Healthy Eating with Chef O

From "Live and Give" Newsletter. Summer issue. (www.rsnhope.org)

Healthy Eating with Chef O
by Sherai Onibasa, weKAN Patient Activist, PEPP Speaker

Would you like to try some Pineapple Cream Cake? Maybe some Chicken with White Wine Grape Sauce? How about some Black- Eyed Pea Salad? It’s all possible with the recipes created by Oliver Eugene Hale, a.k.a. “Chef O!”
Chef O loves to cook! His desire to cook began around the age of five. He asked his mother if he could help her and he’s been cooking ever since. He takes pride in creating healthy recipes for his customers, including those with kidney disease.
What makes his recipes so intriguing is that Chef O isn’t just a chef... he’s a kidney patient too! For almost 25 years, he’s been dealing with kidney disease caused by untreated high blood pressure. But he didn’t succumb to his illness. Instead, he took action and began a regimen of healthy living that included changes in both diet and exercise.
By eliminating salt and learning how to use other natural seasonings, Chef O was able to improve his health without sacrificing flavor. He also began to exercise. His athleticism even earned him a spot playing tennis in the National Kidney Foundation’s Transplant Games.
He was fortunate enough to receive a kidney transplant on January 29, 1985. It lasted for 22 years, during which he continued to maintain his healthy lifestyle. In December 2007, the transplant failed and he needed to return to hemodialysis. But that didn’t matter to Chef O—whether he was living on dialysis or with a transplant, he continued to cook.
Chef O’s mission is to “enhance a healthy lifestyle of eating for everyone and to teach the utilization of natural or organic foods to improve health and reduce health risks.” He propels this mission in the renal community by performing cooking demonstrations throughout the U.S. for dialysis patients. Chef O has also given demonstrations for health insurance companies, health organizations, and the National Kidney Foundation. Chef O’s healthy recipes cover the gamut of food tastes: French cuisine, Italian, seafood. You name it, he’s got it! He even has a local television show titled “Chef O’s Place” that airs in the Grand Rapids, MI, area.
Is your mouth watering at the prospect of varying your renal diet? Good, because Chef O has a cookbook coming out later this year. If you want to spice up your life and stay within your dietary restrictions, keep your eye out for this chef who’s on the move!
For more information, visit Chef O’s website at www.ChefO.us. NOTE: Some recipes in the cookbook may not be renal-friendly. Check recipes with your dietician first. Sherai Onibasa has been doing peritoneal dialysis since 2002. As Executive Director of a nonprofit agency, she helps serve underprivileged youth in her Southern California community. She enjoys writing, traveling, and spending time with her husband Richard. Sherai is also a PEPP speaker and weKAN patient activist with the Renal Support Network. Aired May 22, 2007 Go to RSNhope.org and click on the KidneyTalk logo.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad 6 servings
11⁄2 cups canned black-eyed peas, drained
1⁄4 cup olive oil
1⁄2 cup chopped celery
1⁄4 cup sugar (or Splenda)
3⁄4 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1⁄2 cup chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1⁄4 cup chopped onion
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss. Refrigerate overnight for better flavors.
Nutrition Information per serving (in parentheses if using Splenda substitute)
Calories: 177 (150)
Protein: 3.5 g
Potassium: 216 mg
Fat: 9.5 g
Carbohydrates: 21 g (14 g)
Sodium: 194 mg
Phosphorus: 69 mg