IN THE KITCHEN WITH RYAN KENNEDY
Tell us about yourself:
As a Functional Medicine Practitioner and Board-Certified Clinical Nutritionist, Ryan takes a holistic approach to helping his patients improve their health by utilizing results-based natural therapies. Unlike addressing symptoms like conventional medicine, Ryan uses natural approaches to address the root cause and enhance your body’s ability to heal. He implements nutritional and lifestyle interventions to correct underlying imbalances in the body and help you in every aspect of your health.
Ryan’s passion for health began when his healthy mother was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 51; despite following treatment and recommendations from the western medical establishment, she passed in 2010. This was a turning point for Ryan; he made it his life’s mission to empower people to make changes in their lives to avoid chronic illness and optimize their quality of life.
How did you get involved in cooking?
Growing up my Mom would cook all of our meals and home cooking was a big part of my life. Throughout college, I went through a phase of eating out and not paying much attention to my nutrition, and my health suffered greatly. As I became immersed in the health and wellness field, my love for cooking was sparked as a means to improve my overall health and quality of life.
At first, cooking healthy meals felt like a necessary chore, but over time, I fell in love with the process and became passionate about the art of cooking. Since then I have helped thousands of other people get back into the kitchen and prioritize cooking healthy meals for themselves and their loved ones.
Describe your cooking style:
I strive to have a deep connection with the ingredients I source, growing my own organic vegetables, catching wild sustainable seafood, and only purchasing 100% grass-fed and pasture-raised animal foods.
My meals minimize the amount of high glycemic carbohydrates (starches and sugars) and focus on healthy fats, high-quality protein, nutrient-dense vegetables, and various herbs and spices for ample flavor and health benefits.
How did you learn about grass-fed meats?
Through my research into the optimal human diet and environmental impact of eating animal foods, I discovered the massive difference between factory-farmed (CAFO) animal products vs. 100% grass-fed organic animal products.
The work of Joel Salatin, Michael Polen, and many others brought this to my attention early on in my path to helping others with their nutrition.
What is your favorite recipe featuring grass-fed meat?
This is a hard question to answer since I have so many delicious, nourishing recipes I’ve created centered around grass-fed meat.
One of my favorites is a healthy twist on Shepherd’s Pie.
You’re stranded on a desert island; luckily, you’re stranded with your top 5 ingredients and one must-have kitchen tool:
Taking into account nutrition and health benefits, my 5 food choices would be:
US Wellness Meats Liverwurst (containing wonderful organ meats and muscle meat)
Grass-fed beef bone broth
Pasture-raised organic eggs
Wild sockeye salmon
Avocado
My kitchen tool of choice would be a good knife. This is due to the versatility of a good knife, both in preparing food and surviving in the wild.
Best cooking secret/tip/piece of advice you’ve learned:
Use the right types of heat-stable healthy fats when cooking and knowing which dietary fats should be consumed vs. avoided.
What’s your favorite quote/song for culinary inspiration (if any)?
Nourishment is not just “nutrition.” Nourishment is the nutrients in the food, the taste, the aroma, the ambiance of the room, the conversation at the table, the love and inspiration in the cooking, and the joy of the entire eating experience. ~ Marc David
Anything else you want to share?
I recently published my new book – Beyond Nutrition – which is the ultimate cookbook for a healthier and higher-quality life.
I break down the food myths entrenched in our society and build the foundation of education and lifestyle practices to help you attain optimal health.
I’ve spent countless hours developing over 110 recipes for optimal nutrition. By incorporating the nutrition principles with creative recipes, this book is a roadmap for long-term success in your health journey! Remember to visit my website ThrivingWellness.co
Enter To Win!
Enter to win our March 2020 Featured Chef Contest for a chance to win $150 bundle of farm fresh food + Ryan’s Book, Beyond Nutrition! Contest runs from March 1 – March 11, 2020.
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