About Heather Crosby

©mARTa Sasinowska

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About YumUniverse
About Our Contributors—a.k.a. Team YU
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Hello YU. I’m a professional whole food, plant-based recipe developer and a T. Colin Campbell Foundation Certified Plant-Based Nutrition Coach dedicated to making a clean, whole food, plant-based lifestyle easier, inspiring and something you can stick with.

Like most of us, I grew up eating the typical American diet. You probably know it—meat, dairy, sugar and processed foods that slick marketing assured our families were good for us.

Around 21 years old, I started having health issues more serious than the bi-monthly cold or bout of strep throat that I seemed to always be battling. For the rest of my twenties, I struggled with the confusion and frustration that came from various vague and conflicting medical diagnoses. I had all the scary tests yet I wasn’t getting any real answers. I knew that my body was trying to tell me something—it was giving me signals, a.k.a symptoms. I felt like the brake light was on in my car, and I didn’t want to just tape over it and keep driving. I wasn’t interested in medications that “masked,” I wanted to feel good and heal naturally. Time to take matters into my own hands.

After years of voracious researching, plant-based nutrition study, going out of my comfort zone, experimenting with new foods, recipes and ideas, I have found next-to-complete relief from my symptoms because I am treating the cause. Alkalizing my body by optimizing the assimilation of food (real, clean food) and reducing physical and nutritional stress has helped me find a place in life where I feel strong, full of energy and, well, quite happy. The right foods, heal. I haven’t had a cold in 3 years. I rarely need naps anymore. I can work out for 2-3 hours without fatigue. Am I perfect? Noooo way. Am I still learning and healing? Yes. Do I fall off the wagon? Sure. Am I going to share with you what I discover along the way? You bet.

YumUniverse is the site that I wish existed when I began my journey into the universe of health. It is my go-to arsenal of recipes, resources and inspiration. I will continue to add to it and share with you as I explore the infinite possibilities for a yummy, healthy life. No sense in keeping all of this good stuff to myself—it’s more fulfilling to embark on a journey with friends.

©mARTa Sasinowska

I know first-hand how overwhelming transition can be. First, I have to congratulate you on seeking out the information about the benefits of a plant-based diet. That is a huge step. It takes guts to question the norm. It takes strength to trust in your instincts and then act.

Where do you start?
If you want to climb a mountain, you just start climbing. You’ll get to the top eventually—not immediately. You’ll wind around, run into obstacles, you’ll have simple, amazing discoveries along the way. Eventually you’ll reach the top and that view! Wow, the view! You did it! You’ll be able to see why it was worth the scratches, the sore muscles, the unexpected detours.

Then maybe out of nowhere, you may slip and fall a bit. Or you may lose your way. BUT. You know what that view is and you now know that you can get there, so you dust off and start climbing again. Eventually, you will have blazed a pretty solid trail for yourself with all those climbs and falls. It will become so easy for you to reach the top sooner each time and you will learn the best way to get there.

Taking on a plant-based diet is also like learning a whole new language. That’s another good way to think about it. Remember, we’ve spent a lifetime doing things a certain way. A new language can be so exotic and may seem out of reach—something you want to learn, but it takes practice. With each new word that you learn, you gain confidence. Once you start communicating with this new language, you become excited and you want to learn more. You meet others who speak this language (hello). It becomes easier. Effortless. Fun, even. It’s important to recognize that you cannot learn this whole new plant-based way of eating overnight. Start small. Be proud of your accomplishments and eventually “overwhelmed” will be in the rear view mirror. Before you know it, you’ll realize that you are having fun with this.

What are people saying?

The love I have for this community—YU (yes, you)—grows every day. When I am in my kitchen figuring out how to make kale delicious for everyone, or diving into articles and studies that further prove why a plant-based diet is ideal for optimal health, YU are with me, inspiring me and motivating me to make this lifestyle easy, delicious and fun for all types of folks. When I discover something new, I can’t wait to share it with my YU family. I look forward to your feedback, questions, suggestions and participation, and if I could hug you, I would, for all you have contributed in your way—via comments, recipes, sharing the site and participating in discussions here, and on the likes of Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.