Hey everyone, it’s me again! You may remember me from my first guest post on my homemade spring rolls a few months ago. I’m back for another post and I hope to find you all doing well! Last time I mentioned that I was planning to start at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition this year. Well, things are going well and I am officially enrolled! I am so excited to learn more about holistic health so I can coach others and bring even more information to awesome people like YOU! 🙂

Have you read Food Babe’s investigation on Subway yet? I haven’t been there in years and I still got upset! All those seemingly healthy Veggie Delights made me feel like I was doing something good for myself at the time. Now I’m finding out they had chemical additives, MSG, preservatives, and artificial colors. Why would you need artificial colors on a vegetable sandwich?! Surely if I’m “eating fresh,” I shouldn’t have to worry about having colors added to my vegetables, right? Wrong.

The sad truth is that the companies Americans put endless amounts of faith and money into are the ones that are destroying their health. It’s not necessarily because we don’t care about our health, it’s just because we’ve been given the wrong information on how to take care of it. We can count calories until we become human calculators, but we have to realize that not all calories are created equal. We can let our doctors prescribe endless medications to hide all of our symptoms, but at some point we must realize we are not being healed. If we want to reclaim our health and vitality, we need to steer back on the path to the same degree we’ve turned away from it. Our ancestors thrived by hunting and gathering fresh, local, organic, whole foods. I’m not saying you have to drive off into the wilderness on your lunch break or anything, but if you hunt around town a little bit you’ll find the restaurants that are serving REAL food and more than likely support a local business that would be truly grateful for your visit.

So where did I eat this week?

Lell’s Cafe in my hometown of Rock Hill, South Carolina! I can’t believe it took me so long to discover this place… the atmosphere is cozy, the staff is extremely nice, and the food is to die for! It’s one of those places I can spend a whole afternoon eating lunch, sipping on a chai latte, and reading a good book. I usually get the Mediterranean salad with fresh soft goat cheese, olives, and vegetables along with their delicious homemade herb vinaigrette. However, I went their for breakfast with my boyfriend last week and the vegetarian omelet is out of this world!

Not only is the food organic, it’s local! I love eating at restaurants that support local farmers. Local food is better for the environment, better for the economy, better for you, and it tastes damn good. AND on top of all that, it just makes me feel good to know I’m supporting good people who don’t sacrifice my health for their profit!

Have a wonderful day!

Mary Beth

P.S. What are some of your favorite local restaurants?