chef's corner
Chef aleta gelb
Aleta apprenticed with a renowned chef in Jerusalem in the late 1970’s and started her culinary career working in Zichron Yaakov, Israel, where she developed a strong foundation in designing and preparing menus using seasonal, local products, and whole foods to keep her meals appealing and creative while also being wholesome.
Returning to America in the 1980’s Aleta continued to develop a style of culinary presentation that encouraged expanding the palette with innovative recipes for her private catering and school programs.
As executive chef at Manhattan Day School for over 30 years she included curriculum enhancement into the school’s lunch program, winning Flik and Compass Group’s “Best Practice” award for her “Theme Thursday” and ”Eat A Book” interactive programs.
Working at HASC, the Hebrew Academy for Special Children, as executive chef for over 13 years helped her develop a focus on cooking for special diet restrictions including low calorie, high calorie, salt free, gluten free, nut free, lactose free, certain legumes, seeds, and fish free.
Aleta was written up in “FOOD Magazine” in 2001 for fusion trends of taking many styles of ethnic recipes and working them in to her kosher menus.
Aleta is a two time winner of the “Be A Star” award for team leadership and staff motivation in the work place.
Over the past several years Aleta has enjoyed enhancing and creating recipes to benefit people challenged with Parkinson’s disease. Following current research that altering food intake can slow symptoms, Aleta promotes a diet filled with fish, eggs, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables while limiting dairy, meats and poultry.
Taryn Coghlan
Functional Medicine Nutritionist, Colon Hydrotherapist and Coach
Kindness, compassionate and positive psychology are the cornerstone to achieving your goals. Taryn Coghlan looks at a person as a whole being and not as a series of symptoms that have to be treated. She focuses on nutrition, good eating practices, exercise and mental health! Recipes, pictures, character strength surveys, WhatsApp messages, breath work, fun exercise programmes, encouragement and education are tools used, to make it easier for you to achieve your goals.
Based in Fairland, Johannesburg, The Transformation Clinic offers the following testing: Genetic (DNA), stool and food Intolerances. Colon hydrotherapy and detoxification / fasting programmes are offered.
Consultations are conducted locally and internationally via WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom or in person.
Before starting The Transformation Clinic, Taryn ran a company in the early 1990’s, called The Catering Concern. She catered for functions and also offered a service of frozen meals, desserts and vacuum packed meats. She was ahead of her time, long before freezer and ready-made meals were on offer in stores. People ordered from a menu for delivery to their homes or for collection. Another service offered was stocking peoples’ fridges with basic daily goods.
The business was extremely successful but unfortunately she worked 7 days a week, 12 – 14 hours a day. This resulted in her developing adrenal fatigue, many digestive and hormonal health issues followed by various operations.
Taryn started to relook at her life and realised that she wanted to educate people about food, health, stress management and how to stop chronic inflammation and disease in its tracks. She shows people that there are better ways of eating, resulting in people being less depressed, overweight, tired, bloated and inflamed. Her own personal experience of transforming her health motivated her to establish The Transformation Clinic in 1998.
Taryn went back to school to achieve her goals of becoming a Nutritionist and Coach :
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach (FMCA) and presently Studying towards an Advanced Life Coaching Programme
Diploma in Anatomy and Physiology
Certificate in Figure Analysis, Diet and Nutrition
Completed a 2 year course – Functional Medicine Education Series
Completed a 1 year course in Functional Medicine Case Management
Graduate of Functional Nutrition Head to Toe – comprehensive and innovative approaches to nutritional assessment
Certificate in Firstline Therapy and Therapeutic Lifestyle Program
Certificate in Dr Hulda Clark’s protocols
Diploma in Lymph Drainage Therapy and Massage
Post Graduate Course in Colon Hydrotherapy and Nutrition
Completed a course in Chinese Diagnostics
Completed a course in Nutritional Oncology
DNA Genetic Coaching
She attends countless seminars on everything from gastrointestinal issues, integrative neurology and gastroenterology, detoxification, ADHD, functional nutrition, food allergies and intolerances, hormonal imbalances, immune dysfunction and inflammation, mitochondrial disorders, oncology and cancer protocols, stress and adrenal fatigue to name a few.
Her big interest is in auto immune diseases and all digestion problems.
Taryn gives radio interviews and talks around the country on various health topics to schools, organisations and other health professionals.
Blender Smoothies
Add all the ingredients to the blender in the order listed. Secure lid. Start blender on lower speed and slowly increase to highest speed. Blend for 45 seconds or select smoothie speed option and allow program to run.
Mint Green Smoothie
1 cup water, 1 ½ cups green seedless grapes 4 cups of loosely packed baby Spinach, 6 to 8 mint leaves, ½ avocado, 2 ½ cups of pineapple chunks, 2 tablespoons honey optional, 1 tablespoon flax seeds, 1 cup of ice cubes
Creamy Mango Smoothie
½ cup orange juice, 1 cup plain yogurt, 1 cup mango chunks, 1 cup pineapple chunks, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 orange peeled and halved, 1 cup ice cubes
Blueberry Beet Smoothie
½ cup grape juice, ½ cup water 1 ½ cup red seedless grapes, 1 cup blueberries, ½ cup roasted & peeled beet, Beets should be wrapped in foil and baked till soft at 350*. 1 tablespoon shelled hemp hearts, 1 cup ice cubes
Zucchini Pancakes
2 cups of shredded zucchini, ¼ teaspoon of salt, 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour, 3 tablespoons ground Flax seeds, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon lemon pepper, 2 medium scallions diced, 2 large eggs, 3 Tablespoons oil to pan fry
Shred zucchini sprinkle with salt and let sit in strainer for one hour.
Press zucchini into paper towels to let as much water drain from the zucchini as possible. Mix the remaining ingredients in to a bowl.
On medium fire pan fry the pancakes till golden brown and then flip over.
Banana walnut muffins
1 ½ cup mashed ripe bananas ( 3 or 4), 2 eggs 1/3 cup coconut oil, ½ cup honey 3 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup water mixed, 2/3 cup of oatmeal, 1 cup whole wheat flour, ½ cup chopped walnuts
Heat oven to 400*. Grease bottoms of 12 medium muffin cups. Mash banana with a fork and add the next 9 ingredients mixed well. Stir in the remaining ingredients all at once just until flour is moistened and still a bit lumpy. Fill each muffin cup ¾ full. Bake until golden brown about 20 minutes. Makes about 1 dozen muffins.