About Us

Namaste!

Hello, I’m Sandhya. Through Sataahar, my mission is to provide evidence-based insights on health and nutrition, focusing on the needs of vegan and vegetarian Nepalese. I try to gather evidence from local and international literature sources to ensure the information I present is useful and relevant to everyday Nepalese life.”

Where am I from?

I was born and brought up in Chitwan, Nepal.

Where do I live?

Currently, I live in California, the US.

What is my academic background?

Bachelor of Public Health
Chitwan Medical college, Nepal

Msc. Food Science for Nutrition
Mahidol University, Salaya, Thailand

What is my experience?

My work experience began after I finished my bachelor's degree, but even before that, I was involved in volunteering, research, and community projects related to health and the environment during my school and undergraduate years.
Once I earned my bachelor's degree in public health, I started working on various projects such as school health and nutrition, tuberculosis case finding, and community and child nutrition projects in different districts of Nepal, including Doti, Siraha and Sindhupalchowk, from late 2016 to mid-2019. Alongside, I also worked as a consultant on different research projects.

Back in 2018, a bike accident left me stuck at home with a broken leg for weeks. It wasn't exactly a dream come true, but that's when I discovered a new passion for making videos! While I was healing, I began doing more research in health and nutrition for my videos. But something bugged me: there just wasn't enough information about health and nutrition in Nepali language, especially for people who don't know English. Even for those who understand English, the information were not contextual. For eg. If you search 'food sources of vitamin D', google will tell you Milk but it is not a source of vitamin D unless fortified. Milk is fortified with vitamin D in many developed countries like US, but not in Nepal (yet), so that information might confuse people! That's what inspired me to create Sataahar, a website with videos and articles in Nepali all about staying healthy and nutrition secured. In the beginning, I started with a Facebook page and a YouTube channel and later created a website (and Tiktok too!)! I want to share clear, science-based information so that everyday Nepalese have access to educational resources that are useful and applicable in Nepalese context.

Where does my veganism journey come in between?

During my early years, I followed a lacto-vegetarian diet, but in 2021, while pursuing my master's degree in Thailand, I transitioned to a vegan lifestyle. It was during this time that I came to understand that neither meat, eggs, nor dairy are necessary for sustaining life or maintaining good health. I delved deeper into ethical considerations, animal rights, and the exploitative practices of factory farming. Realizing my concern for animals and my opposition to causing unnecessary harm to sentient beings, I committed to veganism as much as possible. I dedicated myself to researching plant-based nutrition extensively, even outside of my regular coursework. My goal was to dispel numerous myths surrounding vegetarian diets, plant-based diets, and veganism itself. I envisioned myself as a valuable resource for assisting individuals in meeting their nutritional needs, debunking misconceptions about plant-based diets, and encouraging others to live more compassionately and sustainably.

What can you learn on our website?

Here, you'll find a variety of topics, but my main focus is on food and nutrition, particularly vegetarian and vegan nutrition, which I'm really passionate about. I also touch on issues like gender equity, food safety, nutrition security, and living an eco-friendly lifestyle, all of which are close to my heart. My aim is to provide information that's not only relevant but also practical for the Nepalese audience. I gather insights from different places, but I'm dedicated to sharing science-backed knowledge that can genuinely help everyday Nepalis. If you prefer video content, you can catch me on my TikTok channel called "Sataahar," where I'm quite active. I also regularly post on Instagram and Facebook. Just search for #sataahar, and you'll find my pages.