Real Foods Market came into my existence when I was doing research on raw milk and I was interested in implementing it into my diet to see how I felt about it. I learned there was a local supplier in town and was so stoked to try it out. From the very first time I walked into the store I noticed something different. It was a feeling. Like this place is special.
I continued to shop at Real Foods Market and eventually asked if they were hiring, and they happened to be at that time. I went in for a group interview and everything was spot on. The philosophy and integrity of the company aligned with my own. What I loved and still love about working here is that it allows me to be myself and it's a place I want to be. It's such a great job and it's allowed me to be a powerful influence in my sphere of the world and share the knowledge and passion I have for nutrition and living holistically.
A few stories. This lady came into the store and we started having a conversation and she was talking about all the health challenges she's been experiencing, and to me it sounded like some sort of candida problem so I recommended coconut oil because of it's powerful anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, and immune enhancing properties. I told her to start out slow but work up to 3-4 tablespoons a day and see how it works. Aaron, the manager at the time, told me this same lady came in (I don't think it was more than a month) and was asking if I was there, but I wasn't so she told him the story of how 10 years ago she had surgery and apparently the surgeon had left some non-dissolvable wire in her stomach. How did she discover the wire? The coconut oil literally flushed it out and she pulled the wire out of her stomach! What a story and what an experience for me to hear that. After all that time this little wire had become infected with bacteria and parasites and who knows what else, and no one knew what was causing all her health problems. But my recommendation to take coconut oil literally changed her life and now she has her energy back and has recommended it to all her friends.
Another story. I don't remember the gist of the conversation but this guy came into the store about a year ago and I recommended a product called Vitamineral Green by the company Healthforce Nutritionals. This product is awesome. It's loaded with different plants, roots, seaweeds, things that people just don't get in their normal diets. He felt a positive difference and continued to buy it every time he ran out. I saw him a few weeks ago and he is still buying it and feeling good! Also, he's been continually buying a raw fermented cod liver oil that we carry that I turned him onto but wasn't aware of until now, and he said "yeah man I feel it in my body, it just feels good." I've seen him a few times since then and every time he comes in he's like "I really appreciate what you're doing here" and it's so heartfelt. It's awesome to feel this kind of appreciation but the past year, especially my time in Europe, I've really come to appreciate and love myself in a way that I simply don't need approval or appreciation from anyone to feel good about myself and what I'm doing. It doesn't matter, but of course it feels good. If people were to tell me everyday I suck at life and I'm no good or whatever it wouldn't matter. I decide how I feel at any given moment and my perception is completely up to me. And I choose to feel good about myself, all the time.
About a month ago I met with a lady named Lisa at Dixie State University to drop one of my classes and as I walked in I noticed a muscle milk on her desk. When I was about to walk out I said "how's that muscle milk treatin you?" And of course that led me to say you know that's just sugar, water, and a bunch of synthetic vitamins right? Then I told her about where I work and we had a good conversation and by the end of it I had her so excited to come into Real Foods it was ridiculous. She never came in. Well, fast forward to last week and I was at the school to see an advisor and I thought hmmm Lisa is probably drinking some muscle milk right now so I stopped by her little office and knocked on the window. And I bet you can guess what happened. She made a gesture to come in and there on the desk was a muscle milk! I said "yeah I was just thinking you're probably drinking some muscle milk right now" and she said "I actually haven't had one for a few weeks, but today I wanted something else other than a bagel." Then she said something like "you are really intuitive." The rest of the conversation I was simply nudging her to just maybe kinda sorta possibly eat some better food and come into Real Foods. It got me thinking everyone has their own habits, especially with food. But how do I be convincing enough? I guess the person has to want to change their diet or at least be open to it.
It's really awesome that almost every week at Real Foods Market we have a free class on a variety of topics, and in April I get to teach a class on a topic of my choice. A couple weeks ago we had a class on bettering your health where everyone was chiming in and there was such good information being shared, and there were two other guys in the class that I felt had amazing stuff to share. The other day I had been thinking about asking one of the guys Russel to see if he wanted to teach a class with me, and he walks into the store, shops around for a bit, and looks at me and asks if there are any available times to teach a class. I was like, "wow dude I was literally just thinking of asking you to teach a class with me" and we talked for a while and simply put we both knew we aligned with this. I get so stoked when situations flow so effortlessly that it's just meant to be. Hopefully within the next couple months the ball will be rolling and I will be teaching a class (or collaborating with others) every single week. A fellow co-worker will be renting out her own space to focus solely on doing classes because that's what she loves doing, so I'll be working on making that happen.
Making some fresh juice
My backyard!
Wild chaparral
I have a natural tendency to look at people and try and discern their situation, especially with regards to where they are at nutritionally. For example every time I meet with my work coop advisor Andrew he has a coffee and sometimes a soda too. I notice dryness around his lips. He sometimes yawns several times in the fifteen or so minutes we talk. He's obviously dehydrated. He's overweight. And all of this is happening inside of me and it's not like I'm judging at all, it's simple discernment and tuning into the person. I want to be like c'mon Andrew, let's get you off the soda and coffee that's just burning you out and deeply dehydrating to your body. Try starting your day with two teaspoons of raw apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of raw honey in 20oz or more of spring water. Have a nice sustaining breakfast like oatmeal with bee pollen and nuts, or a smoothie with raw milk, frozen fruit, and spinach. As I've thought about it I realized I almost entirely recommend things that I've tried and experienced myself. I don't just read something online or in a book and then preach that as truth. I try it myself, experience it, and then recommend it. I'm always experimenting. Like ok I'll try this herb when I come home after a long day and see how it helps with fatigue or before a workout or when I need a mental boost. I'm so grateful I've adopted that mindset of being the explorer of my life because I wouldn't want to live any other way.
