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Hello,
My name is Shruti and I live in Austin, Texas with my husband, 2 children and 2 cats. I was born and raised in Pune, India in a Maharashtrian joint family with grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, lots of extended family members and loving friends. I had the privilege of being around some of the most awesome cooks in our family, my grandmothers, my mother and my aunts. I learned many basic recipes by watching these women cook with the love for creating some of the most delicious meals. I have always associated food with warmth, love and wonderful nostalgic memories. I moved to the United States in 1992 after marrying the love of my life, Uday. That's when I started cooking traditional Indian recipes and also experimenting with various recipes with some new ingredients that I had never before seen in India. It was always fun and gratifying when Uday appreciated my cooking efforts or gave some suggestions to improve the recipes. As a mother, it gives me immense joy to cook for my children Shreya and Sahil. It is a wonderful way of creating lifelong memories and strengthening the mother and child bond. |
My family is blessed with wonderful friends who have become our extended family. Inviting friends over for a relaxing evening and cooking a satisfying meal for them makes me very happy. My life journey has given me the privilege of meeting very special friends from whom I have learned various cooking skills and shared numerous recipes.
There was a life changing incident which made me dig deeper into the relationship of lifestyle, food and health. My husband Uday had a heart related episode in 2008, at the age of 41 years. One is never ready to face such sudden unexpected incidents. But we have the choice to empower ourselves with knowledge and to move our life towards a positive direction. I had to stand behind my husband, become his strength, help him with his recovery and accept the new challenges. I made a decision to empower myself with information related to heart health. I read various books: Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease, The Spectrum, Eat to Live, You the Owner's Manual, The China Study, Engine 2 Diet, Forks Over Knives.
My own research on heart healthy lifestyle lead me to three important factors:
· Whole foods plant based diet
· Regular exercise
· Stress relieving techniques
I decided to implement these positive changes into our life. Long brisk walks, yoga and meditation have now become an integral part of our lives. I have been a conscious cook, making healthy choices when it comes to feeding my family. Making the positive changes in my kitchen were more of an adventure than deprivation.
Our family’s transition to the vegan lifestyle did not happen overnight. We took baby steps when it came to giving up meat, eggs and dairy products. These changes were never imposed on any member of the family, but they were provided with all the facts, information and tools to help them make their own decisions. I believe in ‘leading by example’!!
We have experienced some excellent benefits by excluding meat, eggs and dairy products; limitless energy, maintaining healthy weight, positive changes in lipid profile, my son Sahil’s eczema, seasonal allergies and severe migraine headaches have disappeared.
I have to be honest and say that initially my family’s journey towards the vegan lifestyle was based on health reasons. But as we started educating ourselves, we became aware of the environmental and ethical reasons. Now I can confidently say that health, environment and compassion are the three main reasons for our decision to lead a vegan lifestyle.
I was shocked when I learned the fact that livestock are responsible for anthropogenic ammonia emissions, which contribute significantly to acid rain and acidification of ecosystems. Land degradation, pollution, climate change, overfishing are some of the side effects of livestock sector. Vegan lifestyle can help reduce pollution, save energy, water and cease contributing towards the deforestation.
Animals do feel pain. Animals have a right to freedom, respect and living a life without fear, terror and suffering. We do not want to be a reason for the suffering, violence and death of animals, especially when we have the power to do so.
‘Ahimsa’ a Sanskrit term which means non-violence has become the mission of our family. We cannot participate in cruelty and extreme suffering when we have other choices. ‘Ahimsa Vegan Living’ is here to create consciousness and provide empowerment in making better health, ethical and environmental choices. This is an attempt to kindle a spark of curiosity; to create social awareness.
I am very happy to introduce my partner in this venture, my beloved daughter, Shreya.
Welcome to Ahimsa Vegan Living!!
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There was a life changing incident which made me dig deeper into the relationship of lifestyle, food and health. My husband Uday had a heart related episode in 2008, at the age of 41 years. One is never ready to face such sudden unexpected incidents. But we have the choice to empower ourselves with knowledge and to move our life towards a positive direction. I had to stand behind my husband, become his strength, help him with his recovery and accept the new challenges. I made a decision to empower myself with information related to heart health. I read various books: Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease, The Spectrum, Eat to Live, You the Owner's Manual, The China Study, Engine 2 Diet, Forks Over Knives.
My own research on heart healthy lifestyle lead me to three important factors:
· Whole foods plant based diet
· Regular exercise
· Stress relieving techniques
I decided to implement these positive changes into our life. Long brisk walks, yoga and meditation have now become an integral part of our lives. I have been a conscious cook, making healthy choices when it comes to feeding my family. Making the positive changes in my kitchen were more of an adventure than deprivation.
Our family’s transition to the vegan lifestyle did not happen overnight. We took baby steps when it came to giving up meat, eggs and dairy products. These changes were never imposed on any member of the family, but they were provided with all the facts, information and tools to help them make their own decisions. I believe in ‘leading by example’!!
We have experienced some excellent benefits by excluding meat, eggs and dairy products; limitless energy, maintaining healthy weight, positive changes in lipid profile, my son Sahil’s eczema, seasonal allergies and severe migraine headaches have disappeared.
I have to be honest and say that initially my family’s journey towards the vegan lifestyle was based on health reasons. But as we started educating ourselves, we became aware of the environmental and ethical reasons. Now I can confidently say that health, environment and compassion are the three main reasons for our decision to lead a vegan lifestyle.
I was shocked when I learned the fact that livestock are responsible for anthropogenic ammonia emissions, which contribute significantly to acid rain and acidification of ecosystems. Land degradation, pollution, climate change, overfishing are some of the side effects of livestock sector. Vegan lifestyle can help reduce pollution, save energy, water and cease contributing towards the deforestation.
Animals do feel pain. Animals have a right to freedom, respect and living a life without fear, terror and suffering. We do not want to be a reason for the suffering, violence and death of animals, especially when we have the power to do so.
‘Ahimsa’ a Sanskrit term which means non-violence has become the mission of our family. We cannot participate in cruelty and extreme suffering when we have other choices. ‘Ahimsa Vegan Living’ is here to create consciousness and provide empowerment in making better health, ethical and environmental choices. This is an attempt to kindle a spark of curiosity; to create social awareness.
I am very happy to introduce my partner in this venture, my beloved daughter, Shreya.
Welcome to Ahimsa Vegan Living!!
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Namaste, My name is Shreya :)
I am a 4th year student at UT Austin, studying Nutritional Sciences, and I am planning on going to Naturopathic Medical school after this. Naturopathic Medicine is a form of preventative holistic medicine that supports optimal wellness and natural healing. I am currently also training to be a Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (based in NY), and I will be working with individual clients soon.
I truly believe that our bodies each have the innate abilities to heal themselves, if we allow them to do so. Positive energy is what allows us to connect with the infinite source of intelligence that is inside of us. In order to live and emit positive energy we must live life in the present moment, see good in all, take learning out of each experience, and have gratitude in our hearts for all the beautiful life that is part of this world that we live in.
I grew up eating meat, dairy, not particularly liking either, but still indulging for the tastes that it provided. That's what society had made me believe was normal/good. Only at the age of 19 did my eyes open, and the whole reality of the food industry and the in humane treatment of animals really struck me.
I lead a vegan lifestyle out of love, not out of fear. A love for all things, nature, people, animals, and also my self. Love is universal, and part of everyone, so I definitely think a compassionate lifestyle is one that sees everyone and everything as equal, and therefore is full of peace and in harmony with nature. The more people are educated about the truth of the foods they are putting into their body, the more our whole mindset will shift to become a more aware, non-violent, and peaceful society.
One of my favorite aspects of this vegan journey is the discovery of a whole new world of creative recipes and nutritious meal ideas. These foods are closer to the ground, full of life, and are just waiting to nourish your being. People may think that going vegan will reduce their pleasures experienced with eating food, but I would like to say that it is definitely the opposite case. I have found true joy in taking on a diet that aligns perfectly with my values and there is no bigger happiness than that.
I encourage you to explore what veganism is all about, and take small steps to nourishing your health and happiness.
So have fun, my friends, and best wishes on your journey :)
I am a 4th year student at UT Austin, studying Nutritional Sciences, and I am planning on going to Naturopathic Medical school after this. Naturopathic Medicine is a form of preventative holistic medicine that supports optimal wellness and natural healing. I am currently also training to be a Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (based in NY), and I will be working with individual clients soon.
I truly believe that our bodies each have the innate abilities to heal themselves, if we allow them to do so. Positive energy is what allows us to connect with the infinite source of intelligence that is inside of us. In order to live and emit positive energy we must live life in the present moment, see good in all, take learning out of each experience, and have gratitude in our hearts for all the beautiful life that is part of this world that we live in.
I grew up eating meat, dairy, not particularly liking either, but still indulging for the tastes that it provided. That's what society had made me believe was normal/good. Only at the age of 19 did my eyes open, and the whole reality of the food industry and the in humane treatment of animals really struck me.
I lead a vegan lifestyle out of love, not out of fear. A love for all things, nature, people, animals, and also my self. Love is universal, and part of everyone, so I definitely think a compassionate lifestyle is one that sees everyone and everything as equal, and therefore is full of peace and in harmony with nature. The more people are educated about the truth of the foods they are putting into their body, the more our whole mindset will shift to become a more aware, non-violent, and peaceful society.
One of my favorite aspects of this vegan journey is the discovery of a whole new world of creative recipes and nutritious meal ideas. These foods are closer to the ground, full of life, and are just waiting to nourish your being. People may think that going vegan will reduce their pleasures experienced with eating food, but I would like to say that it is definitely the opposite case. I have found true joy in taking on a diet that aligns perfectly with my values and there is no bigger happiness than that.
I encourage you to explore what veganism is all about, and take small steps to nourishing your health and happiness.
So have fun, my friends, and best wishes on your journey :)
