My Story

Bonjour! My name is Alain Braux. I am a classically trained French chef and a formally educated Nutritherapist.

Two years ago I was diagnosed with high cholesterol, and I managed to bring my cholesterol levels down by
returning to the foodways of my youth in Southern France. I lowered my cholesterol significantly with diet alone, and I write this blog to let you know how you can do it, too.

Chef Braux - My Story

You might wonder: what’s a nice Frenchman like me doing in Texas? Suffice it to say that I followed my chef’s nose and sense of adventure from job to job, and together they brought me halfway across the globe. I have been working in the food business in different capacities for the past 40 years and loved all the different aspects of it.

I started my career by doing my apprenticeship in a Swiss Confiserie in Nice, France. Following that, I worked in assorted pastry shops, as well as four-star palaces on the Cote d’Azur such as Le Grand Hotel du Cap d’Antibes near Cannes and l’Hotel Negresco in Nice.

I also worked in several top restaurants such as Le Moulin de Mougins near Cannes, Lenotre in Paris, and two of finest pastry shops in Brussels, Belgium: Espagne and Wittamer.

I then crossed the pond to come to America. In New York City, I worked at the Dumas Pastry Shop and Delices La Cote Basque, then moved down to Houston to help open and operate the American Lenotre, a branch of the famous Parisian patisserie.

I came to Austin to work with Judy Willcott at Texas French Bread, and eventually opened my own shop: Amandine French Bakery and Café. After I lost my business (alas, a good chef does not necessarily make a good businessman), I became the Executive Pastry Chef at Barr Mansion, and taught Pastry and Baking Arts at the Culinary Academy of Austin.

I finally landed as the Executive Chef and Nutritherapist at People’s Pharmacy, where I currently create and produce healthy food, including desserts, for customers with food allergies.

I also have a nutrition consulting business called A Vote Santé (To Your Health), where I design menus and dietary guidelines for clients with food sensitivities. I also teach gluten and dairy-free baking classes at Whole Foods Market and Central Market in Austin.

My Nutritional Background

About 10 years ago, when I was running my own business, I became interested in nutrition, thanks to a couple of vegetarian assistants. They were commenting on the fact that I was not offering vegetarian dishes at my lunch counter.

In Austin, a lot of people are health conscious, as well as thoughtful about their food choices. As a French-trained chef, my only concern was to offer the best tasting product. I was not trained in the arcana of nutrition. But as I devised increasingly health-conscious dishes, I became more intrigued by the effect on food on one’s health.

After I had to close my business and began searching for a new direction in life, I started to think: wouldn’t it be great if I could combine my 30 years of knowledge as a chef and my newfound interest in nutrition?

Right around that time I heard an advertisement on the radio for a new Macrobiotic school: The Natural Epicurean Academy. I enrolled, and after studying there for two years, I became a Macrobiotic and Natural Food Specialist.

As fascinating and enlightening as it was, I found this particular Japanese-based diet philosophy a little limiting. I decided to widen my nutrition horizon by studying for a B.S. of Holistic Nutrition at the Clayton College of Holistic Health.