Chapter 43: Lisa Labute on life lessons from loving legumes

Dec 12, 2019

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3 Books is a completely insane and totally epic 15-year-long quest to uncover the 1000 most formative books in the world. Each chapter is hosted live and in-person at the guest's preferred location by Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation. Each chapter of 3 Books uncovers and discusses the three most formative books from one of the world's most inspiring people. Sample guests include: Judy Blume, David Sedaris, Chris Anderson of TED, and the world's greatest Uber driver. Each of the 333 chapters is dropped on the exact minute of every new moon and full moon until September 1, 2031. 3 Books is an Apple "Best Of" award-winning show as well as the world's only podcast by and for book lovers, writers, makers, sellers... and librarians. For more info check out: www.3books.co

Lisa is the founder of the Goods, a cafe located on Roncesvalles Avenue in the West End of Toronto, that specializes in hand crafted, radically healthy food. Her inherent understanding of the medicinal potential of plant based cuisine has made her a leader in the functional food movement in Toronto. The Goods’ simple, yet meticulously crafted meals remind us of the deep connection between food and our wellbeing. Lisa left a career as an advertising executive to start The Goods which is ranked one of the ten healthiest restaurants in Toronto.

Chapter Description:

I am so excited to introduce you to Lisa Labute.

Lisa ratcheted up the ladder of the advertising world, working 100-hour weeks as an ad executive helping to sell everything from fast food to luxury cars.

And then she eventually burned out — had a “food incident” — and realized, like Emily McDowell told us in Chapter 18, that it’s a lot better to make things people want than making people want things.

After traveling the world to lean into her new passion for mindful and intentional eating she returned to her home of Toronto to found The Goods, a cafe located in the west end of Toronto in the Roncesvalles neighborhood, that serves vegan, hand-crafted, radically healthy foods.

Lisa’s understanding of the medicinal potential of plant-based cuisine has made her a leader of the functional food movement.

I stumbled upon The Goods while on one of my Life-Changing Magical Walks during an Untouchable Day and struck up a conversation with Lisa. I loved her energy, vibrancy, and passion. I sensed immediately that she was a true community leader and somebody who was happy “getting off the program” to live a purpose-filled life.

At The Goods every single food is made from scratch. Even the mustard! They buy mustard seeds, let them sprout, and then make their own. The kitchen is radically transparent and open concept and the walls are lined with jars full of ingredients visually listed in the ratio in which they’re used. All of the ingredients are clearly listed, and despite being a health conscious vegan restaurant, the food is presented in a non-dogmatic and non-judgemental fashion. Lisa is not a “you should” kind of person as you’ll hear.

Lisa and I explore themes around how we eat well, how to exit “the program,” how to discuss mental illness, and how we find our most adventurous, wild, and truest selves.

I hope you enjoy Chapter 43 of 3 Books.

Let’s go!

What You'll Learn:

How can we stop ‘shoulding’ on ourselves?
Why is there so much confusion surrounding health?
How can diet alter mental health and even our oral structure?
Why shouldn’t you eat any food that has a health claim on it?
How do we eat healthy even when we’re travelling or busy?
Why and how should we strive for a more ‘wild’ lifestyle?

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You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.3books.co/chapters/43