Ayurvedic Nutrition and Culinary Training (ANACT)

Ayurvedic Chef, Educator & Co-Founder of Bhagavat Life and Divya’s Kitchen

Divya Alter is an Ayurvedic chef, educator, and co-founder of Bhagavat Life and Divya’s Kitchen, an Ayurvedic restaurant in Manhattan.

With over 35 years of experience studying, practicing, and teaching vegetarian cooking and Ayurveda, Divya brings a deeply rooted and integrative approach to food and healing.

Her work is centered on the principle of food as medicine—using ingredients, cooking methods, and food combinations to support digestion, restore balance, and promote overall well-being. She bridges traditional wisdom with modern life, making Ayurveda practical, accessible, and relevant through everyday cooking.

Divya is the author of two cookbooks, What to Eat for How You Feel and Joy of Balance, and the creator of the nation’s first Ayurvedic Nutrition and Culinary Training.

Vaidya Satyajith is a recognized leader in the field of Ayurveda and has worked on numerous international research and social projects to promote Ayurvedic workshops, research, and innovation in the alternative healing field. Vaidya Satyajith's spiritual journey began at the tender age of twelve, under the guidance of his revered Guruji. It was during this early phase of his life that he set foot on a path instilled with spirituality. This journey led him to a profound connection with Ayurveda, the ancient science of life. He embarked on his academic pursuits, culminating in a Bachelor's Degree in Ayurvedic Medicine & Surgery from Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya in Karnataka, India. His desire for specialized knowledge leads him to achieve a doctorate in Pañchakarma from the prestigious Muniyal Institute of Ayurveda Medical Sciences. Currently, he's the heart and soul of the Dhanvantari Ayurveda Hospital and holds the position of Managing Director at Sadaika Healthcare Pvt Ltd in Karnataka, India. With over 15 years of clinical experience in the Ayurvedic domain, he has managed over 30,000 client cases and administered 16,000 therapies.

Dr. Marianne Teitelbaum graduated summa cum laude from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1984. She immediately began her studies with Maharishi Ayurveda, obtaining Ayurvedic Practitioner certification. In the late 1990s she began a seventeen-year one-on-one internship with Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra, who hails from a five thousand-year-old family lineage of Raj Vaidyas. Her first book, Healing the Thyroid with Ayurveda: Natural Treatments for Hashimoto’s, Hypothyroidism, and Hyperthyroidism was published in 2019 by Inner Traditions. She runs an extremely busy Ayurvedic practice, treating all diseases by addressing her patients’ imbalances, instructing them in diet, daily routine, and Ayurvedic cleansing techniques.

Richard LaMarita is a twenty-five year chef-instructor for the world-renowned plant-based culinary program at the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City. Among his famed vegetarian and vegan cooking, he specializes in Indian, Italian, and Ayurvedic cuisine. He is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, having completed the Culinary Arts and Culinary Management Program in 2004. He also studied with Vedic and Ayurvedic master Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. For thirty-five years, Richard has been a practitioner and teacher of Ayurveda, and he has led seminars throughout the US, Europe, and Asia, including topics such as the Ayurvedic diet, cooking, yoga, and meditation.

Dr. Bhaswati Bhattacharya is a Harvard-educated, licensed, board-certified MD physician trained in family medicine and preventive medicine. She is currently a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York and a Fulbright Specialist in global public health. She has a PhD in pharmacology-neuroscience and in Ayurveda as well as a master’s degree in public health. Her research focuses on integrating the wisdom and science of Ayurveda into health care. Her book, Everyday Ayurveda, is a national bestseller published by Penguin Random House.

Dr. Robert E. Graham, MD, MPH, is a Harvard-trained physician, board certified in Internal and Integrative Medicine, public health scientist, TEDx speaker, and food activist. One of less than twenty physician chefs worldwide, he obtained his culinary degree from the Natural Gourmet Institute. He has prescribed “food as medicine” for over 15 years, has taught over 500 healthcare workers how to cook, and created the first edible hospital rooftop garden in NYC. Dr. Graham is the Co–Founder of FRESH Medicine, an integrative health and wellness center in NYC. FRESH is an acronym for their five ingredients for health: Food, Relaxation, Exercise, Sleep and Happiness.