chef
LaLa
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-
“Some People tell me ‘I don’t have
imized. And Heart Disease is the number one killer in America, yet
time to eat right or exercise.’ and I tell
it is a disease over them, ‘Well, you better make a lot
which an individual of time for disease.””
can exert some con-
trol. According to In college, LaLa had originally studied to be a cardio-pul-
LaLa, a lot of the ele- monary therapist. But, she quickly realized it wasn’t the career for
ments that contribute her. But as she learned more about nutrition and health, she became
to heart disease are more mindful of healthy eating and more intrigued by the subject.
due to the often She began cooking and experimenting like a scientist; her kitchen
unhealthy American became her laboratory. So she enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu and
diet, but she believes attended classes at both the Southern California and Paris campus-
that informed deci- es. As she got more involved in her culinary studies, LaLa was
sions and small struck by the need she saw for someone to link what she had learned
changes in what we eat and drink can save lives. “A lot of people about health and nutrition with her cherished Latin cooking.
think 'Oh, I can't have this, I can't have that' and it's really not about Today–as both a chef and a certified nutritionist with a specialty in
that. It's about small changes and how you can keep that wonderful weight management–LaLa has taken up the challenge and become
flavor and enjoy food but do it so you have a better quality of life." that link.
continued on page 48
S A L U D O S 6 H I S P A N O S
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98