Graham & Treena Kerr: LIFEStyle #9 Box Set

Along with the help of his wife Treena, former “Galloping Gourmet” Graham Kerr updates his repertoire of culinary instruction to include information on mind/body health in LIFEStyle #9, a nine-program set in which “science meets the senses.” Combining various facets that incorporate the number nine—9,000 steps a day, nine servings of fruit and veggies, nine hours of sleep, nine “compassionate connections,” and nine elements of change (such as finding joy and exhibiting self-control)—each disc features an informational segment on #9, a brief introduction by Kerr, and a related episode from Kerr's series The Gathering Place. A bit like an infomercial minus the commercial product (today's sale: health and positive-thinking), the episodes feature Kerr—in front of an audience at Toronto's Arcadian Court hotel—lecturing on the show's theme (including “A Weighty Issue,” “A Family Affair,” “Optimal Nutrition,” and “Good Seed in Good Soil”), using voice-over narration for travel segments (for his cuisine-related visits to locations including Sicily and upstate New York), conversing with a variety of relevant medical and psychological experts and authors (including acclaimed fellow chef Martin Yan), and cooking a “nutrient rich” dish (think: substituting yogurt instead of mayo, parsnips and evaporated skim milk instead of cream, and adding extra nuts and seeds for increased nourishment), before wrapping up with an audience Q&A. Although there is much to wade through, London-born Kerr's cheeky rambling and jokes (i.e.: calling a rolling pin a “matrimonial war weapon”) make the journey entertaining. Also featuring a bonus “recipe collection” disc, this is recommended. Aud: P. (J. Williams-Wood)