and Nutrition Board. Signs of toxicity include frequent urination, headache, nausea, vomiting, weakness, anorexia and kidney stones.

If you discover you are deficient in vitamin D, don’t rely on the person working at your local health food store to recommend a supplement. Instead, work with a qualified healthcare practitioner that can not only recommend a safe dosage of high quality vitamin D, but can also determine the cause of your deficiency. Visit our graduates pageto find a Nutrition Therapist that can teach you how to boost your vitamin D levels and support you on your way to health!

Check out our facebook pagefor a “D”elicious salmon recipe from our Natural Foods Chef program!