Hello! My name is Melinda Beaulieu and I live in NYC with my dog, Bella. I am a nutritionist, whole foods chef, and certified vinyasa yoga teacher. I firmly believe that a marriage of both nutrition information, and also the ability to cook for oneself is needed to achieve and maintain good health, as well as regular exercise. One can have all the knowledge in the world about what to eat, but if they consistently eat out they can’t be sure they are eating a truly healthy meal. I’ve worked in the restaurant industry and most restaurants use a lot of salt and unhealthy fats to prepare food.
I truly enjoy teaching people how cooking for themselves is not hard to do, does not have to be time-consuming, and that eating healthy food doesn’t have to taste bad. During my cooking demonstrations or private lessons I include a lot of nutritional information about the foods we are preparing: why we should eat them, good alternatives to traditional unhealthy versions, different alternatives to my recipes to keep future meals interesting, and information about how specific foods can impact the various systems in the body.
I received my Chef’s training at the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City. The Natural Gourmet specializes in teaching health supportive cooking for various health concerns (such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.) and various dietary theories (macrobiotic, raw, spa, detox, etc.), with a heavy focus on nutrition. I also received my Pastry certificate from the Institute of Culinary Education, and have taken the Wedding Cake Intensive, and Chocolate Intensive at the French culinary Institute.
I attended the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York City where I studied holistic nutrition.
I trained in Spain to become a certified vinyasa yoga teacher and firmly believe that regular exercise is imperative to maintaining good health. Vinyasa, or “power yoga” as it is sometimes called, is a rigorous form of yoga and works every muscle in the body. Maintaining a regular practice of yoga, 4-5 classes per week at least, will make and keep one strong and flexible. In the past I’ve been a regular jogger, walker, done aerobics, and used the machines at the gym, but nothing has had such a positive impact on my body as yoga. Unlike other forms of exercise, certain yoga poses (asanas) stimulate various organs in the body. For example, twisting poses are excellent for the digestive system. There are also poses that stimulate the thyroid and kidneys to name a few. I have also found that a regular yoga routine helps to stimulate my body’s craving for healthy foods, where as other types of exercise haven’t necessarily done that for me.
In addition to studying nutrition, cooking, and yoga, I am currently studying herbalism. I believe pharmaceuticals have their place in this world, but I also believe that people rely on them too much. Many people would rather neglect their health and when it’s too late, turn to their doctor for a prescription to “cure” their ailments, neglecting to consider that medications often have side-effects that can create a need for other medications down the road, and so on. Herbs can be used to tonify the body and keep the body running smoothly. For example, dandelion and milk thistle are excellent for the liver*.
*Be sure you consult with your health care practitioner before taking herbs as some herbs can interact with pharmaceutical drugs and could exacerbate certain medical conditions.
