Food Adventures With Charles The Chef

Louisiana Book Festival 2009 Was A Hit!

2009-10-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

It's a been a few months since my last post. But here I am back with excitement and energy that only Charles the Chef can bring! The Louisiana Book Festival in Baton Rouge was fantastic and Charles the Chef took center stage! Not only did we have the opportunity to present our special Smokey's smoothie food demo, but it was received with flying colors! I was able to meet and nurture relationships with authors from around the nation. I thank the Louisiana Book Festival for Charles the Chef and help in spreading the message "To Eat Better To Live Better!" Take a look at some of the pictures and video and see what all the hype is about!

Charles The Chef In Philly

2009-05-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

Charles The Chef made his first ever appearance at the ECBACC in the heart of Philadelphia. The event was wonderful and I was able to catch up with old friends. So check out some of the pictures from the event and see that Charles as always made a positive impact!

Charlie The Chef At ECBACC 09 from CrazyAlCayne on Vimeo.

The Latest Update!!

2009-05-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

Greetings All,

We have been quite busy preparing for the summer and just spreading the word about Charles to schools, numerous educators and the world abroad!

Our most recent event was the Little Folks Festival sponsored by the Stokes Partnership for Children, which I'm a proud board member. The event was fantastic! Healing Force a wonderful group who performed introduced African melodies that warmed the heart. Mshindo Kuumba and I also performed with song and dance that kept the momentum going with Harmony in Motion. Fortunately all my children were able to attend and thoroughly enjoyed the event as well. Take a look at some of the videos and pictures and enjoy!! Till next time. Eat Better To Live Better!!

Charles The Chef in Thomasville!

2009-02-28T18:59:00.000-08:00

This was our first time at the Thomasville Library's local Author Event. It literally happened last minute. But it was so worth it! I met some fascinating authors and made a few new friends along the way. This was their first show and it went off without a hitch! Thanks to Sarah Hudson and Janet Malliet for doing such a wonderful job! Even my kids had a ball! I'm looking forward to attending next years show!

Charles The Chef at Hawkridge!

2009-02-28T18:53:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful time at Hawkridge Elementary! Thanks to Dana Demos we were fortunate to spread the good message of eating healthy! Check out the pics to see what I mean!

Charles The Chef in Comics

2009-02-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

Charles is about to invade the comic book world! Thanks to artist Richard Cruz, Charles takes on a whimiscal cartoon look in a 8 page comic to be given away to kids of all ages! The comic titled Finding the Road to Good Health is due to be available late summer. As more is available, I will post it here first. So stay close! For now check out the sketches of the characters!

Meet Calvin!!

2009-02-27T20:14:00.000-08:00

Yes the Charles the Chef animated DVD is still moving ahead full steam! We are reviewing voice talent for key characters as Diehard Studio continues to work its 3D magic bringing the Charles the Chef band of characters to life. So take a look!

It's Been Awhile!

2009-02-27T20:07:00.000-08:00

Hello all! Yes, I know. It's been way too long since I've posted anything. Well among things such as personal issues that have found their way to disrupt my flow of work, I've glad to say that progress has still conquered all. I'm here to announce that as of this month, Charles The Chef has teamed up with no other than the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity. Together we are working to raise funding to launch a research program featuring Charles The Chef! This program will measure the effectiveness a cartoon character can have on the eating habits of children. And what better character to utilize than Charles? When funded the program will be a two year pilot program. And with its success it will be expanded to a nationwide program that will help many communities in reaching their children using a character that solely focuses on healthy eating habits. So stay tune hear for more updates!

A Few Setbacks But Still Moving Ahead

2008-11-30T20:57:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!! First my apologies for not giving consistent updates. A lot of things have happen since my last post. A few victories have a occurred as well as a few disappointments in our journey to end childhood obesity. Unfortunately the Children's International Obesity Foundation has shut down due to lack of capital. The good news is that they have turn over the reins to Charles the Chef to keep the ball rolling in their absence. So we are gearing up with a new site and new blog in development. And for those who have been waiting for the next animation updates.... well wait no longer! Diehard Studio continues to wow us with new developments so take a look and be amazed!! It's Louise and Snappy!!

CIOF and Charles The Chef Together on FOX!

2008-09-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

I'm back and more rejuvenized than ever after the wonderful tour through Detroit, Flint and Ann Arbor! Charles The Chef was embraced like no other! I give loads of thanks to my friend and publicst Tammy Dunda, my CIOF team members, Cinda Hocking, and Lola and Tom Kern. Without them the tour wouldnt of been the success it was. We had a thrilling time on FOX News 2 in Detroit. I thank them as well for allowing us to share about Charles the Chef and CIOF. So view the clip and enjoy. And remember, this is just the beginning!

Oh My Goodness!!! Another Charles The Chef Animation Update!!!

2008-09-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

It keeps getting better and better folks! Diehard Studio will be working hard to release new images for only you faithful bloggers to see. Hunter Wolf has tweaked Thomas the Chef hat and has placed some finished touches on Charles. And that cute little southern belle of a blender, Louise makes her debut in sketch form. Take a gander and be amazed!!!

Charles The Chef Animation Update! It's Snappy!

2008-09-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

Diehard Studio has done it again!! We are on the fast track now!! Here is Snappy! Hunter Wolf head animator of Diehard Studio presents the cantankerous fridge in his glory! Enjoy!

BET Woman's Symposium Was A Blast!

2008-09-07T18:58:00.000-07:00

For those who came out the BET Woman's Symposium to support a great cause and Charles The Chef, I thank you. The event went off without a hitch. I was proud to be an intricate part of a tour that begun in Winston-Salem, N.C. Mshindo Kuumba perform in remarkable fashion as he put on one of the best food demonstrations I've seen. Even the stunning Kelly Price took time to enjoy Charles The Chef and Mshindo and I of course! Take a look at the gallery of pictures and get a feel of what we experienced.

Have a blessed week!!

Are They Cartoons of Doom?

2008-08-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not it’s been nearly seventy-three years since one of the earliest cartoon driven products was advertised to children. Post Cereals discovered their sales for Post Toasties skyrocketing after they licensed a certain adorable rodent. Care to guess who the popular movie character was? You may be as surprised as I was to learn it was Mickey Mouse! Soon afterwards with little surprise other companies followed suit and found the golden goose of advertising to children. In the 1950s, Continental Baking Co. employed the puppet Howdy Doody to pitch Twinkies on his popular TV show.

Children are attracted to flashy color characters and packaging and although parents may say no, no ,no, at the end the likes of Spongebob SquarePants, Scooby Doo, Shrek, Barbie, Cookie Monster and others often win out. And be aware that all of the characters mentioned have at one time or another promoted low nutrient value foods and continue to do so. Animated characters that have brought joy, excitement and years of entertainment in my opinion are delivering directly or indirectly an early demise to our children. For example, SpongeBob is one of the worst and is guilty of promoting many unhealthy junk foods. It’s clear by my study and what has recently occurred with Michael Phelps (yes, sports heroes can be just as misused in advertising as animated characters are) that corporate profits outweigh the worth of health.

For years many advocacy groups have taken corporations such as Disney, and most recently Nickelodeon and Kellogg’s, to task for their ongoing advertising campaigns. The Center for Science in the Public Interest and Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, along with several parents, claim that using Nickelodeon characters such as SpongeBob and Dora the Explorer as a way to entice children is ultimately contributing to child obesity. I wholeheartedly agree. And if you are a parent it’s an inescapable reality that corporations utilizing these characters for profit and personal gains no doubt usurp your authority.

The Institute of Medicine, one of the nation's leading scientific advisory bodies, which spent a year studying the effects of food marketing on children's diet and health, stated clearly that the effects of using licensed characters on food packaging is directly associated with obesity. As expected, most food manufacturers had no comment on that report. Others, such as Kraft foods, took notice and have made some significant changes.

It’s estimated, as I’ve mentioned in other articles, that food manufacturers spend nearly 11 billion per year on marketing campaigns that target children and are lead by cartoon characters. So, one question comes to mind. Are advertisers mutating our children’s character favorites into "cartoons of doom"? Or can they be compared to the analogy of a gun? The gun is not evil in itself, or harmful, some argue. It’s the person that uses it. Either way I say we protect ourselves with as much knowledge as possible and understand that we have more power than we believe. Play with a gun long enough and it’s bound to go off. So am I comparing negative television, magazine and website advertising to children as a possible mental gun that could go off? If you set your children in front of the television or allow them to surf the web for long periods of time unsupervised, the answer is a resounding yes.

Regardless, keep in mind that most corporations respond to one thing and one thing only the bottom line. Stop the flow of greenbacks and they will take notice and make changes. So saying no to your child for their better well-being may deliver a bit of gloom for your little one, but later in life it will blossom into a lifestyle of making healthier choices.

I’m not one for shameless plugs, but I will say that I’m glad Charles the Chef exists to help offset the effects of negative advertising to our children. He is relatively new to the game, but has power and growing support. As his popularity grows, I imagine at times he will have to trade in his cooking utensils for a pair of boxing gloves or nunchuks to ward off attacks from rival animated icons. So you may hear him say “Let’s Get Punching!” instead of “Let’s Get Cooking!” Just a whimsical way of saying that despite the glitter of animated character-driven advertising, don’t be fooled. We are in a constant battle for the lives of our children. It’s good to know that Charles the Chef is on the front lines with us.

Visit some of these links for more in-depth information:

http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/food_marketing_to_children.pdf

http://www.fordhamobserver.com/2.4451/1.403038

http://forum.bcdb.com/gforum.cgi?post=57627

Charles The Chef Animation Update!

2008-08-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

Just so you don't think we've dropped the ball. Here are some of the latest images of the always improving Charles The Chef renders. Hunter Wolf of DieHard Studio continues to shine! Soon you will see some of the magical appliances that live in Charles kitchen. The anticipation is high! Stay tuned!

Building a Pattern to Follow – Advertising To Your Children

2008-08-18T11:43:00.000-07:00

As parents we’re our children’s first line of defense against an array of negative influences. Constant barrages of unsavory images promoting foods of little or no nutritious value are common place. The sky rains with products of expediency but offering little hope for a better state of mind or body. As guardians we do our best to erect shields to block and deflect the poisonous arrows of harmful advertising. The reason we often fail is simply by underestimating the power advertising wields. Or not really understanding how advertisement works. Plainly speaking as adults we find ourselves at times swirling in the bravado of false promises these products spew.

The keys I believe to combat this successfully is to first know that the word, “advertisement or advertise” is derived from the French word avertissement which means warning or caution. I recommend we make this the first response when watching commercials of any a kind. If we consistently acted on the side of caution, I’m sure certain foods we would avoid all together.

Second, children are constantly exposed to advertising messages designed to make them believe they can’t live without a certain product. Hence the influential power of the medium. But how does it work? Understand that we purchase based on emotions. How we feel about a product determines if we will buy it or not. It all begins with what advertisers have coined as the think-feel-do model of message effects, which presumes that we approach a purchase situation using a sequence of responses. In other words, we think about something, then we form an opinion or attitude about it -- feel, and finally we take action and try it or buy it -- do. Advertising helps shape our attitude favorably about a product to entice us to buy. A simple process it seems, but so difficult to master as a consumer.

I believe our biggest problem as consumers is that we bypass the thinking part and dive head first into the feel part of decision making. That is always a mistake. Worse we pass this behavior to our children. In no way am I concluding that all advertising is bad. But once we take to heart that the manipulations of target marketing can increase the likelihood of obesity, poor nutrition, eating disorders, cigarette and alcohol use in children and adolescents, then perhaps we will improve our knowledge and acquire tools to use to offset the effects. Unfortunately, there is no way to completely avoid advertising targeting children, but there are some things you can do to reduce the effects.

1. Limit television and Internet use to no more than two hours a day each.

2. Teach your children how to interpret advertising messages. Explain to older children the purpose of advertising and the mind tricks they use in their messages.

3. Instill values in your children consistently. Help build their sense of self and self esteem so that they understand that material things will not make them better people. Involve your children in extracurricular activities to keep them active and stimulated. Work with your children to make sure they achieve a healthy body image despite what the media culture considers attractive.

4. Lastly, but I will dare say the most important. Practice what you preach. Mr. Douglas Castle, CIOF Director of Strategic Planning, once shared that a parent’s credibility is worthless if not followed by consistent action.

The effective way to handle the influence of advertisements is to live the healthy example we wish our children to practice. Build a pattern of behavior that is consistent with what you want for your child. In fact we should be flesh and blood advertisements to our children. Are they not exposed to us more than television? If not, then that is where the true problem lies.

For an example view the short video. All it takes is consistency and dedication and you will pass it on!

Reference:

1. Steps to reduce advertising effects taken from www.ehow.com

To find out more about how to combat childhood obesity visit www.ciofoundation.org/

Where Does Childhood Obesity Really Begin?

2008-08-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

It’s pretty clear that weight management can be controlled significantly by the foods we consume. So it’s clearly about choice. Or is it? What of those who are too young to choose, such as an infant? Clearly the answer to that question is that the responsibility lies with the parent. But, like most I thought to myself, can an infant be in danger of being obese when they only drink milk? Unfortunately after reading a recent article on Natural News.Com, I was faced with a resounding “yes”. It was disturbing but equally as confirming that we have to read carefully the ingredients on the label of everything we buy, including infant formula. You would think that companies could be trusted to provide formula without chemical additives or processed sugar. I have to admit I was a bit naïve in that respect and couldn’t quite believe that would happen. So I ventured out to neighboring stores on a mission and examined numerous brands of infant formulas. To my disappointment it was true. I’m aware that all infant formulas have some added sugars to aid in the digestion; other organic products use sugars like organic lactose, which is presumably a better match for what's found in breast milk and doesn't have the sweetness of sucrose. Unfortunately in Organic Similac I found what the article had claimed to be true. That despite the organic label Similac had sweetened their formula with cane sugar (sucrose). As the obesity epidemic continues to flourish it was a shocking revelation to say the least.

Foremost it’s important to realize that all products that are labeled organic may not be. Do your homework. And second, it’s crucial to take a closer look at the formula you buy and trust, for obesity may very well begin there. Remember as parents we train our children to eat for a lifetime.

Read the entire article here. http://www.naturalnews.com/023796.html

CIOF and Charles The Chef Unite!

2008-08-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

This year has been a great one for making new alliances! Thanks to Cinda Hocking and the Children's International Obesity Foundation, you will find helpful articles by yours truly! I was ecstatic to learn that the CIOF had kind words to say about Charles the Chef. I'm looking forward to this new relationship growing in astronomical ways! So if you are not familiar with this new organization you are missing out. They have great vision and are driven to seeing childhood obesity stamped out of existence. I applaud them and see great things happening in their future.

For more info on the CIOF use this link. http://www.ciofoundation.org/ To read my article go to: http://ciofoncurrentevents.blogspot.com/

Loving Foods That Love You Back

2008-08-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

Ever really taken a slow walk through a supermarket? You can’t escape the harsh reality that we are surrounded and bombarded by choices. They’re at the point of overwhelming in my opinion. Choices are good but, do we really need over a 150 brands of breakfast cereals? Apparently the answer is yes, if you care to inquire the Food and Beverage industries who according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in 2006 spent over $1.6 billion in advertising to market their products to children. That has almost doubled in less than two years.

It’s very clear that with so many choices and the powerful advertising that influences us to buy, it can be difficult to make the right one. Unfortunately that leaves us drowning in a never ending sea of indecisions. So what do we do with all these choices? At times the answer can be fairly simple. I’ve found simplicity comes best from the mind of a child. During our frequent conversations about what foods are good for you and those that are not, my youngest daughter laughed and said “But I love that food.” My oldest daughter replied,”Yeah but does it love you back?” That one reply was simple but contained a wealth of wisdom.

Loving foods that love you back, a concept that was very broad in its scope, but very powerful when it came to teaching ourselves and children proper nutrition. As humans we thrive and grow based on the relationships we choose. To cultivate healthy relationships we take the time to learn as much about our potential partner before committing. Why? Simply, because we all share a common desire. To be fulfilled. Whether business or personal we want to be complete in order to function at our best capacity. How is it that utilizing this same philosophy with the food we eat has slipped from our consciousness? Is it that difficult to embrace the fact that we should nurture a relationship with the foods we consume? In other words the foods we love should reciprocate by truly supplying the proper nutrition to the body. This will only happen, if and only if we improve our knowledge and make the best choices.

So ask yourself does the food you eat truly love you back? Sounds silly perhaps until you think about the times you’ve had heartburn, stomach aches or worse an allergy reaction. Here are 5 helpful tips to consider and foods that I know for certain love us and those that don’t.

5 Simple Tips to Remember:

1. READ the ingredients of the food you buy and research what they are.

2. KNOW your vitamins and minerals and what foods have them and those that don’t. (Yes, there are some foods that have no nutrient content)

3. DON’T be taken in by every discount and coupon special. Saving money may not be saving your life.

4. ELIMINATE or REDUCE microwaving your foods. Those rays destroy nearly 98% of its vitamins, in reality killing your food. Now that’s not love.

5. EAT live foods such as fruits and vegetables as much as possible. It’s been proven that you acquire more nutrients from live foods than dead ones

5 Foods and Drinks That Truly Love You

WATER goes to the top of the list. Not only does water act as the ultimate cleansing agent but it also is effective in treating many of our aliments such as arthritis and asthma. Take a look at this article for more info. http://www.naturalnews.com/003202.html
SPINACH is one of my favorites and a slightly underrated vegetable. One bowl of spinach contains as much calcium as a carton of milk!
GRAPEFRUIT can be sour but packs a punch when it comes to supplying a days worth of vitamin C. Eat half of one and you are good for the entire day.
For those who are not allergic, a healthy diet of FISH (salmon or tuna) will provide much needed Omega 3 fatty acids to help maintain proper weight and gain less. It’s also good in preventing depression.
CARROT JUICE is known for keeping us seeing well into our twilight years. It’s also a super blood cleansing agent and prevents known cancers. Now ifs that not love, I don’t know what is.

5 Foods That Have No Love

WHITE SUGAR of the refined processed variety has no love and has no nutrient value whatsoever. The body uses energy to digest and absorb the sugar and gets nothing in return but exhaustion.
COFFEE is clearly a beverage of ups and downs which often leaves you spiraling downward when it’s all said and done. The culprit is caffeine which causes lack of focus. Do you need a drink that does that?
PROCESSED FOODS which covers a wide range from fast foods to most canned foods are overloaded with nutrient empty sugar, water, fat, flour, starch, artificial colorings and flavors. Avoid these at all costs.
Foods that have YEAST EXTRACT as an ingredient are those to take out of the shopping cart. Yeast Extract is used to enhance flavor but has the similar effects that MSG (monosodium glutamate) which are headaches and can cause reproductive disorders.
DOUGHNUTS contain hydrogenated oils, white flour, sugar, and acrylamides. Essentially, they're one of the worst cancer foods you can possibly eat. Reader's Digest calls doughnuts "disastrous" as a breakfast food, and many experts agree it's probably one of the worst ways to start the day. *Extracted from The Top Five Cancer Causing Foods http://www.naturalnews.com/021808.html

For more information visit these links and articles

The Dangers of Sugar http://www.naturalnews.com/023085.html

Healing Water http://www.naturalnews.com/003202.html

Top Five Foods for Beating Depression

http://www.naturalnews.com/020611.html

Charles The Chef's Tips for Health

2008-07-19T06:32:00.000-07:00

Beginning in August look for Charles The Chef's tips for health! He will be offering helpful info that can assist in keeping your child on the right path to better health.

Charles The Chef Introduces Learning Aids!

2008-07-13T19:04:00.000-07:00

For over a year we have worked hard at developing more products to excite children and parents alike. The result of hours of research have brought forth learning aids that will help kids to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Take a look at what we came up with.

Charles The Chef Donates Books to BET Foundation's Summer Camp for Girls

2008-07-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

As we continue to strive to reach the young minds of children, it was a easy decision to make when asked by the BET Foundation to donate books to their Summer Camp for Girls program. This program began in August of 2005 and has been moving steady and touching the lives of young overweight girls across the nation. We were proud to be a part of their mission to cultivate healthy young minds and bodies by teaching the core concepts of being healthy and smart!

BET Foundation and Charles The Chef Come Together!

2008-07-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

That's right folks! The BET Foundation (Black Entertainment Television) has asked Charles The Chef to present a healthy food demonstration during their Women's Health Symposium in Winston Salem, N.C.! Actually Mshindo Kuumba, co-creator and illustrator will be handling the cooking demo chores for the day. To say I'm excited about this opportunity to work with BET is an understatement. To those who are not aware of the symposium, the symposium is a full day of health education and awareness, starting with fitness classes, health exhibits and local vendors, and continuing throughout the day with a free lunch, free health screenings and seminars featuring local health professionals.

So come out and enjoy the day with us and sample some of Mshindo's great cooking! Here's a link to BET's site for more info about the event! The date is September 6th, 2008!

http://www.bet.com/Lifestyle/bodysoul/AHealthyBETFoundation

Charles the Chef teams with the YWCA!

2008-06-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a few weeks of being away from the blog. It's a been a busy month of forging new relationships and keeping the momentum of Charles the Chef moving into the summer months. I'm proud to announce that The YWCA of Winston-Salem N.C. has agreed to include Charles the Chef in their youth obesity prevention program! In this program we will be introducing not only Charles the Chef books but many of our educational materials such as flash cards and our new folding memory cards! There could be a Charles the Chef PSA in the works as well so stay tuned!

I wish to thank Robin Ervin and Hattie Taylor for including Charles the Chef in their program.

Last but not least... another Charles the Chef animated update. Charles is coming to form!

Talk to you guys soon!!

Another Charles the Chef Animation Update!

2008-05-19T13:03:00.000-07:00

It's often been asked does the clothes make the man or the man makes the clothes! We are about to find out as Diehard Studio continue to work its 3D magic! We are expected to move into the animation stage of production next month! So stay tuned!