Cooking and healthy eating have both always been pillars of my life. I've tried everything from low-carb, high-protein diets, to paleo, to no-sugar, to juice fasts, all in search of a healthier body and lifestyle. Like many have experienced, these were short-lived bouts that never really made much impact on my overall health—and offered no benefits for the environment.  

My first real experience with a vegan diet was when my youngest sister was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and changed her diet to plant-based in a search for help—and saw incredible benefits, with reduced inflammation in her body, increased energy, and an improved overall well-being.  With my love of cooking, I enjoyed the challenge of cooking for her, and teaching her recipes to help her get the full benefits of a plant-based diet. This triggered something inside of me to change my diet and improve my own overall health. 

I started with cooking vegan meals once or twice and week. The benefits were fast, and significant: less bloating after a meal, increased energy, remarkably better sleep, and from a harm-free meal. This led me to further research a vegan lifestyle, and I was horrified to discover the treatment of animals and the cruelty involved to get them to our dinner plates.  I claimed to be an animal lover, but in reality, I was contributing to their pain and suffering.  

All of this ignited a fire inside me to learn and live a more conscious sustainable lifestyle.  We can all thrive on a plant-based diet, knowing the benefits for just us and animals.  If humans worldwide ate one or two vegan meals a week, it would cause a global paradigm shift that would improve the health of our planet and all its inhabitants. This possibility fuels me to be the best vegan chef and caterer I can be, so that through wholesome, comforting and memorable food, I can inspire others...one meal at a time.  

I fully recognize that this isn't always easy. Because you're here, chances are you're thinking about some of these issues, too. No matter what your reason is for wanting to change to plant-based foods, I can help. Whether new to it, somewhere on the path, or a veteran, good nutrition takes copious amounts of planning (and chopping!). I take the burden of it all off your shoulders, and put more plants on your plate. 

Namaste!