Chronic illnesses affect approximately 129 million adults in the U.S. annually (according to theCDC). Mountain Wellness Kitchen owner Alisha Valdez was one of those statistics when she was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at 19and searching for a solution. Valdez developed a passion for health and wellness through her Crohn’s diagnosis. After learning more about what foods are good for you, what makes most people inflamed, how to help the gut and general business models, Valdez opened Mountain Wellness Kitchen to serve the convenience and needs of the local community. The restaurant and meal prep business is committed to offering food free from gluten, dairy, refined sugar and seed oils.“ I quickly realized the food I was eating was causing all my problems,” Valdez says. “When I was diagnosed, I was in culinary school as well, so that was interesting. It opened my eyes to realize I could cook a certain way. This was the foundation of my alternative cooking, I would call it.
”Starting at the beginning, how didMountain Wellness Kitchen come about?
My passion for health and wellness kept growing from my diagnosis in culinary school. I learned more about what foods are and aren’t good for me, and removed those. After six to eight weeks, I had completely healed my gut. That’s when I realized everything going on with me meant a need for a business like this. These days, convenience is very important for people. So, to have that and know you’re eating the way you should be is a plus. When you have a sensitivity or allergy, it’s easy to feel like you can’t go anywhere. I wanted to create a space where people feel safe and fueled. I tell my clients and customers, if you drive a Range Rover, you put the highest quality gas in there. Why wouldn’t you do that with your body?
How does food and fuel impact the larger image of health?
I truly believe there is a new understanding of how food affects physical and mental health. If you eat real foods, your body knows that they’re good for you, and you learn that food will fuel you and make you feel better in so many ways. I think it’s insane how companies are allowed to put harmful chemicals and ingredients in our food. It starts young, too – we need to educate theyouth to take their health seriously, or autoimmune diseases like mine, or other diseases, will continue to increase. America makes up 5% of the world’ s population but 70% of the pharmaceuticals. When you go to a doctor, you don’t want a Band Aid, so why would you do that with your health? When I was younger, I was told I would live with Crohn’s for the rest of my life. Why wouldn’t I try to find an alternate and natural route before drugs and prescriptions? I believe true, overall health is what you put in your body, and we’re starting to see this shift. Through my research, I learned that the nutrition most people get daily is not enough in terms of vitamins, probiotics, etc. Even with the best diet, you can’t get all your nutrients from food anymore. This also fueled inspiration for my restaurant and recipes.
That’s a great segue–where do you pull most of your inspiration from?
My family is Hispanic, so I love to make Hispanic dishes such as posole. When I was growing up, grandma’s corn was genetically modified, and her pork was canned with preservatives. I grew up thinking that’s just how people ate until I realized I could create my favorite recipes with wholesome ingredients, and I probably won’t feel as icky afterward. I love all sorts of cuisine, so I take this mindset wheneverI think about dishes and cultural mealsI enjoy. I love incorporating my family’s heritage into my own traditions now. For example, if I make tamales, the pork is from pigs we raised. Or, corn is fresh and not genetically modified. A lot of our eggs come from our own chickens as well. We have a 2,000 square foot greenhouse that grows kale, romaine lettuce, spinach and herbs year round. I also follow a “don’t waste anything” mindset. Everything that’s left as a scrap on our plates at home goes to our chickens and pigs on the farm as food. We’re very proudly sustainable because the amount of food waste that goes into landfills is disturbing.
You’re busy managing the farm and restaurant. What does a typical day look like for you?
My days are half and half. I love the farm because not a lot of people personally know their farmers. You can get anything at the grocery store, but the store gets all of that from a farmer. When we remove ourselves from knowing that someone actually grows that carrot, we don’t appreciate them or it enough. I started a farm to know where my food was growing, and I’ve learned it’s not for the faint of heart. I’m typically up around 4 a.m. and try to get all my computer work done between 4 and 7 a.m. I get my two kids ready for school and then make a farm or store run to replenish what the restaurant is out of for the day. Recipe development in the kitchen is my favorite thing to do before going back to the farm. At night, I’m home with the kids, and we make a point to cook together as a family. I believe this is instilling really good values in my children, to be able to care for themselves and spend quality time with loved ones on a daily basis. They see me in the kitchen constantly taking care of myself, and now my toddler can cook scrambled eggs
It’s clear you have a positive impact on those around you. How do you help your clients foster a similar lifestyle?
In addition to the farm and restaurant, Mountain Wellness Kitchen works with clients for private meal prep plans to cater to their specific needs. Subscriptions aren’t required to use our meal prep service. The menu changes every Wednesday and anyone has until Sunday at 11 a.m. to place an order. Generally, we offer lots of options ranging from vegetarian to pastries to juices. Deliveries go out on Mondays to folks in Park City, Salt Lake City and even through Utah County and Heber City. Ultimately, our meal plan has saved clients time and money, and it tastes good too. The 10-pack of cookies included might be the best part. At the end of the day, it’s great to know there’s good, real food delivered to your door or out and available to you. More and more people are realizing that there’s a mind-body connection with health, and it’s all individual. If you don’t ask or don’t explore, you’ll never know what great options are out there for you.
Ingredients
- – Avocado
- – Redmond’s sea salt and pepper, to taste
- – Eggs (mainly from the restaurant’s farm)
- – Home-grown sprouts
- – Gluten-free sourdough made in-house with gluten-free bread mix, olive oil, Redmond’s sea salt and purified water
Instructions
- Toast one piece of bread and cover it with avocado smash. Season with Redmond’s sea salt and pepper. Cook one egg to your style, top with sprouts, and enjoy.
