This month on the Resilience for Life vlog, I interview Chef Richard LaMarita. I met Rich in August of 1993. He was a senior meditation teacher at the Transcendental Meditation Center in Manhattan. Although I had explored numerous contemplative practices since high school, I consider that summer to be the beginning of the daily meditation practice that I continue to this day, 27 years later.
A student of Ayurvedic master Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Rich also introduced me to Ayurveda (the Knowledge of Life, or the traditional Vedic system of medicine) and recommended I incorporate daily health practices like oil massage, tongue scraping, pranayama, asana, and an Ayurvedic diet.
His passion for cooking led Rich to study at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, where he completed the Culinary Arts and Culinary Management Program. Subsequently, he worked with numerous chefs in NYC, including Floyd Cardoz, Dan Kluger, and Ben Pollinger at Tabla Restaurant.
For 25 years, Rich has instructed chefs in the world-renowned plant-based program at the Natural Gourmet Institute in NYC. He is on faculty at the Institute of Culinary Education, where he teaches Health Supportive Culinary Arts. His specialty is vegan, vegetarian, Indian, Italian, and Ayurvedic cuisine.
Learn from Chef LaMarita as he explains why the Ayurvedic diet is not just another diet, and how eating the Ayurvedic way encompasses much more than food choices. It includes a way of thinking about food and explores the relationship between food, food preparation, digestion, and how we eat. We discuss a basic understanding of Ayurveda. Download Rich's PDF before watching.
Wishing you Resilience for Life,
Resilience for Life Vlog
Chef Rich LaMarita
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