Bailey Ruskus - Cook. Heal. Go Vegan!: A Delicious Guide to Plant-Based Cooking for Better Health and a Better World

CHEF BAI

Bailey Ruskus

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For anyone who has ever been told they cant heal.

And for those who tried anyway.

And for my husband. This work wouldnt be here without your dedication to the mission and to us. I love you.

We are living in a time in which we are redefining what it means to be vegan and in which realities about our world are changing so quickly, our actions must be louder than our words. Switching to a plant-based diet is one of the most powerful things you can do for your health and the world around you. Its a decision rooted in compassion for ourselves and the animals that walk this Earth alongside us. Its a way of life fueled by the desperate need for change in our world.

The reality is that we dont need a few people doing it perfectly, we need millions and millions of people trying their best and doing it imperfectly. Eating food that is grown, not raised. Cooking consciously and leaning into the incredible abundance that the plant world has to offer us. Its about embracing the self-healing powers of our bodies when theyre given the right tools to heal.

I was trained at Le Cordon Bleu and spent the first six years of my professional cooking career in San Francisco. Even though I didnt learn much about veganism during my training and early culinary work, I learned a whole hell of a lot about cooking. I understood the importance of eating for joy and unapologetically seeking out pleasure for your meals: 3 meals a day, 365 days a year. I was also silently suffering with endometriosis and a debilitating daily dose of chronic pain to match. I ate food that would numb my pain, drank excessive amounts of alcohol and hopped on the hamster wheel like millions of other peoplethat is, the endless wheel of unhealthy food, prescriptions, pain, inflammation, alcohol and doctors offices.

I felt that in order to experience pleasure in life, I also had to experience pain. A great example of that is the hangover you get after a fun night of drinking. Or was it actually the other way around? I was experiencing so much pain that the only way I could convince myself to get up and be a productive member of society was to fuel my easily accessible and quickly satisfied pleasure centers of cheese, pastries, meat and alcohol.

After years of living a life like this, I inevitably got tired. I started to do my own research, went back to school for nutrition and learned that there are millions of other people living and silently suffering like I was. Shortly after that, I discovered that my suffering was my biggest resource to create real change in my life and the world around me. I learned about the injustices of our food system, the health crisis Western society is in, the realities of animal agriculture and the negative effect all of this has on our environment. It seemed ridiculous to me that I had been asleep to all of it and had paid $100,000 for an education that had taught me so much but also allowed me to contribute so much more to all that suffering. The beauty of it all is that I learned how to do one thing really, really well. And that, my friend, is how to cook.

I discovered that my chefs knife was my best way to enact change in this world. To open the eyes of friends, family and strangers with incredible plant-based food. Theres no need for the disclosure of, Its vegan, because this food speaks for itself and can satisfy all humans. The disclosure is more of a, Dont worry, Ive got you. Plant-based food is rich in nutrients and not incredibly calorie-dense like its animal-based counterparts. This means that abundance is knocking on your door when you are on this plant-based journey. Theres no need for obsessing about calories or feeling guilty for your meals. You can let go of the limiting bounds of a few main types of animal foods for your calories and gain the plant world, which has more than ten thousand edible varieties to choose from.

The most beautiful thing about this diet and lifestyle change is that I believe it has the power to save lives, and not just the lives of animals. With the help of the right team of doctors and healers who understand and listen to you, this lifestyle change has the potential to save you from endless prescriptions, depression, weight that doesnt belong to you and the all-too-common disconnect from our natural word. It can awaken something deep within you that helps food make sense in a way it never has before. And Ill tell you some encouraging news: You will actually start to heal.

In order to heal, we must first find our joy. A really easy way to find joy is to look to something that you do three times a day, every day. Cooking with vibrant, local and seasonal food can connect you back to the earth, back to yourself, and with the right tools, it can get you on a whole new vibe! Immersing yourself in farmers markets and delicious recipes isnt just for chefsits something that appeals to your basic makeup as a human being and can reconnect you with yourself and, most importantly, your joy of cooking.

If youve been waiting for a sign, this is it. This book can help you take back your power. It can help you rediscover what it means to be human while bringing vibrancy back into your life. These recipes and concepts are fueled with purpose and intention so that you can heal, gain confidence in the kitchen and enjoy every single bite. There is no room for bland or boring healthy food. Theres no more time to wait for the next New Years resolution to get started.

Your skin will start to glow, your body odor will change (in a good way!), youll sleep deeper and your body will transform with less inflammation and less puffiness. The recipes in this book can help you achieve all of that while also avoiding food boredom. Hopefully, you can cook your way through this entire book. At the end of it, you will have a new and deeper connection to your kitchen and your relationship to food. I want you to create meals for your loved ones and to be proud of what youve created. You wont need to convince them to like it because its good for them, as this delicious food speaks for itself.

Dont put a lot of pressure on yourself to be perfect. Just flow with it, find your joy and enjoy the process. These recipes are a guide to help you cook intuitively. Many of them are simple ideas with classic techniques that are supported by big purpose and even bigger flavors.

Remember, we are all in this together. Something inspired you to pick up this book, and I hope these words inspire you to flip the page, grab your chefs knife and continue this journey through the realm of your kitchen. If youre totally new to cooking or to plant-based eating, or if youre a twenty-year vegan or a professional chef looking for a new way, this book was written for you. The beginners mindset can truly help us cook, heal and go vegan.