Pinoy Food & Other Cuisine :: Food PhotoBlog and Events |

Who would believe that a cooking club would have such powerful and vicious enemies?”

Traitorous food ingredients that masquerade behind tasty additives; misguided parents and caregivers who unwittingly serve unhealthy dishes; and perilous diseases that threaten the Filipino family’s health — these are among the sworn enemies of the Doña Elena Cuisinera Club – a group of concerned mothers, health practitioners and food enthusiasts who are waging a war against the unhealthy eating lifestyle plaguing Filipinos at present.

“The statistics are overwhelming,” asserts Professor Luchie Callanta, the official Nutritionist of the Doña Elena Cuisinera Club. “We have 10 million Filipinos who have a diet almost entirely comprised of junk food. To make things worse, 41% of our population consumes no fruits and vegetables at all.”

These unhealthy eating habits have had a profound effect especially on Filipino children. According to DOH data, obesity rates of children aged 0-5 have risen by as much as 400% in the last decade. Obesity in turn, may heighten risk for lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, cancer and diabetes.

Despite this, Prof. Callanta encourages Filipinos not to be disheartened. “If we admit defeat, our family’s lives will be endangered and we will just be another nameless addition to these statistics. But, if we stand up and fight, it’s tantamount to giving our families a chance to live healthier, longer, and happier lives.”

Prof. Callanta emphasizes that people do have a choice; and if they opt to champion their family’s health, the Doña Elena Cuisinera Club is there to support them in their cause. Born as a creative response against the perils of unhealthy living, the Doña Elena Cuisinera Club has the aim of turning Filipinos into full-blown Cuisineras –people who champion healthy eating without compromising the taste and quality of the food they prepare.

Projects of the Doña Elena Cuisinera Club include the release of 21 Ways to a Healthier Life book, which contains a shortlist of tips to a healthier lifestyle as well as Filipino recipes given a healthier twist. The 21 Ways to a Healthier Life book is a concerted effort between food artist Chef Golda Laurel-Liamzon and renowned nutritionist Professor Luchie Callanta of the University of the Philippines. In addition, the DECC also plans to hold monthly healthy cooking classes for Cuisineras from all around Metro Manila.

At present, one of the club’s top priorities is substituting the use of olive oil for regular cooking oils in preparing everyday dishes. They are promoting this as one of the easiest yet most effective means by which Filipinos can achieve a healthier lifestyle. In addition to lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, other benefits of olive oil include: reducing the risk of heart attack, inhibiting cancer, stabilizing blood sugar levels and controlling asthma and arthritis.

Meanwhile, with regard to obesity, olive oil also has a significant effect. A lower incidence of obesity has been observed among people from the Mediterranean—a culture that consumes an olive-oil intensive diet. Recently, scientists have proven that an olive oil rich diet leads to greater and longer-lasting weight loss than a low fat diet. Of course, the fact that recipes prepared using olive oil (compared to the traditional bland-tasting diet fare) are easy on the taste buds doesn’t hurt either.

As illustrated by the use of food alternatives such as cooking oil, it’s clear that the route to healthy eating need not be difficult nor does it necessarily mean starving yourself. As Prof. Callanta puts it: “Through The Doña Elena Cuisinera Club, we wish for Filipinos to realize that the pursuit of good health begins not by shunning food altogether; but by choosing, preparing and eating right.”

Please feel free to contact Doña Elena Cuisinera Club Secretariat at 713-8144 and email CuisineraClub@gmail.com.