My history in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine led me into a life of healing and to the longstanding notion that food itself is medicine. That idea, of course, is the foundation upon which Urban Remedy is built. Contextually, this company and that idea hardly exist in a vacuum. We live today in a society whose food system is essentially broken. Rather than healing and nourishing us it is making us sick. The centralization and efficiency prized for so long by the western industrialized food system is proving rapidly antiquated, and is visibly killing us and the planet. An obesity epidemic (40% of the US!) and related and preventable chronic disease crisis—mostly driven by inflammation, food deserts, and widespread soil degradation—are just some of the spreading symptoms.
We believe fundamentally that the entire system must be disrupted. The system itself must support a return to organic, nutrient-dense, fresh foods, and where packaged: clean ingredient profiles. We are building Urban Remedy to be a leader in that movement.
At the core of this mission is the observation, derived from both my experience as a healer and modern scientific study, that eating organic, fresh, low-glycemic, mostly plant-based foods is better for our individual health and more sustainable for the planet that we depend on to sustain us in turn.
While my food choices always center on the plant-based, my training in Eastern medicine also means that I accept the benefits of small amounts of some animal proteins. I am also highly sensitive that we are not going to address the overarching systemic challenges of the broken food system if we do not appeal to a broader group of consumers.
For some time now, a group of you have been in dialogue with us about the challenges you face in feeding yourselves and your families with an eye toward uncompromising health. We have heard of your frustration with the lack of dependable, safe, always organic/non-GMO foods that meet the needs of your diets. Many of you eat a largely vegetarian diet, but consume some meat.
I strongly believe that there is no one way to health for every person. Eating animal protein is a decision that some are ethically opposed to. We respect that. We are unconditionally against industrialized feed lots and over-consumption of meat in general. People base these decisions on constitution, ethnicity, culture, religion, spiritual beliefs, socio-economic conditions, and world views. There are many paths to wellness. I do not believe in one way, and I respect every individual’s views and decisions. Our belief is that food is healing. And healing food is not only nourishing but a delight to the senses.
Urban Remedy’s customers are composed of vegans, vegetarians, ‘flexetarians’, and more. What we all share is a commitment to health through clean, organic and ethically sourced foods. My goal is to promote healthy eating for all without judgment. I aim to inspire people to make the healthiest choices possible for them and the environment.
We are and will remain certified organic and Non-GMO and committed to sustainable farming practices. Our approach supports mostly plant-based foods, healthy fats, anti-inflammatory superfoods, and, if one chooses, small amounts of animal protein that is pastured, sustainably raised and treated humanely. To that end, we have made a decision to begin offering organic chicken, sustainably-sourced seafood from CleanFish and organic eggs that are truly pastured and laid by hens allowed to forage.
Urban Remedy will never process any meat. We are working with responsible co-packers to supply these items. Vegans need not worry that their food will come into contact with animal proteins.
Wishing everyone the best in health and wellness!
– Neka
