HOW IT BEGAN

In 2009 I began volunteering at Wonderland Gardens. It was an opportunity to be outside planting flowers and vegetables but it turned out to be so much more. I knew in my own life, the importance of what I ate, exercise, rest. I was also painfully aware of the suffering I saw around me because others did not seem to know. High blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, kidney disease and cancers were running rampant in the community, the State, the Nation. With help from loved ones, I decided to be a part of the solution by starting a program addressing obesity that included a weekly weigh-in, exercise class, nutrition class, plant-based cooking demo, and tasting. It was called The WOW Factor (Weight Off Wisely) and it was a success. From those classes, our walnut based meat replacement recipes were developed and later we brought them to market and WalnutLife was born.