Hispanic Heritage Month is all about celebrating culture, community, and the people shaping the future through their creativity and passion, and Healthy As A Motha embodies all of that. The restaurant fuses traditional Latin flavors with a modern, health-forward twist, honoring cultural roots while nourishing the next generation. We caught up with the owner and founder, Yesenia Ramdass, to talk about how she’s redefining what it means to eat well, stay true to your roots, and uplift the community through food that feeds both the soul and the body. Can you tell us the story behind Healthy As A Motha — how did it start and what inspired the name? Healthy As A Motha (HAAM) was born out of both personal transformation and profound loss. When I was 17, I read a book that fundamentally changed the way I thought about food. Coming from a community where vegetarianism and veganism weren’t even part of the conversation, it was like being handed a map to a world I never knew existed. I stopped eating meat and, over time, dove deep into food, health, and ancestral wellness. Years later, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. Her passing in 2018 lit a fire in me. I was angry, not just from grief but from the realization that my community lacked access to critical health education. I felt compelled to bridge that gap. So I started a blog with titles like “The influence of the white coat” or “Shame in Aspartame”. I started a YouTube channel with recipes that reimagined the foods we grew up with but in healthier ways. When the pandemic hit, I was home cooking for my three kids and sharing everything on Instagram. People kept commenting, “I wish I could try your food!” and “That looks amazing!” My husband encouraged me to go for it. I bought a tent and table off Amazon and did my first pop-up. I sold out. Complete strangers were eating my food and loving it. That moment changed everything. Weeks later, I was laid off from my job, and instead of scrambling to find another one, I took a chance on myself. I started doing pop-ups all over NYC, at street markets, selling my food and building Healthy As A Motha.  As for the name Healthy As A Motha I wanted something with NYC swag, something that would make people laugh, spark curiosity, and most importantly, pay homage to the women who taught me how to cook: my mom and my mother in law. Everything I know started in their kitchens, and now I get to carry that forward through my own lens. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Your Vegan Bestie (@shesheretoeat) What was your journey like from concept to opening your first location? I never sat down and said, “I want to be a chef” or “I want to open a restaurant.” The concept grew organically, driven by the needs and desires of my community. I listened closely and what I heard over and over again was that there was no place to get plant based food that felt culturally relevant, that had our flavors, our soul, our seasoning. After I was laid off, I took a leap and rented a commercial kitchen to learn the ropes, from health inspections and order fulfillment to plating and packaging. That phase of relearning everything was humbling and intense. I’ve never worked harder in my life than I did in those first three years. There were moments I doubted myself, moments I questioned everything, but my passion and my purpose and my mom pulled me through. When it came time to open a brick and mortar, I knew exactly what I wanted: a space that felt elevated, sexy, and sophisticated. Something that presented Caribbean cuisine in a way people are not used to seeing. So many assumed I’d go the fast casual route. It would’ve been easier, sure. But I wasn’t interested in “easy.” I wanted to build a vibe. Permits, contractors, design, equipment, hiring, I faced every possible challenge, but I did it. And now HAAM is more than just a restaurant  it feels to me like a movement. View this post on Instagram A post shared by H A A M (@healthyasamotha) Did your cultural background play a role in shaping the restaurant’s vision or recipes? Absolutely, 100%. When I first became conscious on the impact of food, I felt like I had unlocked something powerful. But it was heartbreaking to realize how disconnected my community was from that conversation. In Caribbean and Latinx households, if there’s no meat on the plate, it’s not a meal. So when I started HAAM, I didn’t cater to people already eating plant-based. I focused on those who weren’t because that’s where change starts. I took traditional recipes and reimagined them using familiar ingredients and flavors. Texture and spice were everything. I needed each dish to taste like home just without the animal products. Did your cultural background play a role in shaping the restaurant’s vision or recipes? In every single way. The HAAM experience is rooted in cultural celebration from the music to the menu. When you walk through our doors, you’re met with the sounds of soca, bachata, reggae, and merengue. It’s loud. It’s alive. It’s unapologetically us. We serve elevated Caribbean plant cuisine, but the energy is still rooted in joy, rhythm, and warmth. During the day, it might be a lunch break; by evening, the candles are lit and the vibe is pure fuego! The goal is to make people feel like waving their flags, dancing in their chairs, and savoring food that feels both nostalgic and revolutionary. It’s a space where culture and community collide in the best way. View this post on Instagram A post shared by H A A M (@healthyasamotha) Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates diversity within the community — what does this month personally mean to you? Representation is everything. I never imagined myself in this

Lizzo has been very open about her health journey over the years; now she’s trying to help some of her peers, like BigXthaPlug, get on the same track. The pair linked up for a grocery shopping trip at Walmart while on a Twitch livestream—not long after they found themselves in a light-hearted debate about their soda preferences. In Lizzo’s opinion, when it comes to healthy soda options, she thinks Coke Zero is best. “We got to get some Coke Zeros,” she says as they walk down the soda aisle. However, the “Whip It” hitmaker didn’t see it that way. “Coke Zero is crazy. You might as well not even drink soda. It’s zero.” Lizzo went on stream with BigXThePlug to help put him on a diet and he got upset when she tried making him drink Coke ZERO pic.twitter.com/ndD6PEY9wn — ryan (@scubaryan_) September 12, 2025 Lizzo asked the rapper if he would prefer water, possibly thinking he wasn’t a fan of carbonated beverages, but that was not the case: “I mean, I drink soda,” BigXthaPlug clarified. It seems that he just doesn’t understand the point of drinking sugar-free soda products like Coke Zero. “So you’ll drink a full-fat Coke? Oh no no no,” the “Special” singer responded. As the hilarious debate slightly heated up, Lizzo shared that her favorite flavor of Coke Zero was vanilla. The rapper quipped back, saying, “You might as well drink a regular vanilla Coke,” bringing the soda showdown to an end. Lizzo also shared a clip of the two doing a fire dance routine to BigX’s 2024 hit “The Largest,” on Instagram, writing in the caption: “We the BIGGEST in the game! @bigxthaplug.” Funny debate aside, Lizzo’s soda choices shouldn’t be a surprise; the rapper-singer has shared her ever-evolving health journey since launching into the mainstream. In July, she sat down with Women’s Health to discuss her weight loss, body positivity, and her ongoing health journey. Lizzo revealed to the outlet that finding healthy eating patterns had always been a “challenge” for her. She shared that she suffered from disordered eating, specifically, binge eating. “There were times when I would eat so much that my stomach hurt. When I was done, I would be so uncomfortable, I couldn’t breathe and wouldn’t let anyone know,” she says. According to Lizzo, she had “so much food noise and connected so much emotion to food.”

Beyoncé is facing unexpected criticism after her latest campaign with Levi’s, with conservative commentator Megyn Kelly calling out her appearance and comparing it to Sydney Sweeney’s recent American Eagle ad. Kelly took to social media to weigh in on a new photo of Beyoncé, claiming the superstar looked overly polished and unnatural. “This is the opposite of the Sydney Sweeney ad,” she wrote. “Quite clearly there is nothing natural about Beyoncé. Everything from her image to her fame to her success to her look below is bought and paid for. Screams artificial, fake, enhanced, trying too hard.” This is the opposite of the Sydney Sweeney ad. Quite clearly there is nothing natural about Beyonce. Everything – from her image to her fame to her success to her look below – is bought and paid for. Screams artificial, fake, enhanced, trying too hard. https://t.co/sQXijTgrJn — Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) August 5, 2025 Kelly’s post quickly sparked backlash. Jon Favreau of Pod Save America responded to her tweet, saying, “I’d bet most normal people think both ads are just companies trying to sell products by featuring famous, beautiful women. But there are also these people.” Kelly fired back by accusing him of twisting the narrative and claimed it was not conservatives who started the debate. “Typical leftist dishonesty. Acting like conservatives started this fight and how petty we are to be commenting on a woman in a jeans ad. Now what got us here again?” Meanwhile, the American Eagle ad featuring Sydney Sweeney has already stirred controversy of its own. Some critics have accused the campaign of using coded language and imagery that promotes outdated ideologies. The slogan “great genes” paired with her blonde hair and blue eyes led to backlash online. The drama even reached political circles when former President Donald Trump praised the ad on Truth Social, calling it the “HOTTEST” out there and applauding Sweeney as a registered Republican. American Eagle responded in a statement saying, “’Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story,” while reinforcing its message of confidence and inclusivity.

Timbaland has doubled down on his plan to launch an AI artist through his company Stage Zero to bring forth a new music genre known as artificial pop, or A-pop. Now he is facing backlash. Taking to Instagram on Friday (June 6), the iconic producer addressed the controversy swirling around the announcement of his first AI-generated artist, TaTa. “I know I’m trolling, but let’s have a real conversation,” Timbaland wrote in his post. “I love my independent artists. This doesn’t mean I’m not working with real artists anymore.”  “And nah, I don’t train ai off y’all music,” he explained. “This just means more creativity for creators.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Timbo the King (@timbaland) Tim also posted a video of music executive Ray Daniels saying AI artists will be the new wave in the record industry.  “Why the fuck wouldn’t you?” Daniels said in the video. “Mickey Mouse is an AI character. Donald Dunk is an AI character. Bugs Bunny is an AI character.” “You guys are looking at it wrong,” Daniels continued. “He’s gonna make a character that he can have sing songs and sell products. That’s all these cartoonists and young kid TV shows are doing anyway, so why are y’all mad at him?” In the comments section, many disagreed with Timbaland and Daniel’s views on AI-generated music. “You call it trolling, but the moves you are making are not jokes,” British DJ Shy FX wrote in the comments. “They are choices, and they come at the cost of real artists who are already fighting to be seen and heard.” “You showed your colours when you attempted to make a song using Biggie’s AI-generated voice,” he added. “You made it even clearer by partnering with Suno, whose founder has been very vocal about wanting to replace musicians, not support them. And now this? This isn’t disruption. It’s a cash-in.” Rob Markman, a noted hip-hop journalist, took issue with Daniels’ point about the creation of the beloved Disney character.  “Mickey Mouse was created by a human, drawn by a human, written by a human, voiced by a human… not the same,” Markman wrote. “None of those things the guy mentioned (Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny) are AI characters; those are characters created, written, and animated by PEOPLE. Do you not see the resounding rejection you’re facing for this?” Markman added.

SZA recently hosted a pop-up event to promote her new beauty brand, Not Beauty. The two-day event — spanning from Thursday (May 8) to Friday (May 9)— took place in her hometown, East Rutherford, New Jersey at the American Dream Mall. Before the event, the singer shared the news with her fans via Instagram: “JERSEY and NEW YORK WE DOING IT MAJORRR . MEET ME AT AMERICAN DREAM MALL TOMORROW AND FRIDAY !! ( there’s a pathway that connects to the stadium ) . So excited to see you at our first mall pop up !!” she wrote in the post’s caption. In a huge surprise to the singer and her fans, Kendrick Lamar stopped by the event to show some support. The singer’s products are exclusively available to Grand National Tour attendees. The pair’s tour kicked off on April 19 and is expected to hit several major cities like Chicago, Las Vegas, Houston, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. THANK YOU KENDRICK FOR COMING TO TODAYS NOT BEAUTY POP UP !!!! SEE YALL ON STAGE !!! pic.twitter.com/tYd0sPf3AO — SZA (@sza) May 9, 2025 SZA Reveals The Inspiration Behind Her Not Beauty Brand Her first product release features a trio of lip gloss shades—ones she’s been quietly wearing for months, including during standout public moments like her appearance at the Super Bowl halftime show. Not long ago, the singer sat down with Vogue and opened up about her inspiration behind the brand. “I’m not a beauty maven, but I know lips.” “I know what I like, and I’m diligent about finding the best quality ingredients. I wanted to fill a need with something that works for me and that I use daily. Following your passion and letting it lead you, and letting the story develop itself by following the throughline of risk, trust, and willingness is literally what my entire life and career has been about.” Explaining the brand’s name, she said, “[It] was representative of a reminder of: Don’t try to be these other brands, don’t try to be anything. Don’t just make a random celebrity brand just because you can. My whole life is about being pressure-free but still trying your best, and that’s what Not is about.”