I’ve always hated perfume. My mom used to buy cheap "toilet water" and douse the toilet with it. With my keen sense of smell, I retreat when someone laden with perfume is near me. On the other hand, I relish the scents of aromatherapy and natural oils (like coconut). They feel nurturing and nourishing to […]

As I passed the five decades marker, I decided to step up my fairly decent health and fitness regime.  I upped the ante on healthy choices, making diet and fitness a priority in my life. (Scroll down, to read about my personal path. Fortunately, as I stepped up my commitment to good health, I saw parallels […]

In 1998, when I arrived in Texas, there were no San Antonio vegan options. If I wanted to eat out, I typically went to Whole Foods. Today, there’s a great assortment of San Antonio vegan options, plus vegetarian, kosher, and gluten-free dining spots. Now, a new “multi-plex” or food court of gluten-free plant-based food and […]

The yoga that I follow isn’t just about the postures. Yoga goes beyond breath and body work. It’s a lifestyle. That’s why I’m a vegan yogi. I stopped eating animals 40 years ago, after visiting a slaughterhouse in Mexico. I said no to dairy and eggs once I realized the inhumane treatment that factory farming produces. […]

In my Tummy Bust, Sugar Drop, and Gutsy Yoga signature workshop series, I stress Ayurvedic diets. Not calories, but what is appropriate for you based on learnings from Ayurveda, as well as a myriad of modern nutritionists and integrative doctors. In Ayurveda, each person is unique. Furthermore, what might be appropriate for you to eat when […]

A New Era That’s what Rip Esselstyn, author of “The Engine 2 Diet”  and “Plant-Strong” says about nixing blood, pus, and guts on your plate, in favor of plant-based diets. “Meat consumption is something we need to say goodbye to,” he adds. Globally, there are 375 million vegetarians. The Humane Society confirms that veganism is […]

Mexico, yoga, and vegetarianism are probably three things in my life that I’m most passionate about.  The link between vegetarianism and yoga should be obvious (read my other blogs on ahimsa), but I opted for a cruelty-free diet when I was only 16 years old, a few years before my yoga journey began. I have […]

For more than 40 years, I’ve been going back and forth between the U.S. and Mexico. When I was 16, I visited a meatpacking plant in the state of Zacatecas. From then on, I vowed not to contribute to the slaughter of animals. Traditional Vs. Modern Food in Mexican Back in 1971, the book “Diet for […]

My zen-like attitude almost disappeared in Salt Lake City. Two servers, in two days, responded to my request for a vegan meal by saying, “We have chicken piccata.” The third said, “Do you eat meat?” In search of good karma-free food I found establishments in Utah with great names like Good Karma, Buds, Zest, and Sage. Certainly better […]

“Yoga therapy is not just yoga.” I repeat this line frequently.  Coming from a marketing background, I sometimes think Yoga Therapy (YT) needs a branding campaign. However, what really needs a total brand make-over is yoga.*  Then, understanding YT would be a bit easier. What is Yoga Therapy? When it comes time to describe Yoga Therapy, […]

The Standard American Diet is SAD. I grew up a child in the ‘60s, when frozen foods, canned veggies, and TV dinners were the trend. Today, we often eat on the run, holding our lunch in one hand, with the steering wheel, remote control, mouse, or smartphone in the other. Not what most pre-WWII era […]

Texas has long been known as a ranching state, with plenty of Texas-sized beef steaks. The stereotype of Texans in cowboy boots and hats was perpetuated with George W  wearing his jeans and cowboy gear. If Dubba-You said he’d given up meat and dairy, we’d probably think he’d gone mad or had Mad Cow. When […]