chefLaLa
Chef LaLa has devoted her life to her two passions; cooking Latin foods and educating
people about how to enjoy this cuisine in a healthy way. Early on she became concerned about the impact of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other health issues, particularly on the Hispanic com- munity. Chef LaLa is a Mexican-American, Los Angeles native, and at the age of 40, has already accomplished much in her field and has the potential to be a huge crossover success with both English and Spanish speaking audiences. Especially with the grow- ing awareness of the problems related to obesity and other diet and health issues. Many people are looking for alternatives. Those that aren’t probably should be. As she told Hispanic Trends magazine, "Some people tell me 'I don't have time to eat right or exercise.' And I tell them, 'Well, you better make a lot of time for disease.' The time to make changes is now, before you have circulation problems or begin to lose your eyesight. She knows from experience; three of her four grandparents died of complications from diabetes. Her father and 7 of her 8 of her uncles are living with the disease. Obesity is a growing problem in the US and particularly in the Latino community, and it is affecting more and more children at a younger age. More than 60 percent of Hispanic children will devel- op obesity and type ll diabetes, according to the CDC. A degener- ative and chronic disease, untreated diabetes can cause many other serious complications including heart disease, kidney failure, nerve damage, blindness and loss of limbs. But with proper diet and/or medication, the disease can be managed and its effects can be min- imized. And Heart Disease is the number one killer in America, yet it is a disease over which an individual can exert some con- trol. According to LaLa, a lot of the ele- ments that contribute to heart disease are due to the often unhealthy American diet, but she believes that informed deci- sions and small
changes in what we eat and drink can save lives. “A lot of people think 'Oh, I can't have this, I can't have that' and it's really not about that. It's about small changes and how you can keep that wonderful flavor and enjoy food but do it so you have a better quality of life."
“Some People tell me ‘I don’t have time to eat right or exercise.’ and I tell them, ‘Well, you better make a lot of time for disease.””
In college, LaLa had originally studied to be a cardio-pul-
monary therapist. But, she quickly realized it wasn’t the career for her. But as she learned more about nutrition and health, she became more mindful of healthy eating and more intrigued by the subject. She began cooking and experimenting like a scientist; her kitchen became her laboratory. So she enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu and attended classes at both the Southern California and Paris campus- es. As she got more involved in her culinary studies, LaLa was struck by the need she saw for someone to link what she had learned about health and nutrition with her cherished Latin cooking. Today–as both a chef and a certified nutritionist with a specialty in weight management–LaLa has taken up the challenge and become that link.
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