Meet the Chef Balancing Soul and Super Foods
Camille Becerra, the executive chef at NAVY in New York, puts as much passion into the dishes she creates as she does into choosing the right ingredients, trying to strike the right balance between soul and super foods. She works with natural, locally sourced produce (Becerra told the Village Voice she works with farms within a 100-mile radius), both in the restaurant’s kitchen and at home, where she whips up Turmeric Tonics and garnishes her plates with flax seeds. “I try to incorporate some form of ‘super food’ into every dish that I make, without it having the whole ‘70’s-healthy’ kind of vibe,” she says. In other words, it might be good for you, but it’s also delicious. We got Becerra to spill her to go-to beauty foods, below.
You have incredibly long days, what foods do you like to put in your body in the morning to keep your system energized throughout the day?
I am a big juicer; I am always drinking green juice throughout the day. I wish I could say I make them myself, but I truly don’t have the time so I go to Juice Press. I love their blends; they are all quite balanced. I have a few green juices throughout the day and I really like to incorporate beets into my diet—perhaps because the sugar gives me energy? I’ve also been making what I call a ‘Turmeric Tonic’. I press turmeric, which creates something like a concentrate, and add honey, lots of lemon, and club soda to the mix. It tastes like this delicious lemonade concoction; the vibrant yellow color is beautiful.
Becerra’s Turmeric Tonic.
What are some of your go-to foods or ingredients that you feel have health benefits?
Going back to turmeric, I really am obsessed with it right now. I make this cucumber salad, which contains a few different cucumbers, and I make this turmeric yogurt that I like to put on the plate. I always try to fit in whole grains, from quinoa to faro, and I’m known to garnish things with flax seeds. I am always trying to add these foods to any dish without it appearing like it’s from the Whole Foods bar—I try to make things modern.
Related: Is Turmeric the Next Super Supplement?
Becerra in the kitchen.
What does the term ‘beauty food’ mean to you?
Olive oil is the most obvious one. It’s just so incredible for your skin. If I am on a set where I am food styling, my hands often get really dry and I use olive oil as a moisturizer. My skin, in its natural state, is very dry so I always try to use oils in some capacity. I’m also really obsessed with coconut oil; I use it on my skin after I get out of the shower. Have you hear of oil pulling? It’s when you put one to two teaspoons of oil in your mouth and swish it around for 10 to 20 minutes. It’s supposed to extract all the toxins from your mouth as well as the plaque. I do it right before I jump in the shower and swish it around while I’m showering. It feels great and I think it really works. I really think my mouth is ‘cleaner’ now and I can even see the difference; my teeth seem whiter. It’s a process, but I’m really into it.
Do you stay away from any foods? Or are there any that don’t agree with your body?
I think that since I am so connected to food, my body will tell me what I need. If I have a certain craving for something, it’s my body telling me that I need it. For instance, if I have a craving for lemon sorbet, I view it as I’m lacking vitamin C. I really don’t stay away from things or tell myself that I can’t have something. I don’t really indulge, to be honest.
Related: The Rainbow Connection
Coconut water.
Do you have a go-to sugar substitute?
It really depends on what application I am using it in. Generally, I use a lot of agave because of its neutral flavor. I love using honey so much, but it can be quite strong and has an almost ‘floral-like’ scent.
If you do indulge, do you have any sort of self-made go-to detox?
After the holiday season, when I feel like I’ve been eating a little too much and drinking more than I normally do, I kind of just stop everything and start from scratch to balance myself out. I will fill my body with loads and loads of different juices and raw foods and cut out drinking—both alcohol and coffee.
