VIVA NOLA November 2018

NOLA EATS
thought it was crazy, but the more time
passed, the jokes stopped, and they
saw I was committed to it. Even so,
both of my parents have been very
supportive in this journey.?
And it was indeed a journey ahead.
Needing an about-face, Liliana moved
from Mexico City to New Orleans in
2015.
South of Eden
by Leslie Almeida @nola.eats
Bad habits are hard to break, especially
when they are the kind associated with
food. We eat our feelings, snack while
bored, and overindulge; in a city like
New Orleans, it?s difficult not to. Our
food-obsessed society has even
associated certain days of the week
with food-themed hashtags, such as
#MeatlessMonday and #TacoTuesday.
Coincidentally, Liliana Ruiz-Healy
knows a thing or two about both of
those topics.
Liliana, a native of Mexico City, is the
proprietor of South of Eden, a vegan
pop-up serving authentic Mexican
recipes with a healthy approach. Each
Sunday, her team takes over the
kitchen at Good Karma Cafe, another
vegan eatery, located in a building that
shares space with Swan River Yoga. It?s
more than fitting that South of Eden
sets up shop there; Liliana, a Culinary
Nutritionist and Health Coach, prefers
to describe her menu as plant-based
rather than vegan, emphasizing that
eating meat-free does not necessarily
equate to eating healthy.
As a teenager and young adult, Liliana
struggled with the effects of a poor
diet, both mentally and physically.
Today, she prepares dishes that are
pleasing to the palate yet nourish
12
Liliana, a native of Mexico
City, is the proprietor of
South of Eden, a vegan
pop-up serving authentic
Mexican recipes w ith a
healthy approach.
the mind and body from within. Her
strategy is one she implemented and
has seen work for herself.
?I dealt with a lot of eating disorders
and body image issues for many years.
This led me to depression, anxiety,
fatigue, and pre-diabetes. I went to
psychiatrists, dermatologists,
dietitians, you name it.?
With no solution in sight from medical
professionals, Liliana did her own
research. She experimented with
omitting meat and animal by-products
from her diet and
began to see
improvements in
the condition of her
skin, energy levels
and overall health.
But, with traditional
recipes calling for
meat, lard and
dairy, where does a
vegan fit into a
Mexican
household?
?I think at first they
?I was pretty stuck with my life and felt
I needed a big change. This seemed a
little tricky to do back home, since,
well? in order for big changes to
happen, you need to break away from
the routine, the normal, the
comfortable. I was ready for a new
adventure, and New Orleans captured
me on my first visit.? Soon after, Liliana
became certified as a Health Coach
from Dr. Sears Health Coaching School,
and as a Culinary Nutritionist from
Plantlab Culinary School, focusing on
herbalism, Chinese medicine and
Ayurveda.
In 2017, she earned her certification in
Plant-Based Cooking and Desserts
from Plantlab, perfecting her
technique with raw foods. Liliana?s
aspirations as a nutritionist and as a
chef led to the creation of South of
Eden. Her menu, while meat-free,
showcases dishes that are as appealing
to the eye as they are delicious.
?Plant-based food has a place in
high-end cuisine, with beautiful
ingredients, plating and techniques. I
just want to do what I enjoy the most,
to share the flavors I grew up with in
Mexico, and breaking the idea that
Liliana Ruiz-H ealy (2nd fr om r ight) with the team at South of Eden.