Meet Taylor Neal, a southerner who decided to leave her traditional eating habits behind and grow into a woman of beauty and health, inside and out. After pursuing her journalism and English degrees in the heart of Mississippi, she was faced with startling news. At the young age of 34, her doctor diagnosed her with diverticulitis and hereditary high blood pressure. It was at this point, Taylor decided she was going to heal her body and change her life. This inspired her exploration of yoga and Ayurvedic health.

As a fan of Ayurveda, what can we do to improve our eating habits this winter?

Ayurveda is a very commonsensical approach to food based on eating with the seasons and your body type. It is also a traditional and preventative approach to life.

Simple step: Each one of us can start by buying local, when possible, and roasting seasonal vegetables with accents like ginger for warmth.

How can we improve our health in the New Year?

I believe it is very important to be in tune with what you have going on, personally. There are a lot of fad diets and “food trends,” but until you really become one with yourself, knowing how your heart beats and your food intake, you cannot truly help yourself.

Simple step:  Let medicine be the food and food be the medicine. Know your dosha or constitution. Check out this quick online assessment here 

How can you help women avoid “diet traps” and be brave and bold this year?

Take time to acknowledge beauty in your own skin. Avoid toxic foods –particularly those that are not inline with your dosha. We cannot have balanced health and drink and eat a lot of rich foods. This sounds hard - and it can be – so start with one step.

Simple step: Take care of yourself in a preventative stance. I recommend eating for your dosha, making time for meditation and scheduling holistic therapies to take care of your body. For recipe ideas, check out Tanda Cook ND

Taylor, what’s your word of encouragement?

Blessing – Take a look around and see the blessing in even the most mundane things like monthly bills. See them as blessings, as things that provide us a better quality of life.   Change your perception to live in that present moment and see even bills as blessings providing you with great abundance.

Have questions for Taylor? Reach out to her here: fourcornersyoga1@gmail.com