I dream of Ginkgo...

Imagine walking into a space where you are filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread, the sound of silence (or maybe some great, chill tune), smiling and kind people welcoming you, and the opportunity to feel your best in both body and spirit.

That is my dream for you at Ginkgo.

I dreamt Ginkgo up about a year ago and am slowly watching her come to fruition. I wanted a place where I could do the three things I love the most: bake bread, practice eastern medicine, and welcome community. For many years, Bread Culture was separate from my Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine practice. I would do farmer's markets and then see patients separately throughout the week. When I got pregnant with Theo and during his first few months earth-bound, I quickly realized that I could not sustain my health, Theo's health, nor the sanity of my family if I kept baking 50 loaves of bread in our home oven every Saturday morning and then went and sold it at the market. I would also teach off-site once or twice a month as well. In its time, it was wonderful, but I knew I had to make a change. Our bodies give us little clues, you know?

So I started asking the universe "how can I combine these two businesses that I love and spend more time with my boys at home?" And that's when Ginkgo was born. Or I should say, the seed was planted. I want to create a space for the community to gather and break bread and other nutritious treats, but also bring Theo along and have a space for him and his toddling friends to feel comfortable.

I don't know when we will open. My friend Andrea is on board with me. She is an Acupuncturist/Baker too. An incredibly good one. She infuses herbs into her whole grain baked goods and pastries, and does not use any refined sugars. She is an artist in the kitchen and a healing one at that. I am so happy she wants to be a part of it all.

Food is Medicine. Hippocrates was first to say this, or inspirit this belief. I try to live this way too. For so many years I struggled, not knowing why I wasn't feeling right. Was it the gluten? Was it just that a bad digestion ran in my family? Was it stress? Or celiac or another auto-immune disease?

The list went on...

Once I began to understand that I could use food as a source for healing, everything just started opening up. I started adding different herbs to my home-cooked meals. I stopped eating any food that's ingredient list had one-word or more that I did not understand on it. I started baking bread and experimenting with other fermented foods. I started eating a 'plant-rich' diet, and the little meat I did eat lived a healthy life. When I started feeling better, I wanted to start helping other people feel better too. That's when Bread Culture started.

Ginkgo will take it a few steps further, by providing an integrative approach to food and its powerful capabilities to heal through nutritional programs, Acupuncture, herbs, and classes.

I look forward to breaking bread with you there.