The trusted guide to wellness in Central Texas.

Kaya Wellness exists to cut through the noise of the wellness market: to give Central Texans honest, clinically grounded guidance, and to connect them with vetted local partners who actually deliver. We are a publication first, with services where they help: Kaya Gardens, the kāyā approved mark, and guided journeys. We are not a medical provider, we do not diagnose or treat anything, and we never make medication decisions. What we do is research, vet, curate, and explain, and we are transparent about every commercial relationship that funds that work. This page covers our standards, how we make money, and who is behind the brand.

I built Kāyā to be the guide I wanted for my own family. Food you can trace to the soil, training built around your body, supervised care only when you need it, and nothing you can't inspect.

Shankar Bellam, Founder

Our standards

How we earn your trust.

Clinically grounded.

Articles that make medical claims receive clinical review and carry a visible review date.

Vetted partners.

We assess partners for quality, credentials, and fit before they join the network, and we remove those that stop meeting the bar.

Transparent.

We disclose partner and affiliate relationships, and we never make outcome promises. When evidence is mixed, we say so.

Care stays with providers.

Medical care is delivered by licensed partners. Always. Kaya does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Transparency

How Kaya makes money, plainly.

We are a media brand and a curated network. We may earn fees from non-medical partners (gyms, studios, meal-prep services) through flat-fee listings, sponsorships, and co-marketing, and we may use affiliate links for non-medical products. We do not pay or accept fees for patient referrals to medical providers. For medical and spa partners, any fees are flat, fair-market-value arrangements never tied to patient volume. Our guidance is free to read.

Two more relationships you should know about. First, Kaya Wellness, LLC provides management and administrative services, as a management services organization, to Vitality Health Partners PLLC, the independent, physician-owned practice led by Dr. Daniel Dawson that delivers Medi-Weightloss® care in Central Texas, which is why Medi-Weightloss® is the anchor aligned practice in our network. Kaya does not practice medicine; we disclose this everywhere it is relevant, and all clinical care and decisions belong to the practice and its licensed providers. Second, Kaya Gardens, our food-garden design and install business, is owned and operated by Kaya Wellness directly: when you hire them, you are hiring us, and we say so plainly.

The people

Who's behind Kaya.

Shankar Bellam

Founder & Publisher

Founder and publisher of Kaya Wellness, and co-founder of Kaya Gardens. A Central Texas entrepreneur, he leads the brand, sets its editorial standards, and builds the partner relationships behind it.

Kyle Renfrew

Co-founder, Kaya Gardens

Runs Kaya's food-garden design and install business unit. A Texas A&M-trained plant biochemist, with peer-reviewed research published in The Plant Cell and PLoS Genetics, and a lifelong Central Texan, real estate professional, and licensed appraiser. He brings both the science of living soil and a deep read of local land to every install.

Reviewers ensure the accuracy of educational content. They do not provide medical advice through this site and do not establish a provider–patient relationship with readers.

Good questions

Is Kaya Wellness a medical provider?

No. Kaya is an independent publication. Medical care is delivered by independent, licensed providers.

Why should I trust your content?

Every article is dated and sourced, and articles that make medical claims receive clinical review. Our editorial standards and our commercial relationships are published openly on this page.

Does Kaya profit when I book with a partner?

Sometimes, for non-medical partners, through disclosed promotional relationships. Never through per-patient referral fees for medical care.

Who owns Kaya?

Kaya Wellness, LLC, founded by Shankar Bellam. Where Kaya recommends Medi-Weightloss® for supervised care: Kaya provides management and administrative services, as a management services organization, to Vitality Health Partners PLLC, the independent, physician-owned practice led by Dr. Daniel Dawson that delivers that care. Kaya does not practice medicine, and we disclose the relationship rather than hide it.

Can I suggest a partner or a topic?

Yes. Write to shankar@mykayawellness.com. We read everything, and the network grows by recommendation.