Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Where did you grow up /live now?

I was born in Lufkin, Texas and moved with my parents to Edna, another small town in South Texas. I have lived in Houston, Texas, since moving here to attend the University of Houston in the late 1970s.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Or what first inspired you to write?

I have always enjoyed writing and consider it an art form. I love a well-crafted sentence and the nuanced communication that is possible with the written word. I also love a well told story. I never aspired to be a writer, only to use my enjoyment of writing to tell my story in a way that would empower and inspire others.

Where/When do you best like to write?

I write at home, however any quiet place works well.

When you are struggling to write/have writer’s block, what are some ways that help you find your creative muse again?

I do either one of two things. I either step back and rethink my outline, because often my structure is part of the problem. Or I take a break to do some other type of creative activity to get that energy flowing again.

What inspired your story?

The sheer gratitude for my health journey and the joy I discovered along the way were and remain my inspiration. I want to empower others to know that good health is within reach and it starts in our kitchen.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

I like to read, cook, exercise, practice yoga and meditation. I also love sports and home improvement shows.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

As a mom my two daughters are my favorite contemporary authors! That said, I think if they weren’t my daughters, and I had read any of Attica Locke’s novels e.g. Black Water Rising or Heaven My Home, and Tembi Locke’s memoir From Scratch, I would enthusiastically say the same thing. Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist is another favorite. Ernest Gaines is an American novelist whose work I cherish. Two of my favorite poets are Kahlil Gibran and Rainer Maria Wilke.

What person(s) has/have helped you the most in your career?

My family members have been consistent supporters both in my business career and now my writing and health advocacy endeavors. My mom financed my start up business in 1981 with a $500 loan when I couldn’t find bank financing! A teacher, she also wrote a children’s book which inspired my daughters and myself to dare to write.

About the Author

SHERRA AGUIRRE is an articulate health enthusiast, environmentalist and food security activist. She founded and led a successful business for three decades, winning national awards for entrepreneurship, innovation, and service excellence. She sold the company in 2016 to focus on sharing her passion for healthy diet and lifestyle.

Aguirre describes herself as high energy, in better overall health, and in many ways more fit than in her thirties or forties. She has practiced meditation and yoga daily for more than twenty-five years, and for many years has researched and read extensively about diet and lifestyle as the most important factors for achieving and maintaining good health. By adopting a whole plant-based diet, she improved her overall heart health and eliminated symptoms of hypertension despite a significant family history of heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure. She is passionate about empowering others to maintain vibrancy and good health throughout their lifetimes.

One of Aguirre’s main goals with her new book is to make the change to a healthier diet and lifestyle more accessible, particularly to African Americans and other communities who are at high risk for diabetes and heart disease.