With such music legends as Prince, David Bowie, Lemmy Kilmister, Merle Haggard and Glenn Frey leaving us this year, it’s no wonder people are feeling a bit nostalgic. It’s also no wonder that Desert Trip, the three-day festival featuring The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Rogers Waters, Paul McCartney and The Who, attracted thousands eager to reminisce.
“I think it’s very normal for us to feel our own mortality with the loss of such influential artists,” said Terrine chef Kris Morningstar (Esquire’s “Knife Fight”), one of many celebrity chefs who participated in the music and culinary experience.
Mr. Morningstar is taking his own advice and eating healthier in the hopes of increasing his own longevity.
“I find myself making a lot of protein-based salads when I cook at home for my girlfriend and myself,” he said. “I still want bright flavor, but I’m not usually eating the late-night chili burger and fries I would eat regularly a decade ago.
“I have lost 30 pounds this year.”
“The key to long life is balance,” said Chef Chris Oh of Hanjip, who has appeared on “Live! With Kelly,” Hallmark’s “Home & Family” and “Food Fighters.” “Don’t expect to be around for long if all you do is party and eat whatever your heart desires. Sure, go ahead and party like it’s 1999, but just balance it out with a proper diet and some form of exercise.”
“Of course we all like to indulge with a fatty piece of meat and truffle mac n’ cheese, but I find myself moving more and more toward meals that are heavy on fruits and vegetables [and] a tiny amount of lean meats,” said Nakul Mahendro, a chef at the five-star Indian restaurant Badmaash in Los Angeles. “My body feels and functions better, the brain is more alert, and I don’t feel sluggish or tired as often.”
Recently, Mr. Mahendro’s father, Pawan, cut out sugars from his diet entirely, adding credence to what his chef son believes regarding “unprocessed, whole, plant-based foods” being key to feeling better and having more energy.
“That’s what it takes to live a long life,” he said. “The idea is to eat the way Mother Nature intended us to eat.”
Mr. Mahendro said many of the spices in Indian cuisine are connected to longevity.
“Turmeric [has] been linked to fighting cancer and [has] high-antioxidant properties,” he said. “Ceylon cinnamon is also linked to brain function and warding off depression and low levels of motivation.”
Besides the quest to be physically fit with age, acute mindset is extremely important, acknowledged Devon Espinosa, beverage director at Woodley Proper.
“If you think young, you are young. If you surround yourself in a positive atmosphere where your brain stays active, there is a youthfulness that will stick with you,” Mr. Espinosa said. “Once you get complacent, you find less reason to leave your house, and the day-to-day monotony can get to you.
“The brain becomes stale, which is why you need to read, do crossword puzzles — whatever it is to keep your brain functioning.”
“As we age, our metabolism slows; it just doesn’t work the way it used to,” noted Cory Lane, operating partner at The Cannibal Beer & Butcher, which has locations on both coasts. “This is why we have to be more mindful about what we are eating.
“As long as you are exercising, I believe that you can eat really well and still cheat and have fun.”
Mr. Lane, who has served such celebrity clients as Joe Montana, Bill Clinton and Mohammed Ali, had a lot of health issues in his youth, which prompted him to start cycling.
“If you are pushing your body too hard, you have to know when to slow down and take breaks,” he said.
Cooking for a living, plus having children, has made exercise a bit of a challenge for Steve Samson, chef/owner of Sotto Restaurant, which has served Adele, Mr. McCartney, Robert Duval and Anne Hathaway over the years.
“I didn’t eat fast food for 25 years, yet now that I have 4-year-old twins, I find myself going to McDonalds for an egg white muffin,” Mr. Samson said. “I think the key to a long life is figuring out how to fit in healthy living and eating with a crazy schedule. It’s very hard.”
Mr. Samson maintains the importance of building in time to exercise, which has gotten even more crucial as the chef is approaching his half-century mark.
“It’s hard to run around the kitchen if I am not working out,” he said.
Establishing a regular time for eating can help too, Mr. Samson added.
“My grandparents ate at the same time each day, and having a regimen using healthy ingredients is very important,” he said.
Chef Bruce Kalman of Union in Pasadena, California, tries to eat as cleanly as possible, and offers sustainable vegetables and meats from local farmers to his customers as well.
“I believe the food you eat can impact your health, which is why I only utilize high-quality vegetables, meats and cheeses straight from the source,” he said, “and no artificial ingredients.”
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