Most of Miami knows Pamela Wasabi as the edgy, stylish and eternally surprising firebrand behind Wasabi Fashion Kult. But since becoming a mother, Pamela's embarked on a new journey that has less to do what's on our bodies than what's going in them.
Pamela is officially closing WFK and saying sayonara to all things fashion. These days, she's a certified Health Coach and Vegan/Raw and Dessert Chef working on compiling a recipe book, launching cooking classes and sharing her journey with the world via PamelaWasabi.com.
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Pamela found out she was preggers a few days after her clothing store opened, and a few months in she joined up with The Institute of Integrative Nutrition. From there, she embarked on some epic kitchen experimentation and fell in love with cooking.
"I was exercising, eating organic, plant-based meals and cooking at home. I had a beautiful pregnancy with no cravings, no swelling, no heartburn, no extra hair, no extra pounds on my cheeks or legs or arms," Pamela says. Undoubtedly an enviable condition for any soon-to-be mom.
"Cooking and nutrition woke up something in me which changed my priorities and interests," she explains. "This path which I embarked on made me a little bit more wiser, patient, calmer. Without noticing, I ended up cooking almost every day. I will spend the night in the kitchen happy, or watching documentaries about the food industry, or reading books about foods and vegetables. But it was not till the beginning of this year that I realized cooking and nutrition became my passion, that I had already devoted my full attention and heart to it. It was time to start a new chapter. Change was here and I was ready to accept it."
As always, she has a laundry list of lofty goals for the future.
"I'm collecting every single recipe and photos of my meals to make a recipe book by the end of this year. This Sunday I'm dictating my first Vegan Cooking Class which I will be hosting once a month," she says. "I'm also selling my vegan bites at the Upper East Side Farmers Market. And I make the desserts and bake goods at Choices Cafe, Upper East Side. I still want to continue studying nutrition and culinary. And in the future, we want to open an organic, locally grown, plant-based restaurant with my family."
From fashionista, photographer, store owner and dancer to chef, teacher, educator and baker. Somehow, the metamorphosis of this electrifying entrepreneur isn't so surprising. From her, we expect nothing less than trailblazing -- be it via closet contents or healthful fare.
Given the extent of her recent transformation, Pamela is appropriately gushy about how a plant-based diet has changed her life. "Understanding that is through our conscious choices we can impact and benefit greatly our home, our family, our friends, nature and our planet. It all starts with your next bite."
As far as following in her footsteps, you can find recipes on her blog. Specifically, she recommends her green waffles, apple pie in a bowl and Double Royal.
"All my recipes have ingredients you can pronounce and picture in your head where they came from," she adds. Even if you are not vegan, you will enjoy of my meals because they are made with real food and taste good! I do not use soy substitutes, or processed foods, or refined sugars."
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