When Pizza Was King By the time I got to college, I was already a committed vegetarian. However, I knew nothing about nutritious plant-based eating, nor how to forage for wholesome meatless options on campus. In my entire dorm, there was just a handful of us vegetarian or kosher dairy folks. Fortunately, my dorm had […]

Ahimsa for the Warrior in You During my 15 years working for one agency, we called ourselves “road warriors.” Beginning 35 years ago, I was trained to have a bag packed and ready to go for last-minute, business trips.  At airports, and in the sky, I ate popcorn or nuts. Oftentimes, I opted for nothing. […]

Surya Namaskar: My Ayurvedic Dinacharya in Belize I’m in Belize. By 6:30 at night, the sky is pitch black. There are no cars or trucks on my small island. That's because there are no paved streets, anywhere. Nor, are there bright lights or neon signs hanging from the streets to bring about an unnatural sense of time. […]

To learn about natural healing, I choose a homestay with Dona Lucia in Nicaragua.  Call her a curandera, herbalist, or a campesina. Clearly, Lucia understands the value of nature as medicine. We relate. First, I believe in natural healing. For example, I have great respect for the Ayurvedic, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Indigenous teachings. Plant-based Organic Foods […]

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 […]