 Hi, everyone, and welcome to Lillian's Vegan World, where we talk about everything to do with the vegan lifestyle and plant-based diet. Coming to you live from the beautiful studio at Think Tech Hawaii, which is live on their YouTube channel, so definitely do check it out. Today, I'm very excited to introduce two of my guests, all the way from Ekahi Ornish, clinical manager, Blair Grant. Welcome to the show, Blair. Thank you so much for coming. It's so nice to meet you finally. Thank you. I've heard a lot about your program, and very happy and excited to hear all about it. And next to you, we have someone I think I've met you before, who happens to be a graduate of your Ekahi Ornish program, so welcome, Chef Paul. Nice to be back. Always a pleasure to have you back, and great to see you again. So welcome. Your program is causing a lot of buzz here in Honolulu. I hear about it all the time. And just as a coincidence, a lot of your students are coming to my classes and seven course dinners, and they are the ones that ask the questions of, how can I substitute this for a healthier version in my class? So I know they're from your program straight away, which is amazing, because it means they're very conscious and aware of what they're eating and preparing. So congratulations for doing, obviously, a great job. Thank you so much. So Blair, please tell us, if you can, basically what the Ekahi Ornish program is about. Yeah, sure. So the Ekahi Ornish program is based off of Dr. Dean Ornish's program for Reversing Heart Disease. It's focused in on lifestyle medicine, and it really has four main components to it. So the four components are one, eat well, which is based off of a plant-based, whole foods approach to eating. The other one is stress less, so stress management that we focus in on. The other one is love more, so we focus in on a group-based approach to really be able to openly share and have a really supportive group of people around us. The last one is move more, so really focusing in on exercise. We really take this holistic approach to health that's been proven by research to help to reverse chronic conditions such as cardiac disease. Yes, that's amazing. And you honestly have put it into those four groups that are just, they play such important roles. I think one of the problems is when people try to create their health as opposed to counter-created, they focus too much on one thing, whether it be getting fewer calories in their diet or just focus on exercise alone or changing the way they eat. But it's really all those things that you mentioned put together in a program that really can make, I'm sure, a huge impact on your health once you've balanced them out nicely. And so your program focuses on those four groups, that's amazing. How long is the program? The program, it's nine weeks, participants come twice a week for four hours each session and there's an hour focusing on each of those elements that I talked about. The one hour of exercise, an hour of stress management, an hour of nutrition, and an hour of groups of work. And then that twice a week for nine weeks. Nine weeks. It's a really intensive program, but it's really amazing, it's life changing. We really focus in on empowering the individual. A lot of times people just don't, they really want to make, they want to start doing something and they just don't know where to start. So we're really there to provide compassionate care where we really look after the individual and look at them not just for, not just focusing in on their heart health or their mental health or whatever else, you know, a lot of times you go to specialists and they just focus in on one area. Really we look at healing the body from the inside out in a full holistic approach. Yeah, that's incredible. And you are also focusing on a mainly plant-based diet. Yes. Yes, this is interesting because Chef Paul, you have been on the show a couple of times and always, you know, really fascinating to talk to you. You are a graduate of this program. So before you started the program, you were not a vegan? No. No, okay. I was a food abuser. A food abuser. Yeah, I remember you, yeah, that was the title of, I think the first show that you participated on here. Yeah, so tell us a little bit about your journey with Ekahi Ornich. Well I went there very afraid because my doctor said I was a heart attack and stroke risk. Wow. And then I went to the lab and suddenly we're waiting for the lab results from my doctor. So the commercial on TV and I thought, I wonder if I qualify. I gave them a call, I was seen right away and before I knew it I was qualified and in the program and life changes, something I will never forget. Wow, so you bring up a good point, all you have to do is contact Ekahi to find out whether you, you know, you are a good candidate for the program and I'm sure they can guide you along that way. What is the number for your program? Great, so the number is 808-777-4001. You want to click on option one and you'll speak with a clinical liaison and they'll talk you and support you throughout the whole journey. They'll invite you in if you would like, if you choose to come in for a personalized tour to learn more about the program, to learn if you're eligible, to learn if your insurance would cover for the program as well. Wonderful, yes. So Paul, how was it for you? I mean, it certainly can't be a walk in the park coming from a food abuser as you, you know, claimed to be, to becoming this healthy on a plant-based diet person who's exercising a lot now, like you've really changed your life and your health considerably. How did it all happen? I'm doing it in two years now. Congratulations. Yeah, and it's been a very interesting journey, a very, I would say it's real enlightening for me because I, because of my background in food, my mission has been to, as you know, veganize my own world, especially living in Hawaii, the things that I missed, the lao lao, the loco moco, for example, all local things that I felt were just, you know, on the shelf and just not part of my diet anymore. I've been able to recreate them with existing technology and I think it's kind of exciting now that the things that I'm able to do in the kitchen are things that weren't available to me just five years ago, just impossible burger, for example. Yes, yeah. Certainly plant-based products have just come such a long way from the meats, the plant-based versions of meats that have come out. The dairy world, I mean, non-vegans are really hopping on this non-dairy train and it's going all over the place. It's just going crazy. The other day, I had a vegan ice cream that comes out of Austin, Texas, called Nada Move, and they're five different, you know, I ate a pint of birthday cake, vegan ice cream, yeah, I ate the whole pint by myself. Oh, I do too. If I open up a vegan ice cream, it's going to get demolished regardless of how big it is. It's pretty scary because it comes, I mean, you can't tell, and I'll tell the difference. Yeah, you can't. That's a pretty amazing thing. And I do want to correct you. Just one thing, you said that you are veganizing your world. I would like to think that you're actually veganizing other people's worlds as well, doing what you do. Your food is incredible. And I'm hearing a lot about your loco moco, your vegan version. So later on in the second half, we are going to talk about some events that you're coming up with. I have to try this. You will. Chef Paul makes the best loco moco, and I hear the best scrambled eggs, vegan scrambled eggs. I have found the right track on that one. A nice formula for that. Awesome. So Paul, Chef Paul, tell us more about your lifestyle, how much it's changed. Your health has obviously changed a lot since you first stepped foot into a kahi ornish. Two years on down the line, how are you feeling? Terrific. When I walked into a kahi ornish, I had a blood pressure of 181 over 117. Last night when I took it, it was 117 over 75. How does that make you feel? Oh, my God. You hear someone who's done the program and still sustaining this and maintaining this healthy lifestyle. It's so wonderful to hear that, because that's the beauty of this program is that there are these simple changes that we can make, and it can really make such an enormous change within our health. And I think Paul's the best example of that more than anything, not only has he improved his health, he's thriving. Yeah, it's thriving. You're not only surviving, thriving. And Chef Paul, you started off as a chef, but then you, during your little transition to becoming what we refer to as a vegan, you also changed your career path and are now primarily a vegan chef, is that correct? Yes. I just got certified as a vegan chef and instructor, dual certification, and that was quite exciting for me because I had to go through, you know, in front of a panel and be a judge quite severely, especially because of where I came from, because the people I was dealing with grew up as vegan. And so some of my techniques were questionable, but I convinced them that I actually could do a risotto without oil. And I did, and it tasted good to them, and so I passed. Yeah, I'm sure your food is amazing. There would be no way that, you know, they wouldn't pass someone like you. When it comes to food layer and Chef Paul, what are, so you are focusing on a primarily plant-based diet. Do you include any dairy in this diet? Do you allow for dairy? Yeah, great question. So we do follow Dr. Ornish's protocol with it, and he does allow some fat-free dairy, however, he even will make the disclaimer that if you don't need it, we don't really recommend it. So another sort of more living proof that the plant-based diet really is proving to be the best one out there, I mean, without a doubt, and you're here to show people that this is what can happen. So I hope that people who are, you know, viewers who are watching and are thinking that perhaps they might be a candidate, or they would like to sort of, you know, hear more information, do call you, do contact you at that number that will say once again, Blair, if you don't mind. So it's 808-777-4000, and it's option one, and you'll speak with a clinical liaison and they'll support you along the way. Great. So we will take a short break now and come back for our second half of more of Billion's Vegan World and partnering in your journey to wellness with Blair Grant and Chef Paul. Stay tuned. You know, there is bigotry in America. You find it in many forms, many places, against many groups. It's racism, it's supremacy, it's anti-Semitism and more. That's why I think Tech has a show called Bigotry in America. We cover it from every side, we cover it here and on the mainland and for that matter, on Europe. And Seymour Kazimurski is part of our show today. What do you think about covering Bigotry in America? Is it important we do that? It's not important. It's essential. It's one of the most important pieces of work that you can do as a journalist to make sure that Bigotry is at least erased as much as possible. Come on, think Tech and watch Bigotry in America. Learn about it. If you learn about it, then hopefully you can improve our society. Aloha. My name is Victoria and I'm a host at The Adventures. Small Business. This is a collaboration between U.S. Small Business Administration, Hawaii District Office and its partners. Where we showcase the stories of local entrepreneurs and small businesses, talk about how to start a business, talk about great tips for small business owners. Please join us every Thursday, 11 a.m. at Think Tech, Hawaii. See you soon. Mahalo. Welcome back, everyone, to Lillian's Vegan World Live from the Think Tech Hawaii studio in downtown Honolulu. I'm here with my awesome guest Blair Grant from the Ekaahi Ornish program and my lovely guest who I always enjoy having on the show, Chef Paul, who's a dear friend of mine. Welcome again to you both and thank you so much for your time coming on the show and talking about this awesome program. I'm honestly intrigued and it's so wonderful to hear that you're covering so many aspects of, you know, well-being and health and changing people's lives in so many ways, so fantastic. If you don't mind, I do want to talk about what Chef Paul and I are going to be doing on the island here as Chef Paul is veganizing his world around Honolulu. I'm also following in your path and doing the same. So I did bring in a little bit of show and tell today. This is my, this was, this came out in the Star Advertiser this week, The Crave Magazine, which is the Food, Eat, Drink Magazine and everything about that sort of stuff, stuff that's going on in Honolulu. So I was featured as the cover story in June that you may remember. And also here on page two, they came back and did another article about my vegan feta cheeses. So the cover story I did was my vegan cheeses. I like to play around with plant-based cheeses and create some interesting stuff. So this article, I just want to read the first paragraph to show off a little bit. So it was in the local mocha section on page two. Vegan feta cheese. Lillian Kumik, vegan chef extraordinaire, offers this simple vegan feta cheese recipe that starts with a block of extra-firm tofu seasoned with herbs and the right flavors of miso, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice. Nutritional yeast and garlic powder round it all out and provide a cheesy quality. Kumik has developed an extensive repertoire of vegan recipes. Having lived in Japan for decades, she shares her expertise on that country's cuisine in classes comprising multiple vegan Japanese foods and other cuisines. So I did want to say, again, thank you so much to Crave Magazine for adding another article of mine in there. I really appreciate it. Food editor Joel Lean, Shiro, thank you so much for that. I am also going to show a couple of slides about what Chef Paul's getting up to this month here in gorgeous sunny Honolulu. So let's have a look at the first slide. The famous vegan loco moco. Yes. That looks like something I would pay a lot of money for. And I did it in my cooking class. And the students, when they tasted the gravy, three of them simultaneously said, where's the turkey? So I knew that was a validation of the cheese. But it had no animal product in it. What a compliment. What is the base of the gravy, if you don't mind me asking? I use a mushroom, shiitake mushroom broth. So lots of umami coming from? Yes. And then there's a product called Better Than Boyan, no chicken, and no beef base. And I add that in for flavor. Of course, some garlic and onion powder and herbs. Looks awesome. And that egg, that scrambled tofu egg that you have sitting there, that honestly doesn't look like a vegan food item. It's extra firm tofu that I break up so it looks like a scrambled egg. And then I integrate it in with a vegan egg powder. Replace it, yes. And that has what they call black salt, which is harvested from the volcanic area. So it has a sulfur aroma. And it actually makes the whole experience smell like an egg. Yes, it gives it that eggy dimension. Yeah, that's amazing. So your vegan loco moco is popping up in conversations a lot when I'm around. I'm never going to try and do it because it'll never be as good as yours. So I'm just going to come and have to try yours. I'd like to see what you can come up with too. Don't be excited. And we can get to try a sample of this at the upcoming VegFest, which is on September 21st, Saturday. VegFest Oahu. I'm the guest chef for Down to Earth. And by the way, we both teach at Down to Earth cooking classes. And I represent Iqahi Ornish graduates and people interested in going into the program. Great. So Chef Paul, you'll be at the Down to Earth booth at the VegFest Oahu from. There's a special, not the Down to Earth booth, but it's special Chef's 10 at 130. Pardon me. OK. At 130. And you will be actually making this vegan loco moco awesome. And then we'll have samples who pass out. So if you're there early, you will get a sample. Yes, definitely. I'm coming and I believe I'm going to help serve. Great. So you can help come and eat. And I might add, you owe me a big one for that. No, really looking forward to it. And let's have a look at the next slide here. What is this? Is that some sort of seaweed I'm looking at? This is probably one of the more popular things I do in my local favorites class. And that is a tofu poke, tofu and ogle. And very, very simple. And when people taste it, the flavors are so complex, but it's just at the end, I just do a little sprinkle, light sprinkle of Bragg's Amino instead of soy sauce. Soy sauce, yes. And the tomato, the onion, and the ogle kind of carry the flavor. Great. Just looking at that, that almost looks like something you would see on a Japanese kitchen table. Very fresh, very simple, but it must be just popping with flavor. A lot of umami. A lot of umami, yes, yeah. That looks amazing. Here's what I'm doing this month. Let's have a look at another slide. So this is my Japanese vegan brunch cooking demo that I will be holding on Tuesday, September 17th at Harbour Court in downtown Honolulu. Lots of things going on, takikomi, gohan, onigiri, those little rice balls, chunky miso soup with the twist, some crispy baked tofu in a kombu dashi seasoning. Homemade furikake. Himpira gobo, the bottom right picture there is made with, oh, I can't remember the English name, gobo. The long root, burdock, yeah, burdock root, which I get from Nijia, that's fresh, it's awesome, and something that Japanese sort of have with their rice on a daily basis, so healthy, lots of fiber. Everything that you saw there except for the, which one? Except for the himpira gobo, which does have a little bit of oil, everything, nothing has oil in any of these dishes. Just that burdock root dish. So I'm trying to play around with, because of your graduates' play, which I'm loving. Even graduates from Ekihionisha teaching chefs like myself how to control the oil and oil content and stuff, I don't really use much sugar in my cooking to begin with, but definitely thinking about the oil thanks to your graduates, so there you go. Here's another thing that I'll be doing, you'll see in the next slide. This is my Serbian cuisine cooking demo, which is on Friday, September 20th, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., also at Harbour Court downtown Honolulu. This is all used, all these dishes use my vegan feta cheese that's made from tofu, also non-oil, is the baked version, and it goes into that gorgeous spinach and feta pie, which is pretty good. Very nice, very nice. Yes, my father was Serbian, so I did grow up on the flavors, and my dad was, if I'm a vegan, he would be what we would call the opposite. So, rest his soul, I'm sure if he saw me veganizing his Serbian dishes, he'd just be going, oh my God, what is she thinking? But you know, unconditional love between children doesn't matter how much you veganize their cuisine, they're still gonna adore you. So all of the, I do have one more, sorry, one more slide. This is my Indian sushi with vegan maguro, maguro meaning tuna, which is going to be my next down-to-earth cooking demo on October 9th. So I'll be doing Indian Japanese fusion. I did live in Japan, as I mention all the time, for 30 years, so I do have a very, you know, Japan-influenced kind of repertoire, but also I happen to be half Fijian, so I'm very familiar with the Indian flavors, so I'm going to bring those two cuisines together and see what happens, and that's one thing that's going to be on the menu. What do you think the vegan maguro is made from, having a look at that photo? I think red bell pepper. Yes, roasted red bell peppers, sprayed with a little bit of the amino acids just to give it that, you know, that little aroma when you place it on the Indian sushi. For curry rice? Yeah, curry rice. It's Japanese short grain rice that's steamed with curry and some spices, so that will be one of the dishes that I'll be doing. All of my events, you can find information on Lillian Vegan. All of my social media and pages are under the Lillian Vegan name. YouTube, Facebook, and my website is also Lillian Vegan, so I do have a look there for times, and you can get all of the tickets to my events on Eventbrite. So that's what we're doing, Blair. Very busy trying to veganize Honolulu. Well, thank you, we appreciate it. Makes it so much easier for everybody, right? Yes, well, it's a team effort, really. Yeah, a community movement. Yes, definitely. I think one thing that Paul and I always say that we agree on is you don't have to be vegan to enjoy plant-based food. We have to get that right. Anyone is welcome to create their health any time they wish to do so, and I think definitely one way you can do that is by starting to substitute some of those things that are in your diet that are not doing you well and not working for you, and try the plant-based version. So definitely fun to play around with food. I did want to quickly, if you don't mind, quote what Chef Paul wrote in one of his Island Vegetarian articles. It's a really great paragraph. I'll just read it quickly. Chef Paul says, at Ekahi, I learned how to realistically transition to a plant-based diet, exercise daily, meditate, and practice emotional well-being. I honestly feel as though I have been given a second chance to live and experience life in a very positive way. I'm also very aware that because of my culinary background and training, I've been very blessed to have renewed passion for the preparation of food and would like very much to extend this passion to others who are struggling in this area. That's a wonderful way of putting it, so I congratulate you on your newfound health. I believe I wrote it. I know, I envy you. You write so well. We are coming to the end of the show and huge mahalo for taking out the time in your busy schedule and coming on the show and talking about this awesome program. I do hope that anyone who is watching does get in contact with you to find out more about it so you can end up healthy and wonderful and enjoying life like Chef Paul. Thank you. Pleasure having you on the show. Thank you so much. And good luck, Chef Paul, in your upcoming events. I am looking forward to trying the famous loco moco. Please sign up for her classes. You won't be disappointed. Oh, thank you so much. I was gonna say who? Oh, you mean vegan chef extraordinaire. Thank you everyone for watching. See you next time on Lillian's Vegan World. Aloha.