Fabulous Foods Celebrity Interview: Shelia Cluff

The Oaks at Ojai and The Palms at Palm Springs are two California spas that have huge families of loyal clients, both celebrities and everyday folk, that return for visits year after year. One reason for the loyal following is the dynamic woman responsible for the spas. Sheila Cluff, a sixty-three year old, who looks and lives the lifestyle she teaches, takes a very hands on approach to running her fitness empire. The recipient of the IDEA Fitness Woman of the Year, she introduced the world to cardio-vascular dance (now known as aerobics) back in the 50s and sheÕs still teaching exercise classes at her spas today.

Everyone at The Oaks and The Palms knows when SheilaÕs in residence. She always has time to stop and say hello, answer questions and interact with her guests, regardless if itÕs one of the Hollywood super celebrities that frequent the retreats or the average housewife who wants to shed a few pounds.

I had the pleasure of talking to Sheila recently about her fitness philosophy and the what makes the spas cuisine at The Oaks and The Palms so special.

Cheri Sicard: What are the most important ingredients in your kitchen?

Sheila Cluff: Fresh, fresh, fresh! Everything fresh. Generally, fat adds a lot of flavor to foods. When you are taking a dish down to 20% fat or less you have to be aware of that fact and compensate for it. That's why we have our own herb gardens at The Oaks and The Palms. We're often picking herbs and spices for our dishes as they are cooking. We also try not to use anything that's canned or frozen. We have local vegetables dealers that deliver fresh produce. We like to serve vegetables that were picked the same day if at all possible. We make all our own stocks, dressing and breads.

Cheri Sicard: I notice several of the recipes in the book "The Ultimate Recipe For Fitness" use a product called Bernard Jenson's Broth Powder. How did you discover this product and why do you like to use it so much?

Sheila Cluff: We found Bernard Jenson's about 20 years ago. What I like about it is it's as pure as you can get. We stay away from anything that's processed or that has chemical ingredients and Bernard Jenson's fits the bill. We don't only use it in cooking, it's also served right on the table in our dining rooms as a seasoning.

Cheri Sicard: What tools are most important in your kitchen?

Sheila Cluff: A food processor and a blender. It would be impossible to accomplish the food we serve at the spas without them. For instance you can take 35% of the calories out of butter by whipping it up in a food processor with some buttermilk! It will keep in your refrigerator for about as long as butter does.

Cheri Sicard: That's a really great low calorie cooking tip. Do you have any others you can share with our readers?

Sheila Cluff: Save any leftover veggies you may have lying around, puree them in your food processor with some hot water for a terrific broth. This makes a low fat/calorie snack that you can enjoy anytime. We call them "broth breaks" at the spas and we serve them mid morning and mid afternoon.

Cheri Sicard: What are your favorite recipes from the cookbook?

Sheila Cluff: I like ethnic foods, but you know they can often be high in fat, so the tostada is one of my favorites. Oh, and the crepes. Crepes even sound decadent, but our chicken crepes are wonderful.

Cheri Sicard: What are the most popular recipes with your customers?

Sheila Cluff: Once again, the tostada, they also like a lot of our chicken dishes. We get a lot of requests for those recipes, especially our lemon chicken. We also get a lot of requests for desserts such as our trifle and low calorie cheesecake. Also our split pea soup, it's so thick and rich, many people assume it must have cream in it.

Cheri Sicard: Speaking of desserts, do you ever break down and eat something "sinful"?

Sheila Cluff: Oh yes! I believe in the 80/20 rule. That is, you are very aware of calorie, fat content and energy expenditure for 80% of the time. The other 20% of the time, you can do whatever you like.

Cheri Sicard: Sounds reasonable. So what are you're favorite indulgences?

Sheila Cluff: Cheesecake. And fettucine Alfredo. I like a lot of chicken dishes as well.

Cheri Sicard: So, I take it you are not a vegetarian.

Sheila Cluff: No, I eat chicken and fish, but that's the extent of it. I just lost interest in pork and red meats years ago.

Cheri Sicard: What is your favorite low fat snack?

Sheila Cluff: Well, I don't want to get too commercial, but I love the Balance Bar. We searched and searched and tested many snacks, because our customers were asking for a substitute for fast food or snacks that are convenient to have on the run. We discovered the Balance Bar over 3 years ago when nobody had heard of them. Now they are huge! Now, I don't recommend them as a meal substitute, but they are a wonderful snack when combined with some juice or a piece of fruit or some veggies.

Cheri Sicard: Tell us about the culinary special events you have at your spas.

Sheila Cluff: We bring in chefs from across the US as well as some from other countries. They are not necessarily chefs that specialize in spa cuisine, but we get them to de-calorize some of their best recipes. During these special weeks we do 2 hour cooking demos, 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening. We also do holiday specials, where guests learn to make traditional food for holidays with less fat and calories. Also, if someone has written aÉ I hate to use the word, Ôdiet book,Õ and we've tested it and think it is sound, we'll get them as a guest.

Cheri Sicard: So, you don't like the "D" word?

Sheila Cluff: No, I don't. I like to keep things positive, so we don't diet, we make food choices. Food choices sounds a lot more appealing than going on a diet. We opt for fitness, not exercise. We try to keep everything positive and upbeat.

• Typical Day's Food Plan at the Spas


• Profile of The Oaks & The Palms

Oaks/Palms Recipes

• Oaks/Palms Tostada Bar


• Sesame Tofu Stir Fry


• Marinated Beet & Onion Salad


• Apple Cabbage Slaw Veronica


• Oaks/Palms Banana Split


• Glazed Fruit


• Carob Peanut Butter Syrup