One look at Chef Babette Davis and you would think she is young, energetic and full of life--oh, and one who has a great body too.
Well, at least that's what I thought when I looked at her. But when I saw her recipes and read up on her, I realized just how amazing this woman is.
She is a world-class chef, fitness expert and motivational speaker who runs the successful Inglewood, California restaurant, Stuff I Eat and produces online cooking classes while participating in health summit and speaking engagements all around the country.
And she does all of this while looking half her age.
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The 73-year-old (yes, 73! I didn't believe it either) has appeared on many lifestyle shows from Hallmark’s Home & Family to the HBO hit series Insecure.
She's also a published author, featured in the bestseller Juice Guru.
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But don't mistake her beautiful smile as one who has had it easy all her life. Oh no. Chef Babette's journey is filled with challenges and opportunities that she's taken head-on each time.
Diagnosed with severe asthma, and eczema, the Los Angeles native made the conscious decision to eat for the sake of nutrition.
The bestseller "Fit for Life" by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond initiated her journey towards self-healing.
On her 70th birthday, she posted seven incredible photos of herself in honor of being thankful for 70 years of life.
"I have so much to be grateful for I am healthier now than I was when I was thirty and my lifestyle is conducive to maintaining health! My heart is filled with love and appreciation for LIFE ALL LIFE! And If these post have affected you in a positive motivated way to practice the art of SELF CARE I’m overjoyed! Thank you to each and every one of you for being so wonderful and making my day great!"
Before the age of 40, Chef Babette lived a completely different life.
But something happened that changed the course of her life allowing her to arrive where she is now.
"My childhood family life was interesting, had its challenges, with my mother being absent because of work," Babette tells the Huffington Post.
"I had to endure some unpleasant situations, so along with the physical illness, I was unhappy a lot as a child. I saw abuse in my family, and I am a victim of child molestation myself. I would say around my mother I was happy. At a certain point, life mellowed out a bit, especially when I got older and was able to make my own decisions."
"Growing up my mother did domestic work and often worked two or three jobs so she had to board us out.
When I lived with my Godmother, she was a Seventh-Day Adventist so we ate a vegetarian diet, however, most of the time we did not have fresh food...it was either frozen or in the can, but it was vegetarian.
I suffered from a lot of allergies, eczema, and asthma being the most challenging.
Never properly diagnosed and never knowing where the allergies were coming from, I constantly had rashes everywhere.
When I got back with my mother permanently, my condition did not improve. When I became an adult, I also suffered from a lot of bloating and constipation."
Now, healthy inside and out, Chef Babette has a new outlook on life: “Life is not complete unless you move.
Our journeys are constant and our transitions are infinite, our health is merely a vehicle to enjoy all that’s in between.”
She fuels her body with the nutrients to allow her to continue the active lifestyle and body she proudly displays.
"The books Fit For Life, by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, and the Mucus-less Diet Healing System by Professor Arnold Ehret, changed my life.
After reading them, my entire perspective on the association of dis-ease and the consumption of animal proteins changed.
"Rondall and I believe in the lifestyle and we wouldn’t have any other type of restaurant. Vegan represents us and our beliefs, and it is important for us to introduce people to vegan food. We also knew of many vegans in the community and wanted to eat out and not have to drive to miles to get a decent and tasty vegan meal."
