Me and Lisa at her restaurant The Goods!
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.
I visited Lisa’s restaurant The Goods in the Roncesvalles neighbourhood of Toronto.
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.
Here’s The Goods storefront on Roncesvalles Avenue!
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.
Our podcast setup in The Goods featuring my mung cake in the foreground! Also, do you see that pile of 50 books in the background? THEY ARE ALL VERSIONS OF THE SAME BOOK! One of her most formative of course…
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!
Listen to Chapter 43 of 3 Books:
Click here to Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Overcast, Spotify, or Google Play.
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?
Notable quotes from Lisa labute:
CONNECT With Lisa:
word of the chapter:
Resources Mentioned:
Lisa’s first book [29:59]
Lisa’s second book [51:21]
Lisa’s third book [1:08:25]
You Are Awesome by Neil Pasricha
Conscious Eating by Gabriel Cousens MD
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Why Birds Matter by Jonathan Franzen
