World Renowned Salvadoran Chef

As a new year begins, resolutions often focus on exercising more and adopting a healthier diet. However, putting these goals into practice can sometimes feel impossible when working with a tight budget.

To help overcome these hurdles, Chef Mayra Melgar shares delicious recipes, alongside her inspiring personal journey and lifelong passion for nutritious, affordable food.

Melgar, 63, shares that her journey began over 30 years ago when she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during her first two pregnancies.

"I felt tired, and my blood sugar was constantly high. I started questioning why this was happening and began taking cooking classes at the school where I was working as a teacher's assistant," the Salvadoran-born chef recalls.

As she learned more about culinary arts, she also gained a deeper understanding of diabetes. She realized that there was an extensive family history of the disease on both her mother's and her husband's side.

"My mother, my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, my aunts and uncles; everyone had diabetes," Melgar shares. "Unfortunately, our family also suffered from obesity, heart issues, high cholesterol, and other conditions."

Determined to prevent diabetes or any other chronic illness from affecting her or her children, Melgar decided to continue researching the condition and learning how to combat it. She enrolled in dietary, food preparation, and nutrition coursework at Los Angeles City College.

"I learned how to take any recipe and cut the calories in half, reduce the fat as much as possible, and create a meal plan that turned into a balanced lifestyle with maximum nutrition in every bite," she emphasizes.

During her studies, she discovered "superfoods", 100% natural, nutrient-dense ingredients like flaxseed, chia, and other seeds.

"I started visiting open-air markets and finding superfoods and nutrient-rich fruits—the very foods that continue to sustain our health to this day," says Melgar.

She also learned practical budget-saving tips, such as shopping at local farmers' markets right before closing time, when vendors often discount their produce by up to 75% to clear their inventory.

Becoming an Expert

After successfully transforming her family's diet and protecting them from hereditary health conditions, Melgar promised herself that she would help others discover the benefits of healthy eating.

While working at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), she began teaching healthy cooking classes for pregnant teens and new mothers.

"I watched people come in with histories of illness and multiple medications. By the end of the one-year program, they had lost weight, reversed their diabetes, and done so in a truly healthy way."

In 2014, she became a professional chef and has since traveled internationally to share her expertise and recipes with people from all socioeconomic backgrounds.

Today, she works at a renowned Southern California resort preparing meals for high-profile clients and celebrities. At the same time, she continues to dedicate her time to community nutrition outreach, teaching in churches, non-profit organizations, and local neighborhoods.

Sharing the Recipes

Melgar emphasizes that eating healthy does not mean sacrificing flavor—it simply means making dishes more nutrient-dense.

For example, she suggests elevated oatmeal cooked with water and almond milk, finished with a dash of fresh turmeric and ginger juice once boiled. Top it off with superfoods, fresh fruit, or dried fruits.

"This helps neutralize environmental free radicals, which are linked to illnesses such as cancer," Melgar explains. "It also helps you avoid foods saturated with fat and processed sugar."

When making fresh juices, she advises incorporating leafy greens like kale or spinach alongside fruit to boost antioxidant content and balance sugar levels.

"Even though fruit contains natural fructose, the body absorbs it quickly like a sponge, turning excess sugars into fat if not balanced," the chef explains.

Melgar takes immense pride in her journey and how she turned a medical diagnosis into a vibrant, healthy lifestyle. She proudly notes that she has maintained the same clothing size since age 30 without ever going on a restrictive weight-loss diet.

To date, neither she, her husband, nor their five children have developed diabetes.

Her philosophy centers on a timeless principle: "Medicine is in food, and food is medicine."

Source: https://laopinion.com/2022/01/02/la-medicina-esta-en-la-comida-y-la-comida-es-la-medicina-asegura-chef-salvadorena-reconocida-mundialmente/