Growing up in New Orleans, I was surrounded by food that made life delicious—fried seafood, flaky pastries, and everything rich and indulgent. Healthy eating? Not even on my radar. By the time I hit my preteens, the extra pounds started to creep on, and I turned to the world of fad diets. And to be fair, they worked—at least temporarily. I'd lose the weight, but it never lasted. I’d hop from one diet to the next to stay trim, always chasing results but never finding something I could stick to. Restriction became my regular.

For years, I lived in this cycle of dieting, gaining, and starting over. I thought the problem was me, not realizing it was the unsustainable way I approached food. Then, life caught up with me. After getting married and having kids, my health took a nosedive. My hair thinned, my energy vanished, and my body piled on the issues: melanoma, gallbladder attacks, pre-diabetes, high cholesterol—you name it. It was a wake-up call I couldn’t ignore.

That’s when I stumbled on the documentary Forks Over Knives, and for the first time, I saw another way. A whole-food, plant-based diet? It sounded too good to be true, but I dove in anyway. I read everything I could—books like The China Study and Eat to Live—and realized this wasn’t about restriction. It was about real, sustainable health.

But figuring out how to eat healthy while juggling family life, running a business, and trying to keep my sanity? Overwhelming. I’d stick with it for a while, then slide back into old habits. It wasn’t until a hospital scare that I decided it was time to get serious. I had two choices: keep going down the same path or finally commit to something sustainable. I chose to change.

The only way I could make it work was to simplify. No elaborate recipes, no endless prep. Just wholesome food I could throw together quickly: a starch, some veggies, a sauce, and fruit when I felt like it. And it worked. My health turned around; I dropped 50 pounds, and I felt truly free from the constant battle with food for the first time. The best part? I was eating more food than ever—delicious, satisfying meals—and no longer living with the stress of restriction.

I started sharing my meals on social media to keep myself accountable for my changes and stay on track. To my surprise, people connected with my story and simple approach, and it quickly grew into something much bigger.

And that's how Healthy Vegan Mama was born.