Local chef teaches Longboaters the importance of eating clean foods

Local chef Kimberly Knox is back on Longboat to show people how to reset their eating habits. 

Knox led her first Lunch and Learn at the Holistic Healing and Wellness Center of Longboat Key on Oct. 27. Knox gave an inside look into her cookbook by teaching how to make her healthy chicken salad recipe made with only organic ingredients.

Photo by Petra Rivera

Her demonstration emphasized the importance of only eating clean foods. She said that by taking up the clean food lifestyle people will heal their stomachs and go into the healthiest phase of their life. 

Photo by Petra Rivera

“It's all about feeding your body with good food that gives you good energy,” said Knox. “As soon as you clean all that up and put good food in, your body will start to reject toxic and processed foods. It will start to give you signals, 'Don't eat that food anymore.' You might not like as much alcohol anymore. You might not like junk food. Your palate is going to shift because all of a sudden, you are giving it the tools it needs to keep you healthy.”

Knox’s cookbook, “Simple Cooking for Vitality”, is a guide to understanding the science behind replacing toxic foods with clean ingredients and a variety of recipes categorized by which part of the body it would give energy to. 

Originally from Vermont, Knox went back to school at the age of 50 to the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York after having a career in marketing. Discovering she had signs of a fatty liver, she felt inspired by her deep dive research on how to reset her eating habits to stay healthy and completed advanced certifications in hormone health. Knox moved to Sarasota in 2015 and is now a certified integrative health coach and organic bioenergetic chef. 

Photo by Petra Rivera

Knox provides a variety of services for clients. She usually performs an assessment of their diet and daily lifestyle first and then creates a plan to modify them where needed. Knox also has a five-day program that provides the basics and background on everything she does. She said this is the most affordable way to make use of her services.

“I created the Holistic Healing and Wellness Center because I truly believe that healthy living is a way to do it,” said Medge Jaspan, owner of the Holistic Healing and Wellness Center. “So instead of being sick, and paying a lot of money, we learn how to live healthier lives. It's not expensive to be healthy. It's expensive to be sick.” 

Photo by Petra Rivera

Jaspan said that she prioritizes collaborating with people that preach this mission of doing everything you can to be healthy. Knox catered Jaspan's opening on Sept. 12 with a food spread. She plans to offer classes at the Holistic Healing and Wellness Center and will continue to host Lunch and Learn events. Knox hopes to make the next one on revamping pantries. 

“Our body is the most powerful thing we have,” said Knox. “It is a miracle, but 90% of the food out there is not helpful to this miracle body. You are your best doctor, and food is your best medicine.”