New Orleans is known for a lot of things, and moderation isn’t one of them. Festival on top of festival, fried this, smothered that, and the mere convenience of unhealthy food makes maintaining a healthy diet here almost laughable. How does a busy human being with unlimited unhealthy distractions even begin to moderate?
Entrepreneur, hip-hop artist, cofounder of Get Up N Ride NOLA and board member of Bike Easy, Blake Owens, has launched a new venture that might just get you on the right track. You Are What You Eat NOLA is a new monthly educational healthy cooking class. If you’ve discovered the secret that health is true wealth, this class is calling your name.
“It’s easy to get lost down here. It comes down to self discipline. If you can master the discipline of what you put in your body, you can master the discipline of anything,” says Owens. A few years ago Blake could no longer ignore the facts and information that were before him. With cancer on both sides of his family, and coming across a ton of material proving certain foods lead to disease, an awakening occurred. “So many Black people I know just eat bad. I recognized a shift in the last year or two that my people are becoming aware of what they’re putting in their body.” A fan of Nipsey Hussle and Dr. Sebi, Owens is driven by the same force that drove them: the betterment of community. “Being able to create something for my community really pushes me to keep going.” Health currently being on trend is something he hopes sticks. “I’m trying to make this the cool thing now,” he says.
If you’re ready to “hit the reset button” follow @youarewhatyoueat_nola on Instagram for updates on the next class. Blake’s friend and neighbor Zada Summers (who holds several culinary degrees) and her mother Ms. Gloria are your educators and hosts, with each class taking place in Ms. Gloria’s impressive Treme garden. Complimentary wine, garden tours, music, detailed cooking breakdowns, food education, and instructions to recreate each meal are included.
I’ll drink to that.
