This Health Source co-op has been life-changing. I thought I was eating healthy before we joined, but little did I know what healthy really was!
We've spent the last year transitioning to a whole-foods diet, eliminating processed foods (including white flour, white sugar) and changing the balance of our diets from primarily meat and veggies every meal to eating mostly vegetables with a little meat on the side 2-3 times a week. One nice result is that we get sick very seldom. Another great result for me is that my hypoglycemia is completely gone and I have lost 20 pounds. Oh yeah, and I don't get headaches anymore or 4-hour stomach aches, which I used to endure 2-3 times a week. You forget these things when you haven't had them in so long.
For years after the birth of my second child, I had several chronic health issues that just would not resolve. These were things that doctors just could not pinpoint or help me with at all, like chronic inflammation and "crunchy" knees that ached all the time. There was no curative answer. I first explored herbs. I did find relief in the herbs that I couldn't find in over-the-counter or prescription medicines, but it was to the tune of about $200 a month. And that was just to feel like a normal person!
Some of my issues resolved through the use of the herbs, but when I met Monica, what she said made such perfect sense. She said 95 percent of what ails us can be cured through a good diet. So I thought instead of spending all that money on pills, it made sense to spend the money on good, organic produce and then eat mostly fruits and vegetables. Incidentally, our grocery bill has not gone up at all, because the produce through the co-op is such a good price and we have cut back on our meat and dairy consumption.
It has taken this long to re-learn to prepare meals the healthy way, but it has been worth every minute. My whole family loves vegetables now -- we even crave them! We are SELDOM sick and the chronic inflammation has improved greatly. I am currently fasting to see if that will zap it for good.
The other way that this co-op has helped me so much is through the Health Source egroup. I have learned SO much about preparing vegetables I've never eaten before, about nutrition, about which books to read, how to transition your family to the better diet, etc. It helps to have folks you can ask a simple question to, like, "My bread didn't turn out fluffy. What's wrong?" or, "Has anybody heard of acid vs. alkaline balance in the body and how it is affected by diet?" Learning how to make my system more alkaline and all the benefits to that was key to my motivation to KEEP eating healthy. (Benefits: no more heartburn, EVER, increased immunity, and if you have psoriasis or eczema, you should try changing your diet.)
Bottom line, it is so nice to be in charge of my health and not sit here like a helpless victim, waiting for the next disease to come along. You CAN be proactive about your health! I think reading Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman is the first step. That is a book Monica recommended and has shared excerpts from. It has become a book that I have read and re-read, high-lighted and studied. The information in there should be the basis of high school nutrition courses, because it is based on scientific studies rather than propaganda from the USDA. God love 'em, they (the USDA) are only fulfilling their 1950s founding mission of promoting the meat and dairy industries, but to the detriment of the health of all America.
I finally learned what was keeping my weight on, even when I made the switch to healthy eating (too much oil in my cooking, even too much of that good bread). At age 44, I feel better than I have in a long time. By this point in life, most gals have many health issues, their hormones are out of whack and their bodies look matronly. Things don't get better when you do nothing different. Eating this way got that matronly generous middle portion off of me and my health issues are dwindling both in number and in intensity. I couldn't be happier about the direction I'm headed. This is not a fad diet. It's the diet we were created to eat!
Words are not adequate to express my thanks to you, Monica, for having the vision to start the co-op and the support that goes with it!
Kim Martin
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We enjoy being a part of the food co op. There is so much variety with what comes each week, and my children enjoy helping me wash and sort things. One of the funniest things that happened this year was getting our lettuce and finding a handful of ladybugs in it! You know it is organic if the ladybugs are roaming over the crisp greens.
Since we started the co op and began to increase our intake of fresh vegetables, we have noticed significant health gains. My husband has suffered from leg cramps at night for over ten years. He has had complete relief from this! Also, he recently took a long road trip and did not experience any back/neck stiffness or pains. This has never happened before. I packed plenty of fresh veggies for him to snack on.
I have felt much better and have lost about 10 pounds- all without exercising (which I hope to take up soon :). I have lots of energy even though we dropped caffeine altogether.
We have enjoyed too many health benefits to turn back now! Thanks for organizing the co op.
Laura Palacios
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I've only been participating for a little while now, but I really love it because I have a 9 month old and I can give her a lot of the fruits and vegetables. It's so much better for her than the jar food. I haven't found one things she won't eat. And it gets my husband to eat healthier too. Also, It's so convenient since I make my pick-up just a couple blocks away. Beats having to run to the grocery store and fight the crowd after work.
I'm really glad I found you guys!
Jennifer Campisi
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Ok...I was just telling someone the other day that one of the main things I have liked about the coop is that it has "forced" me to try new things...take acorn squash. I would've never bought it on my own, but since it came in my produce, I had to try it. Now we look forward to getting it in the fall/winter and love to make Harvest Soup w/ it (a recipe someone shared on the e-group). The other thing we like is not having to go to the grocery store! Saves me so much time! Also the peace of mind I get when one of my kids grabs an apple and forgets to wash it...I console myself w/ (oh well, at least there are no pesticides on it! ) lol. Thanks, Monica, for all you do. Now it's time for me to get back on the wagon as I have fallen off hard during the last month. Since the produce comes in regularly I'm guaranteed success at eating healthier at home! (it's the eating at other peoples' homes w/ all those tantalizing sweets…)
Heather
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Well…everyone know the healing affects I experienced, but I could add that when my husband and I get “away” from eating all the fruits and veggies, we will just crave them something awful! I never thought I would see that day. Shows our bodies really do need them! Our energy goes way down too! My husband is really committing to eating healthy this year, so that will be helpful in influencing the children. Oh yeah, my oldest (16) will come in the kitchen and tell me he is “craving” carrot juice. That is a miracle!
Karen Miller
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The co-op has encouraged me to cook more meals at home, and use the veg/fruits in my menus. The American Cancer Research Center has a newsletter. The most recent newsletter stated that using a plant based diet along with exercise would help with weight loss.
Our monthly grocery bill has been reduced as an added bonus!
Thanks for allowing us to be apart of this great healthy co-op.
Kay and Rich Chumbley
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WE JUST LOVE THE CO-OP. NOW MOST OF ALL OUR MEALS ARE ORGANIC JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE IT IN THE ICEBOX DUE TO OUR ORGANIC CO-OP. IT'S EASY AS WE HAVE IT ON HAND. WE DO FEEL BETTER PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY KNOWING WE ARE EATING RIGHT WITHOUT THE PRESERVATIVES.
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Since I have been a member of this co-op, my family has been eating vegetables that I would have rarely thought of purchasing at the local grocery store. Turns out that my 7 & 10 year old now LIKE turnips, beets, cabbage and salads! Having grown up on a farm in KS, I knew the luxury of having fresh produce available year 'round, and now they can, too. I love the fact that we are supporting the environment in a sustainable manner, too. Our overall health has improved, with only a few sniffles rather than the full-blown yuck that seems to strike the rest of our friends. Thank you for all of your hard work to keep this going! Next step? Buy a grain mill and start making my own bread!
Beverly Biehl
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The biggest change I have noticed has been in the health of our two sons, ages 4 and 6. Since your co-op provides such a variety of great-tasting fruits and vegetables, the kids willingly eat much more of it than they did conventional, less nutrient-dense, produce. They like certain vegetables from the co-op that they used to detest from the grocery store! Regarding their health, they used to require antibiotics once or twice a year for ear infections, bronchitis, etc. In the year since we have been a part of the co-op, neither of my sons has been on antibiotics. Additionally, they used to pick up colds when exposed to them. I cannot remember the last time either of them had a cold. Neither even visited the doctor in 2004 except for well-checks!
Thank you so much for all you do! It is a tremendous blessing to our family.
Teri Jones
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The Co-op has brought great relief into my house because both my kids and me are allergic against all the preservatives in normal food. Because of the Organic food and it's high quality, we are now so much healthier and our allergies have become controllable again.
Ulrike Essex
testimonies