About
About the foundation
The Grace O Foundation is dedicated to nutrition research, health education, food advocacy, and other charitable efforts.
Our mission is to research, explore and report on the role of food/nutrients in wellness, aging, and longevity, and to promote healthy, sustainable food and nutrition efforts, as well as supporting nutrition education, culinary training, and food advocacy programs, specifically for an aging population.
The Foundation’s work will also provide resources and charitable donations to food and wellness programs, churches, and those in need.
For a list of resources and books about nutrition, health, and wellness
About the Foundation
explore and report on the role of food/nutrients in wellness and longevity
support nutrition research targeting the diseases of aging
promote healthy, sustainable food and nutrition efforts
support nutrition education for chefs and food advocacy programs generally
Our mission is to research, explore and report on the role of food/nutrients in wellness, aging, and longevity, and to promote healthy, sustainable food and nutrition efforts, as well as supporting nutrition education, culinary training, and food advocacy programs, specifically for an aging population.
The Foundation’s work will also provide resources and charitable donations to food and wellness programs, churches, and those in need.
For a list of resources and books about nutrition, health, and wellness
About Grace O
Over a span of 29 years, Grace O has built an impressive record of business achievement, community building, philanthropy, and community service in California. Guided by her spirit of entrepreneurship and building on a model of generosity learned from her family, Grace has spent a lifetime helping people heal through food and medicine
About Grace O
Over a span of 29 years, Grace O has built an impressive record of business achievement, community building, philanthropy, and community service in California. Guided by her spirit of entrepreneurship and building on a model of generosity learned from her family, Grace has spent a lifetime helping people heal through food and medicine
The Beginning
Grace was born in Manilla, Philippines. She learned the culinary arts by her mother’s side in her family’s cooking school. She attended Assumption Convent from grade school through college, graduating in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, majoring in Accounting. While still in school, she taught at her family’s culinary arts school, becoming its director at age 19 after her mother passed away in 1976. Her success at the school was quickly followed by the establishment of three of her own restaurants. Grace is widely credited with popularizing shrimp on sugar-cane skewers and helping to make tapas a global trend. She has cooked for ruling families and royalty.
Move to the U.S.
Grace’s move to the United States in 1991 precipitated a career in healthcare, inspired by her father, who was a physician. In 1992, she began her impressive corporate ascent from employee to owner and operator of a number of skilled nursing facilities in California.
Currently, Grace and Rupert Ouano are the proprietors of four skilled nursing facilities in northern and southern California. Under their leadership, all of her facilities totaling 500 beds with approximately 700 employees have a reputation for maintaining the highest level of ethical standards, clinical expertise, and professional services. Today, Grace has achieved a prominent standing in the field of skilled nursing and rehabilitation.
Foodtrients
In 2011, Grace combined her entrepreneurial skills, her passion for the culinary arts, and her commitment to health by launching a new culinary brand, FoodTrients®, a website and cookbooks dedicated to the nutrients in foods that help prevent the diseases of aging. Grace strives to create flavorful food using the finest ingredients that ultimately lead to good health. Her recipes, although low in saturated fat, salt, and sugar, are high in flavor. Grace employs spices from all over the world to enliven her dishes, creating food that is different and delicious. She believes that food can be just as effective at fighting aging as the most expensive skin creams.
Grace’s blog, Age Gracefully, appears weekly on FoodTrients.com. She is the author of three award-winning cookbooks—The Age GRACEfully Cookbook: The Power of FOODTRIENTS to Promote Health and Well-being for a Joyful and Sustainable Life and The Age Beautifully Cookbook: Easy and Exotic Longevity Secrets from Around the World—which are both winners of the Independent Publishers’ Living Now Award and available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The Age Beautifully Cookbook was named a Finalist in the International Book Awards (International Cookbook category) and won Gourmand’s Best in the World Award for Innovation. The Age Beautifully Cookbook competed with cookbooks from 211 countries around the world.
Grace’s third and latest cookbook, Anti-Aging Dishes from Around the World: Recipes to Boost Immunity, Improve Skin, Promote Longevity, Lower Inflammation and Detoxify includes superfood dishes from around the globe, and incorporates FoodTrients’ exotic and everyday ingredients that promote health, beauty, and longevity.
Recognition
Grace has been given much recognition for her philanthropy and business achievements including awards from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the Vice President of the Philippines, the California State Senate, and the United States Congress.
She was recently knighted by the Pope with the Order of St. Gregory the Great for her personal service to the Catholic Church, her community, and her country. Dame Grace shares this honor with such great luminaries as G.K. Chesterton, Bob and Dolores Hope, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver.
Grace decided to codify her philanthropic goals and her love of all things culinary into The Grace O Foundation, which is dedicated to nutrition and longevity research, health education, food advocacy, and other charitable efforts. She encourages others to join in her efforts to educate the world about eating for health and longevity.