Website Launch: January 2024
Hi, I'm Celia.
I'm a trained Chef with a holistic approach to food.
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From my work and travels around the world over the past 15 years, I gained unique insight into the psychology of why most people find it so hard to make lasting changes with their health.
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Key Take-away?
The path to real change begins when our habits become sustainable over time. It starts with small, consistent steps.
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I believe Change is Possible.
Are you ready to join me?
From Root to Sky
Purpose: Empower women to feel their best and discover their potential by reconnecting to food.
A conscious food and wellness brand, born from three Core Beliefs:
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Quality is key.
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Sustainability is the foundation of wellness.
Wellness must be accessible, realistic and practical.
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The Catalyst
Unexpected health crises in my early 30s became a tipping point, sparking the beginning of a journey that would have a profound effect on the way I look at food, health, and how I was living my life.
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While preparing for a work meeting,
I experienced a sudden onset of symptoms
as a result of a serious eye condition.
My doctor drove me to the hospital
where I had emergency surgery.
Little did I know, overnight...
my life would turn upside down.
Two months of sick leave,
multiple procedures,
complication after complication,
risk of permanent vision loss,
development of food sensitivities to wheat
along with a growing mountain of anxiety
led me to re-evaluate my life.
I felt like my body was breaking down,
and I didn't understand why.
In truth,
I'd been deeply unhappy for a long time.
I was living my life based on society and cultural norms.
I yearned for change,
yet I didn't believe
I had the courage
to follow my dreams.
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My health crisis was actually a blessing.
It served as a metaphor,
to change the way I see the world.
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Along my journey, I discovered that wellness
is more than the food we feed our body.
It's the thoughts we feed our mind,
the beliefs we hold of ourselves,
and the limitations we create.
My Story.
A Leap of Faith
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My desire to understand “why”,
the root cause of illness,
and how to use food to heal
was the driver to return to school
to study at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition
in Vancouver, Canada.
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Fascinated with the science and relationship
between the human body and food,
I finally understood why I was always sick in my childhood,
with constant bouts of bronchitis, infections,
and given every possible anti-biotic.
Although armed with newfound knowledge,
as someone who didn’t love salads
and vegetables growing up (true story),
I knew I had to learn to make healthier food taste good
to make real changes in my health
and in turn, help others.
My mind gave me a million reasons
why I shouldn't, couldn't.
"You just finished paying off your student loans
from University. That's crazy to go into debt again!"
"You're too old to go back to school, again."
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Yet, my Intuition
spoke very clearly to me one morning:
"You are meant to go. This is your destiny."
Propelled by that feeling in my Gut,
I sold everything I owned,
left my established career behind
to put myself through school (a third time).
I enrolled in the Chef’s Training Program
at the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City,
a school founded by the late Anne Marie Colbin,
a pioneer in the concept of Food as Medicine.
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The road was far from easy,
in a city that can be unforgiving,
yet it was one of the best decisions I ever made
as I fell madly, deeply in love with the kitchen.
Taking Risks​
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During my time in NYC,
a mentor encouraged me to say YES
and learn as much as I could about food & cooking.
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I volunteered for catering events,
my school's Friday Night Dinners.
Every single weekend, I found myself in a kitchen.
Then came, Salvage Supperclub
a food waste initiative
created by designer and dear friend, Josh Treuhaft.
We curated unique food experiences,
rescuing vegetables from farms,
feeding people in a retrofitted dumpster,
in hopes of inspiring diners
to rethink the potential of their food.
(This was before food waste became sexy and on trend.)
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During this time, I visited my first farm
which opened my eyes to the meaning of sustainability
and how important it is to know the story behind our food,
where it comes from, how it's made, how it arrived to our plate.
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What began as 'dumpster dinners' in the streets of Brooklyn
would later spread across major cities in the US, Vancouver,
as well as a temple in Kyoto, a farm in Chiba (Japan)
and a cooking school in a squid fishing village in Thailand.
(Disclaimer: no dumpster diving took place!)
Through Salvage Supperclub
I learned to discover my own potential
and the power of believing in yourself.
A Calling ​
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After graduating culinary school,
I spent time in professional kitchens interning
in fine dining restaurants, to plant base eateries,
and eventually a short stint as a line cook.
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Yet, my true calling found me – as an Educator.
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I received a call to join the opening team for a new Plant-base Culinary school (formerly PlantLab) in a resort...in Thailand.
I had never worked abroad before.
How could I be a teacher?
I was still a young cook.
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Despite my hesitations, I said Yes
and headed to that squid fishing village,
called Pak Nam Pran.
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It was in those kitchen walls at Evason Hua Hin,
that I learned
how to adapt and think on my feet, when things go sideways
how to bring out the best in people
how to influence a shift in mindset and habits
of impressionable students
towards a more sustainable approach to food.
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I learned, teaching is a gift.
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Big Shoes
After finishing my teaching contract,
I moved to Bangkok
to take on an iconic role
for Six Senses, Hotels, Resorts & Spas.
It was a position created for me
after meeting the Leadership team,
sealing the deal
with the CEO through a hand drawn sketch
on the back of a paper bag!
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My Mission:
Spearhead an initiative to
evolve the brand’s food ethos,
build a culture around food & wellness,
work with Chefs to improve standards, guidelines,
(garden usage, purchasing, sourcing,
menu engineering, mini bars, amenities,
zero waste, single use plastic-free,
food for staff cafes)
education & training programs,
wellness programs,
elevate guest experience,
while also educating and motivating staff
to make healthier choices...
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Imposter Syndrome??
YUP!
The fear of failure,
that I was the wrong person chosen for the job,
I didn't have enough kitchen experience
the mountain was too high...was overwhelming.
Eventually, I found my flow.
I reached out to Chefs, Purchasing, F&B teams,
in different corners of the world.
I asked questions.
I got really good at throwing spaghetti on the wall
with my boss to think outside the box.
Together, we created a way forward,
tackling each area, one by one.
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I learned systems and standards
must go hand-in-hand with
building culture into your brand's DNA.
Because people MUST buy-in.
If they don't understand why? and why should I care?,
culture will never be authentic.
People want things that are real.
Most importantly, I learned that
failure is a necessity for growth.
I learned how to deconstruct failures
to rebuild more effective solutions.
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It was unprecedented in the hospitality industry
(let alone any industry) to hire a full-time person
to build a culture of wellness & sustainability this deep.
I am grateful for the once in a lifetime opportunity
to be given a role to create impact
for thousands of staff and guests around the world,
to be one of the pioneers pushing for industry change.
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I also learned, those big, scary shoes we're presented with
are in fact, meant for us to grow into.
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It was one of the hardest jobs I ever took on.
I'm thankful to all the people I learned from
and proud of the legacy I helped create.
Forging My Own Path ​
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After the pandemic,
I decided to venture out on my own
to leverage my experience
and insights to serve a larger audience.
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I created From Root to Sky
to encourage you ​
to pursue your dreams
and your potential.
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To instil the belief
that whatever your circumstance,
you can empower yourself
to improve your life.
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I am constantly reminding myself
to break-up
with my perceived limitations,
to practice a positive mindset,
and visit Gratitude, daily.
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to visited places and met incredible people
beyond my wildest dreams.
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From Root to Sky
is a space for discovery, learning and play.
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A Community to connect
and be inspired
to live your most fulfilled life.
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The content I create is designed
to help you start
making simple changes
with food and health,
every day.
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I hope you'll join me on this adventure. :)
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Celia
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Advocacy.
"We rise by lifting others." R.Ingersoll
Celia believes in the power of community, sharing her leadership towards sustainable food & health, women's empowerment causes.
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Co-founder, Slow Food Community Bangkok, leading a movement to protect biodiversity, support farmers and producers using less harmful chemicals
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Creator, first CSR initiative for Six Senses' award winning "Got Rice?" Campaign for Covid Relief Bangkok
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Salvage Supperclub, Culinary Director
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Strategic planning member, Canada's first Feeding5000 (Vancouver)
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Co-lead food rescue missions for Salvage Luncheon hosted by Tristram Stuart (NYC), covered by National Geographic
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Founding member, (former) Alberta School of Business, Women’s Network Mentorship Program
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Former Board Member, Famous Five Society
Media
Celia's food sustainability work, featured in publications including:
