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Here are a few things to know about me…

I eat plants. Like many vegans and vegetarians, my transition to a plant-based diet stemmed from watching documentaries such as Food Inc., Cowspiracy, and The Inconvenient Truth. These documentaries introduced me to the various health, environmental, socioeconomic, and political issues surrounding industrial meat. However, what made me cut out meat overnight were the slaughterhouse videos that I had accidentally stumbled upon a week before my high school exams back in 2016. I still don’t know how an innocent puppy video, which I had intended to watch as a study de-stressor, led me to such a dark side of YouTube. But that one click on my list of Recommended Videos forever changed the way I perceive food, make food choices, and advocate through food.

I am a wellness geek. Growing up, I was notorious for getting sick. In fact, for three years in a row, I was sent home from camp because I had either caught the flu or gotten a cold. Thus, the summer before college, when college admissions frenzy was finally over, I became more determined than ever to take charge of my health. I adopted a plant-based diet, committed to a workout routine, went on regular hikes, cycled, and kayaked, all in hopes of improving my physical health. Little did I know that what seemed to be merely a summer checklist prompted my transformative journey to not only physical, but also mental and spiritual health. I felt the happiest and most energized that I have ever been, having taken the time to truly reconnect with my body and soul. It was during this time that I came to a pivotal revelation about health and wellness–that health does not come from a pill or a bottle, but rather, initiated from within.

Now, I set aside time each day for daily devotions, yoga practice, leisure reading, and a home-cooked meal. These are some things that help me stay grounded and present in the day-to-day.

I study food. Many self-proclaimed foodies are privileged purveyors of good food. I, too, have a “foodie” Instagram, and like many others within the community, I also watch the Food Network and scour the web for the best vegan food in town. But not all foodies are snobby bloggers only concerned about getting that perfect aerial shot for Instagram. Foodies can also be conscious activists who understand that food doesn’t exist in a vacuum – that beyond providing sustenance, it is intertwined with the complexities of race, gender, culture, politics, economics, health, and the environment. I like to believe that I am, or at least am striving to be, a food scholar to some degree.

I have included, as part of my portfolio, essays I've written during my time as a Food Studies minor at UCLA that explore food from individual, sociocultural, and global perspectives. One of my favorites is “Yogurt and the Control of Female Bodies”, a glimpse into how gender norms, values, attitudes, and behaviors are maintained and perpetuated through food consumption.