Episode 23: Age like a Goddess with guest Ann Gentry
About Ann Gentry
Ann Gentry is the founder of “Age like a Goddess: Life Enriching Cooking and Coaching”. When Ann Gentry set out to revolutionize the world with a plant-based cuisine, people told her she was crazy. Twenty-five years later, people called her a pioneer of the organic and vegan cooking world - opening restaurants, writing cookbooks and hosting her own cooking show. Today, she is on to the next frontier in healthy eating and lifestyle with a focus on eating for brain health and aging.
She first woke up to the importance of paying attention to the brain when her mother developed Alzheimer's disease. For her mother, it started with just the typical forgetfulness; but, after witnessing more cognitive decline, Ann took her to a leading neurologist who confirmed that indeed, her mother was living in the early stages of the disease.
This experience opened Ann’s eyes up.
It was a wake-up call.
Ann’s history
Ann Gentry experienced big success in Southern California – opening the first organic vegan restaurant. As such, Ann has always been interested in the importance and power of a healthy diet. She’d say that she eats about a 90% plant-based diet, because you can never go wrong with a whole grain and vegetable cuisine. She made some drastic changes to her own eating and lifestyle and really started to think about and prioritize her future. She wanted to care for herself in the best way possible.
She works with women in their 40s and beyond, with an incredible attitude and the belief that they have a rich life ahead of them. They’re just getting started! Ann’s motto is: “It’s never too late to start your health journey.”
How to Eat for Brain Health
What you eat is either supporting you or playing havoc on you. Ann shares an overview of what you should and shouldn’t be eating:
Tips
Avoid ultra-processed foods (these simple carbohydrates are filled with poor quality fat and way too much sugar)
Reduce intake of poor-quality animal protein
Eat good quality fat, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that the brain thrives on and needs. For example:
Wild caught salmon, cod, mackerel, sardines
Eggs
Avocados
Nuts and seeds
Good quality dairy (e.g., yogurt) that is full of fat - not “no fat” or “low fat”
Eat fermented food (e.g., pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh) to promote gut health
Eat complex carbohydrates
What are complex carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates have been misrepresented. So many people think they should not be consuming carbohydrates; but, there is a difference between simple and complex carbohydrates.
Complex carbohydrates are, for example:
Vegetables and fruits
Whole grains
Beans
Legumes
Complex carbohydrates have more nutrient density, which means that you're going to get less calories but more nutrition out of complex carbohydrates. If you're just eating the simple carbohydrates (e.g., flours, sugar, poor quality fat), it isn't filling you up. In fact, simple carbohydrates are giving you a lot of calories and very little nutritional content.
Ideally, complex carbohydrates should make up 50 percent of what you're eating every day. This is where you're getting your real nutrition from and you'll feel fuller for longer. Furthermore, complex carbohydrates (nutrient rich foods) don’t cause as big a swing in your blood sugar levels as do simple carbohydrates.
About “Age Like a Goddess”
Ann Gentry’s program “Age like a Goddess” focuses on women who are in their 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s who have previously experienced some struggle when it comes to their relationship to food. Her aim – through her program - is to promote good health or what she likes to call “optimal health”.
Everybody is different and has different needs, so she works with women one-on-one, as well as through group coaching. Through her program she helps women navigate their midlife years and really come in to having a healthy body and a sharp mind, so that they can “roar” into their third act with wisdom.
Ann loves teaching about how eating for brain health can bring with it vitality and energy, because – even though there are many lifestyle changes that need to be considered - the thing about food is that eating is something that we all do every day.
Who is it for?
Women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond
Goals of the program
Learn how to nourish your brain and care for your body
Key areas covered
Eating well (food and nutrition)
Physical movement
Mindset
Self-care
Community (staying connected)
Platform and format
The “Age Like a Goddess” program is all online and includes weekly lessons, cooking classes, demonstrations and lots of recipes. It also includes weekly challenges that will help you build new, healthy habits.
Ann Gentry’s program really prioritizes building a community of like-minded women.