Why Ayurvedic Food?

Ayurveda is an ancient holistic healing system that originated in India over 5,000 years ago. In Ayurveda, food truly is medicine. Nothing else has the same power to nourish, heal, and bring together community. In Ayurveda, foods have distinct properties that can bring you closer to or further from health, depending on your individual dosha, or constitution.

Koko’s cooking is balanced in the six tastes - sweet, salty, sour, bitter, astringent and pungent - and honors Ayurvedic food combining principles. Food that is filled with prana (life force), cooked gently with digestive spices to support your agni (digestive fire), and served in a sattvic (fresh, pure, and peaceful environment) is the medicine we should seek.

What Can You Expect for Your Event?

Deeply influenced by Ayurveda’s wisdom, Koko is committed to creating menus with intention that satisfy each client’s vision for their event. She specializes in cooking nourishing, well-balanced, and digestible meals packed with flavor and spices. Her dishes are organic, gluten-free, whole food based, and seasonal.

Based in San Clemente, Koko can prepare meals at your home or venue, as well as pre-prepare and deliver to you. Depending on the style of service you would like (drop-off, family style, buffet, grazing boards, or plated), rates will vary. Contact Koko to set up an initial conversation to discuss your event, timing, budget, and location.

Why Choose Us?

Koko’s family-style approach gathers people around the table to cherish community and connection. She specializes in providing nourishing, well-balanced meals that support the transformational work that takes place at yoga retreats, ceremonies, blessingways, sound baths, sacred circles, and in other similar settings. She wants your guests to leave energized, fulfilled, nourished, and inspired. Her dishes are always organic, gluten-free, whole food based, and seasonal. Her fruits and vegetables vary with the changing seasons, aligning the food we eat with our environment to encourage harmony within. Koko believes that when we are eating in a way that is sattvic and aligned with nature, food is our greatest medicine.

Private Chef Services for Cancer Care

At Pura Vida Integrative Health, we support clients through a holistic approach to healing, using the therapeutic power of food while honoring individual treatment plans and personal preferences. Many people newly diagnosed with cancer are unprepared for the severe side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, which can diminish appetite, alter taste, and make eating difficult—often changing throughout treatment.

Within conventional cancer care, the enjoyment of food is often overlooked, even though proper nutrition is essential for healing, strength, and weight maintenance. I bridge this gap by creating personalized wellness plans and nourishing meals clients can look forward to. Helping someone undergoing chemotherapy regain the ability to taste and enjoy food again is deeply rewarding.

What Does Ayurvedic Nourishment look in Cancer Care?

Regardless of treatment state, Ayurvedic nourishment emphasizes:

• Warm, cooked, easy-to-digest foods

• Moist, soft textures (soups, stews, porridges)

• Simple meals with few ingredients

• Regular meal timing

• Deep hydration with warmth

• Calm, supported digestion