4 the Health of it!
4 the Health of it!
4 the Health of it! ft Chef Kenny James
On this episode of 4 the Health of it we talk with Chef Kenny James on his journey through the culinary industry and how he has used in training to become the personal chef for some of the top athletes in the NBA.
Welcome to For the Health of It. I'm your host, Corey and KPAD Paget, and this is your number one source for all things sports, health, and fitness related. Hold on, coach. What does for the health of it stand for? Good question, Austin. The four and for the health of it stands for our four principles, which are mindset, movement, nutrition, and recovery. Okay, cool. Let's do it for the health of it then. Welcome to another edition of For the Health of It. I'm your host, Corinne K-Pad Padrick. And today I have my very first personal chef on here. Well, he's not my personal chef, but he is a personal chef, uh, chef Kenny James. How are you doing, sir?
Chef Kenny:Hey, I'm good. I'm good. How's everything going with you, man?
Korian:Man, I can't complain, Kenny. I can't complain. So, just to give the folks at home a little background, man, uh, we recently connected on Clubhouse. So uh for those of you that don't know, Clubhouse is another social media app. Uh you basically, it's nothing but chat rooms, basically audio chat rooms, and you get in there and somebody set the stage and folks can just network and connect. So uh I can't remember the exact room we were in. I think it might have been like fitness and nutrition or something like that. And I saw Pitty in there and we connected. So I appreciate you getting on with me.
Chef Kenny:Oh, it's no problem. It's no problem. That's the thing I like about Clubhouse, is that really it gets down to the facts of the matter. So if you walk into the right room, you're gonna be listening to people giving you accurate information that you're asking for with no fillers. So that's what I really enjoy it. So I depends on if I walk into a room about fitness, I can offer my caveat from the food standpoint. So yeah, that's what I like the most about it.
Korian:That's what's up, man. And like you said, it's there's no filler in there. And it when people start to throw out that filler, it gets uh it gets taken care of very quickly.
Chef Kenny:Uh right, right. Weed out who's talking about something and who's not very fast, you know, especially when you got people of your peers where you all have the same mindset. You can tell when one of those things is unlike the other when it walks into the room.
Korian:Right, right, right. Uh uh, just to go off in a little uh side note, I haven't played this game yet. Do you have any kids or are you a gamer or anything? Have you heard about the game uh Among Us?
Chef Kenny:Uh I've heard about it, but I still don't understand the concept. So I gotta put the name or see what it's about.
Korian:Okay, so yeah, I haven't played it either, but from my understanding, it's like a group of people, and you're somewhere on a map, and you gotta figure out who's the imposter. But yeah, but that's that that just thought that uh what you just said just made me think about that with Clubhouse, man. You can definitely uh figure them out.
Chef Kenny:Who's the imposter? Yeah, easy. Easy than that.
Korian:Yeah. Good deal, man. So go ahead, Kenny, man. Tell me uh, we already talked that you are a uh personal chef. Go ahead and tell me how you got started in this field.
Chef Kenny:Oh well, how I got started in this field is uh about year three. Um, I have a family member who's in the NBA. His name is Damian Lillard. Uh that's my client right now, as well as Rodney Hood. Uh, they both play for the Portland Trailblazers. Uh I moved up here in year three. Uh the team said that he needs to start taking care of his body and then he can get a personal chef. And uh he knew exactly who to call. I already have my certification in culinary arts. I was already studying it as a vocation, and I just had a genuine passion for cooking. So once he put me in position to become his chef, I just branched out with other players and uh was blessed to be able to travel and meet all kinds of new people. Oh, that's what's up, man. You said Danger Cousin? Yeah, yeah, that's my little cousin.
Korian:Oh man, that's love right there, man. For real. Uh I'm pretty sure. Let me let me just make sure, man. I know somebody watching this from Mississippi is gonna be mad as hell at me. Uh, but Rodney Hood is from Mississippi, if I'm correct.
Chef Kenny:Yep, yep.
Korian:Okay, good. I thought so. I knew I wasn't tripping. Uh and that's dope, man. So uh I had my my first one of my questions was for you, uh, who was your first big client? But I mean, family.
Chef Kenny:Hey, that makes right, yeah, yeah. In all honesty, that was uh my first and biggest client that I've had to date. But uh I've had the pleasure of having several clients, um, football clients, Super Bowl winning clients. Um Evan Turner, I had Jake Lehman on the team, Alan Crab, I've had Nurik and Simons. Uh Alshon Jeffrey was my NFL client. So um I've I've been blessed to be able to keep several clients. But yes, I would say by far my best and uh proudest client is my cousin Dan.
Korian:That's what's up, man. That's love right there, too. That is real love. So you said basically year three, he brought you out there, man. So where did you learn how to cook from?
Chef Kenny:I started cooking when I was a kid. And um basically, you know, just dealing with being in the house and my mom calling and asking me to just start with simple things. And as I started upgrading the things that she was asking me to do in the kitchen, it turned into me just getting the love and developing flavors. And and in all honesty, as I get older, I start to think that since I've always worn glasses, I think my taste buds might have been the sense that I got heightened. Because they always say if you get one sense that's gonna be stronger if you're reduced in the other. So I think that I make up for it in taste. So I pretty much just started like food and and and then I took vocational training, and then after I took vocational training, I just surrounded myself with multiple things regarding food. So I would work at grocery stores, um, I would work under people. Uh, I've washed dishes at a vegan restaurant just so I can learn some things that was going on in the kitchen in case they needed me to switch over. Some days that worked out where they didn't need me to wash dishes. Some days they needed me to make the pico and the guacamole and start to actually work on the line. So it was good. It was a good experience. I always just pick up any information I can.
Korian:And that's dope, man. Man, uh so man, that's that's cool. I can't even man, that is so cool. Uh, so what what kind of certifications? You mentioned you have one, like what all goes into being a personal chef for somebody, and basically how do you market yourself?
Chef Kenny:Well, really, um, the certification is just for professional purposes. So that's to make sure that I know what I'm talking about and that I'm aware of what's going on. So once you get one of those, which is uh something you can get at a community college, or you can get it at a four-year college like Johnson in Wales. You really just want to get the certification of knowledge. Now, based on where you want to start in this field, is on what college you go to. It's just like going to a Princeton or a Yale or a Harvard. You know, you have your certain top-tier colleges that can get you placement, and then you have certain colleges where you're just gonna have to work your way up. And um, I was fortunately blessed to be able to work my way from just a vocational certification, which I got in high school. So during my junior and senior year, I took three hours out of the day. So on top of my regular school, I would do culinary training, and then I graduated high school with a full certification um in the culinary arts. And then after that, I just learned everything else that I could learn.
Korian:Man, that's so cool. Man, how uh how old are you?
Chef Kenny:Uh I'm turn I'm 35, I'll be 36 in October.
Korian:October what?
Chef Kenny:October 5th.
Korian:Okay, I'm October 20th.
Chef Kenny:Oh, that's what's up. That's what's up, yeah.
Korian:Uh yeah, that's what's up, man. Uh so basically you had a uh here in Mississippi, uh, we we uh I don't think we call it BoTech anymore, but uh I think we call it CDC, like career discovery or uh career development centers. So basically that's what you're okay.
Chef Kenny:Right, and then that was attached to to my regular high school curriculum. Right. So pretty yeah, yeah, yeah. I had to go to school at 7 a.m. And then I would get one class done, and then from 9 to 12, I would do all of my culinary training. I had lunch, and then after lunch, I did all the rest of my classes. So we had to do everything that everybody else had to do, except we had a three-hour class that was just in in the middle of it. And some people took automotive, uh, some people took carpentry. It was just, yeah, yeah. So I highly suggest if it's anybody that's thinking of going to one of those technical schools, if you're not into sports and you're looking to learn a trade, I would highly suggest going to one of those schools.
Korian:Man, that's so dope, man. I can't lie. It's I didn't tell you this, but I'm an educator also. So, you know, from seven to whenever we get out of school and you know, not counting practice, I'm I'm teaching. And the last two years I've been teaching ACT prep. You know, as the ACT prep teacher, I'm not supposed to say, well, college ain't for everybody. But you know, if if a traditional four-year school might not be for everybody, it some people need to go out there and get the skill. And man, looking at you, dog, you you've gotten that skill and you're doing great. That's why I'm not gonna.
Chef Kenny:Yeah, there's people that know their way around the car engine more than they know their way around calculus. So I cannot judge their intellect based on if they can't solve a front leg equation that you would be able to put in front of them. And they don't quite understand it. But if you handed them a hammer and a nail, they would be able to work it out. So it's just all dependent on what space they're in. You know what I mean? I I I I agree with you. I agree with you.
Korian:Man, that's so good. Man, I'm definitely gonna show this to my kids. I can't, I'm gonna chop this up and put this out. Man, I can't wait. I cannot wait to show this and to the counselors also. They all preach the same thing, the counselors. They uh, you know, they're all about vote and whatnot. You know, being in a uh urban community where I'm at, you know, it's it's you know, education by a lot of the families isn't important, but hey man, that skill and necessary life skills is so it's good to see a success story, man, for real.
Chef Kenny:I appreciate it, I appreciate it. And I'm happy to tap in and we can set something up when we talk to them and just try and encourage them to understand that schooling is something that I did at the same time. So it wasn't that I picked up cooking instead of school, it was just something that I was passionate about that carried me through getting through school. So I can apply how many cups and how many tablespoons, and and know that that was math. So when I got to math class, I was a little happier with doing math because I said, okay, I could take this back and work with what I really like to do, you know. So yeah, yeah.
Korian:That's facts right there, man. Uh man, I I I feel like going all the way left and going into a tangent, just having our own personal conversation, man. Oh man. So it's it's crazy though, because my wife, my wife is a physician, and before the pandemic, dog, she did not know her way around the kitchen at all. Like at all. Like I'm the one that do all the cooking in the house. And like, like you, I enjoy it. You you definitely enjoy it more than me. But uh I remember one time, like she was, she she she she did not know her way at all around the kitchen, is all I can say. But during this pandemic, out of nowhere, she was like, you know what, I'm gonna pick up bacon. She has been baking and baking and baking, man. Like, she and she's doing real well with it too, man. The crazy part about it is, you know, I talked to one of my homeboys, he was like, Man, you know, it's probably because baking is a little more uh stringent and strategic than uh actual or regular cooking. And you've got to you gotta pop it. Go ahead.
Chef Kenny:Yes, and it's it yeah, it's delicate, it takes time, it's something that you can watch uh come to fruition. So a cake, you have to put all of these things together and then let it bake. So it's not like where you can burn a cake in three minutes because you you turned the pan on too hot. Nope, the the oven is already set. You put the cake in, you close the door, you come back, it's done. You didn't have to stir it, you didn't have to move it around. Sometimes that's what really people like cooking, they just don't want to have to burn it because they didn't know when to flip it, or or they turned up the fire too high, or they feel like they didn't season it enough with baking. The season is already in the mix. They tell you exactly what to put in it for the outcome to be what you want it to be. So, yeah, baking is is is definitely an easier way for anyone that wants to get into the cooking game to introduce themselves to it because the recipe is pretty much self-explanatory. You just follow it and you know you get what you get.
Korian:Man, facts on that for real. Uh so had let's see, you told me you went to your uh CDC and you went to college after that. Uh, what before you started working for your cousin, what else did you do?
Chef Kenny:Uh I did any and every eye job that I could do to pay the bills, but I also kept myself well read and uh knowledgeable on things that were happening in the culinary world. So um when I first started out after graduation, I ended up working at a grocery store. I tried to work in the pastry section, but I wasn't old enough. So since I couldn't work as the uh the cake decorator, I worked pushing carts for my first yeah, because I graduated early. You had to do everything at 18. I graduated at 17. Yeah, so so you had to be 18 to work in these departments. I was only 17. So I had to put much weight an entire year before I could do any of the formal jobs. So I just pushed carts and paid attention. And then when my time came, I jumped in. And then after that, I started working at Costco in the meat department, learning cuts of meat, learning styles, learning weight, learning how pricing, just learning things like that. Then after that, um, I just went into working in group homes, and group homes had me cooking for a lot of my clients. So I just learned to cook for them with dietary restrictions and keeping myself up to date on recipes and working out little things on them. And uh, you know, it's just a passion. If it's a passion, it'll never leave you.
Korian:Okay. All right, so you talked about some dietary restrictions there. Let's talk about uh all these different diets and then particularly uh working with athletes. So can you chat me up about making sure your athletes are getting their needs nutritionally during the season? And then yeah, go ahead, get there, and I'll lead into the next one.
Chef Kenny:Oh, well, I I think with them um it's more so about nutrient-based and how hard they're running. So some guys get more minutes than others, so it's just figuring out what each particular person needs. We're already building in anti-inflammatories, we're already building in the things that are health-based for you. So, so uh certain allergies that you might have, we're trying to keep you avoidant from so you don't get sick. We're already building immunity boosters like turmeric and things like that into your food. So your natural things that we will want to put into uh say like a high performance car, when you put in only premium gas, with these being athletes, most times we're only putting in premium fuel. So that's organic food, natural anti-inflammatories, natural things that will keep you healthy. So, yeah, that that's just going um generally across the board. And then we have nutritionists that we work with on the team, and they'll tell us particulars on weight and um how much they want them to weigh, how many minutes they might expect from them, and sometimes that cuts weight, so they'll need to cut at uh say all-star break. They were running at one particular weight, now we got to switch it up, and they need to lose three pounds, so then we'll figure it out from there. It's just a constant change, but health is always the key.
Korian:Well, so can you give me some examples? You mentioned uh food that are natural anti-inflammatory. Can you can you give me some examples of that?
Chef Kenny:Um, honestly, it all depends on the person. Okay. We just have some blood work done with Dane, and there are certain foods that make him um inflamed more than others. So I can't give you uh any particular ones professionally speaking on the clients. But you want some natural inflammatory, yeah, yes. Because I didn't want to say that and then that that not be on his panel. He watched this and say, Oh no, man, that's right, right. Yeah, but yeah, you have natural inflammatory foods. You got garlic, uh, you got some cayenne for blood flow, uh, things like that. Uh, antioxidants are your cranberries, uh, a lot of your dark fruits. Um, yeah, just things that keep your blood flow and um that are dark in color, I would say.
Korian:Okay. All right, no, that I mean, yeah, I I definitely don't want you giving out anybody's personal information.
Chef Kenny:Uh yeah, yeah, yeah.
Korian:Uh so how does it differ from feeding an athlete during season and then off-season?
Chef Kenny:Uh in the off-season, they get to break more. So they enjoy themselves way more in the off-season than they do during the season. So they can eat whatever they want. Commonly, if you got somebody who's locked in, they won't go too crazy. They'll probably give you maybe a month or two where they're doing whatever it is they want to do, and then they'll get back into it knowing the season is coming up. But uh this year it was different because of COVID and lack of travel. A lot of guys kind of stayed in pocket, so it wasn't really too much craziness on this offseason, but usually they're traveling the world, they're eating any and everything they couldn't eat, you know. Like sometimes these guys, well, really most times, they're eating in a hotel room when they're traveling on the road, or it's just whatever we cook them. So off season, they're just running wild.
Korian:Right, right, right. So during the season, do you travel with these guys on road games, or how does that go?
Chef Kenny:No, no. Um, with me, I'm a private chef for them as well as their families. So when they're on the road, I'm still taking care of spouses and kids and the household or in general. So yeah, I'm the family chef. Uh, and if they're on the road, sometimes they'll call and get advice about things that may be in the city, uh, or they'll have something on the menu that they're not sure about, you know. So they'll be like, I wanted to try this. What is this? And what do you think is in it? Okay, well, I'll tell them, all right, well, yeah, you can eat that. That does sound good. I'll give them suggestions and things of that nature. But most times their creatures of habit, so they know what their ritual is before a game, and they already kind of got those meals picked out.
Korian:Okay, okay. So when you say you uh again, you don't have to get two-person with any one particular client. Just give me, uh, generally speaking, uh like do you go to people's houses every day? Like, are you going to multiple families' houses a day preparing meals? Or how does that work?
Chef Kenny:Um, I go to the store every day. I go to their homes every day during the week, sometimes during the weekend, and it's a fresh menu every day. So if I I let them make the request, if they have a request, then I feel that. If they don't, then they say chef's choice, and then I'll make them something that I know that they might like, and then I'll just keep it within the dietary restrictions and the amount of limit that they want. So if I'm coming back for dinner, I'll make you something light for lunch, which is usually a fresh fruit tray, whatever you requested, and then some vegetables or a salad on the side, and then uh yeah, yeah, and then I come back for dinner, so it's constantly rotating, constantly moving. I never stock the refrigerator because I don't know what I'm gonna need. So I'm always in the store.
Korian:Man, that's dope, man. Man, uh hey, it would be definitely before we get out of here, you gotta have to shout out uh your social media and how people can reach you too, man. Uh, but chat me up about some of these fad diets, man. We got uh like the Atkins diet, keto, uh, and then you mentioned uh veganism. Uh can you talk about can you talk about veganism in the professional athlete?
Chef Kenny:Yeah, um, I feel like veganism in the professional athlete is a good space for the off season because your body isn't going through the rigors of what it will go through when you're talking about uh muscle uh exertion and things of that nature. So I would say it's a good way to lean out and get some proteins and nutrients in your body that are consistent, but not as uh I will say an overload. Because during the season, you need an overload of protein, you need an overload of carbs, you need to be able to run your normal race and still be able to operate as a normal human being. So I would say it's a good uh diet for that, but I wouldn't suggest you do it during the season because the amount of protein you have to eat with veganism, what you'd be eating all day. There are certain athletes that do it, but they do it with liquid diets and um IVs and things of that nature. Uh Atkins and keto, and it's really those diets are meant to attack one particular area that you may be deficient in. So if you don't know how to stay away from carbs, we'll give you a diet that's all meat and tell you psychologically you can eat as much meat as you want as long as you stay away from that thing that you know you shouldn't be eating in the first place. Same way with keto. It's telling you that it's a high-fat, low-carb diet, and it gives you all of these advantages, but it's also putting you in a place where your cholesterol can end up high. So I think that all these diets are good. It's just it's a psychological understanding of trying to tell you to stay away from things that you know you shouldn't be eating. We're just calling it a diet. So yeah, it may work, but I don't think that they work for long term.
Korian:Okay, man, that's dope, man. That is very dope. Uh, so we've talked about go ahead, Ken, and chat up your uh drop all your social media for me. Drop how people can reach you, and also, man, uh for my own personal reasons, I want to know how much you charge, but go ahead.
Chef Kenny:Okay. Um, you can find me at Chef Kenny James on Instagram, you can find me at KJames Cuisine on Facebook. Uh, I also give stock advice. So if you don't have any understanding of what the stock market is, or you're just trying to figure out what stocks that you want to use, um, you can find me at Johnny Stock Market. Uh, you can find me at Clubhouse at Chef Kenny James. And uh that's pretty much it. And how much I charge all depends. When it's in season, it's the bag because I will have to tell the families and and pretty much that that I will have to go and do another job. But usually on the off end, it could be anywhere between a thousand to two thousand dollars per event um if I have to travel. So, yeah, it just depends.
Korian:Okay, all right, man. Hey Ken, uh it's been a pleasure. I I love to keep it short and simple, but man, this man, this has been great. This has been uh very fulfilling, as they say, and I definitely appreciate you uh you hopping on with me. Yeah, it's no problem, it's no problem, man. It was my pleasure. If you ever need me to do it again, just let me know. Oh, definitely, definitely. I'm gonna come with way more questions because I feel I slick feel underprepared now. But man, I'm definitely gonna come back to you soon, and I really appreciate you coming on with me.
Chef Kenny:Hey, man, it's no problem, it's no problem anytime.
Korian:All right, this has been another episode of For the Health of It. Thank you for listening.