Jennifer A. Ford
Jennifer A. Ford, known as, “Red Jen,” is a Health & Wellness Coach, Consultant and Educator with 15 years of experience balancing a demanding corporate career with her need for healthy & tasty food, lots of exercise and a fulfilling, passion-driven life. She provides client coaching and education both on an individual basis and in a group setting to help clients achieve balance in their lives, improve their overall health and well being, and inspire them to lead passion-driven lives. She also consults with corporations to help them define and implement corporate wellness strategies.
After obtaining her BS degree in Chemical Engineering with an emphasis in Biotechnology at the University of California at Berkeley, Red Jen began her career in Environmental Consulting and went on to work as a Management Consultant, focusing on industries such as Investment Banking, Aerospace and Defense, Food & Beverage, and Healthcare. After learning how to juggle her demanding job, travel challenges, personal responsibilities, and need to pursue her passions, she realized her true calling was to help others find more balance and improve the health and quality of their lives.
Red Jen became a yoga teacher in 2005, quit her corporate job in 2007, and started managing the Westwood Farmers Market that same year. She then earned her certificate in Holistic Health Counseling at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, affiliated with Columbia University’s Teacher’s College in New York City. She’s been told that she has an uncanny "Passion for Produce" and with this passion hopes to change the world "one bite at a time." She’s absolutely loved getting on the farmer-side of the food system, understanding their challenges, dedication and investment in the quality food we enjoy eating. The added benefit is that she has deepened her understanding of seasonal eating and tied that to her knowledge of the ancient, Ayurvedic approach to finding balance. Access to ever-changing harvests has also inspired her to create seasonal recipes that she shares with her clients and at her cooking classes and is compiling in her forthcoming cookbook, “Simply Seasonal: A Yogic Approach to Eating.” All her recipes are loaded with nutrition and lots of flavor and are typically low in calories, and so they exemplify “big bang for your bite!” Red Jen teaches her busy clients the simplicity of eating local, sustainably grown food. After all, starting with incredibly fresh and tasty ingredients makes putting a healthy meal on the table quick and easy.
In yoga we try to live in the moment, whether on or off the mat: yoga teaches us to live right here, right now. Choosing to eat right here, right now, and means choosing what’s local and in season where and when we can. This is the foundation of Red Jen’s “yogic approach to eating” and the platform from which she teaches her clients and customers to choose shop and use local ingredients whenever possible…
A yogic approach to eating applies the practice of living in the moment to eating in the moment. Each breath we take is an opportunity for change. Each bite we take is an opportunity to choose our health, as well as that of the planet. Further, Ayurveda, yoga’s sister science, teaches us to eat and adjust our lifestyle to balance our dosha or “season “ and that when we eat and adapt our lifestyle to nature’s seasons, we are in balance with our surroundings and thus we become more balanced ourselves – mentally, physically, emotionally , and spiritually. The yogic approach to eating ties in the philosophies of the 8-limbed yoga path with Ayurveda’s dharma and methods of seeking balance with the related approach of eating seasonally... To be in each pose, to move with the breath, what a shift to make to eat in the moment!
Red Jen Ford is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Yoga Instructor and Seasonal Eating Expert. Find her on Thursdays managing the Westwood Farmers’ Market, located in the Vets’ Garden in Los Angeles, between Noon and 5 PM (www.westwoodfarmersmarket.com ). Or, get inspired in her yoga classes at CorePowerYoga in Huntington Beach (www.corepoweryoga.com ), or find her on the web at www.redjenford.com and www.foodenquirer.com .
Vegetable Aphrodisiacs
Red Jen talks about seasonal natural aphrodisiacs vegetables at Westwood Farmers Market
In season: Citrus
Red Jen talks about the seasonal citrus varieties at Westwood Farmers Market.
Cancer Fighting Vegetables in Winter Season
Red Jen talks about cancer fighting cruciferous vegetables at Westwood Farmers Market.
Whole Grain Spaghetti with Greens, Rustic Itali...
Spiced Chicken Tenders
Red Jen teaches her friends how to make quick an easy spiced chicken tenders recipe
Caldo Verde (Portuguese potato and kale soup)
Red Jen makes nutritious Caldo Verde (Portuguese potato and kale soup) recipe health coach and se...
Blood Orange Chili Fish
Blood Orange Chili fish recipe from health coach and seasonal eating expert Red Jen
Roasted Curry Cauliflower
Easy to make Roasted Curry Cauliflower recipe from health coach and seasonal eating expert Red Jen
Tangerines in Spring Season
Health benefits nutrition facts and information for Tangerines
Sugar Snap and Snow Peas
Health benefits nutrition facts and information for fresh Peas.
Spring Onions
Organic Strawberries
Asparagus in Spring Season
Health benefits nutrition facts and information for Spring Season
Artichoke: Spring cleanser vegetable
Health benefits for artichokes and tips on how to choose and eat
All Natural Edible Sprouts
Health benefits, nutrition facts and information for all natural edible sprouts.
Edible Flowers
Types of Cherries
Learn about different types of cherries and their health benefits
Stone Fruits: Apricots, Peaches, Nectarines, Pl...
Nutritional facts and health benefits of all the varieties of stone fruits.
Launch Video Library
Blood Orange Chili Fish
Health and Wellness Coach Red Jen prepares delicious Blood Orange Chili Fish Recipe
Caldo Verde (Portuguese Green Soup)
Red Jen makes nutritious Caldo Verde (Portuguese potato and kale soup) recipe, health coach and seasonal eating expert
Pasta with Greens, Rustic Italian Style
Learn how to make Whole Grain Pasta with Bitter Greens recipe
Roasted Curried Cauliflower
Expert Red Jen prepares Roasted Curried Cauliflower Recipe
Spiced Chicken Tenders
Learn how to make quick an easy spiced chicken tenders recipe
December The Farmers Corner: Five Gifts for Farmers-Market Shoppers and Eco-Conscious Eaters
Five reusable items to support easy shopping at farmers’ markets and eco-conscious eating:
Eat Your Heart Out - Refresh with Sweet Watermelon and Tomatoes!
Here in Southern California, summer is blooming late this year with our “June Gloom” lasting all through July and even seeping into August! However, based on the recent harvests of sweet watermelons and tomatoes at the farmers markets, it looks like
February 2011 – Eat for Love? 5 Surprisingly Seasonal and Sensual Foods
You know greens are good for you right? I mean in terms of our overall health, we all know that eating greens is a great way to fight cancer, get more fiber, and fill up on vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients without breaking the calorie bank.
Food For Thought
Did you know your brain is plastic? It is ever changing and malleable and, in fact, can be strengthened like a muscle! Neuroplasticity means you have some control over your cranial fitness.
How about Cherries?
What have you tasted that's fabulous lately? How about cherries? They're a welcome addition to the farmers markets and are bursting with sweet flavor!
Refresh with Sweet Watermelon!
Here in Southern California, it seems like we are getting a late start to summer with our “June Gloom” lasting all through July and even seeping into August! However, based on the recent harvests of sweet melons at the farmers markets, it looks like
Savor The Season with Summer Squash & Sweet Stone Fruit!
Eating seasonally is a simple, sustainable and enjoyable way to balance your health. And it’s especially easy when you shop at your local farmers market or farm stand.
Savor the Summer’s Sweet End as we Transition to Autumn!
I love this time of year where the farmers’ markets and backyard gardens are overflowing with ripe, juicy tomatoes, and sweet corn is still bursting with summer flavor. And yet, the first pumpkins are here, reminding us that autumn is just around the
The Farmers’ Corner: Seasonal Citrus in Surprising Colors with Spring-Cleansing Benefits
Of course we know that citrus fruits like oranges, tangerines and lemons are high in Vitamin C, and that accordingly they help strengthen our immune system. But did you know they help to detoxify the blood, too?
Yum for Summer Squash!
What have you tasted that's fabulous lately? How about summer squash? You’ll find them at farmers markets in shades of yellow, pale green and the more traditional emerald hue of zucchini.
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