REAL FOOD FOR
YOUR BEST LIFE
Our Mission
To unite community members around healthy living through sustainable agriculture and cooking education.
Our Vision
A community where its members support one another and themselves through healthy lifestyle choices, connection, and participation in a sustainable food system.
Areas of Focus
Heart Disease
Diet and healthy lifestyle choices play a crucial role in preventing heart disease, as they help maintain optimal cholesterol levels, regulate blood pressure, and reduce the risk of issues such as congestive heart failure, safeguarding the heart's long-term health.
Diabetes
Adopting a well-balanced diet, regular physical activity, and weight management are essential pillars for controlling blood sugar levels and preventing complications associated with diabetes.
Hypertension
Maintaining a low-sodium, heart-healthy diet, combined with regular exercise and stress management, is pivotal in managing hypertension, as these lifestyle choices contribute to lowering blood pressure, reducing strain on the cardiovascular system, and promoting overall vascular health.
Prenatal Care
During pregnancy, a nutritious diet and a healthy lifestyle are paramount for maternal and fetal well-being, supporting proper development and reducing the risk of complications, emphasizing the crucial role of prenatal care in shaping the health outcomes of both the mother and the child.
Infant Mortality
Beyond prenatal care, an expecting mother's health and proper diet are crucial factors in mitigating infant mortality within their first year of life, as maternal well-being profoundly influences fetal development, birth outcomes, and the infant's overall health and resilience during their critical early months.
VEL SCOTT
Vel Scott is an advocate and a leader in the movement to bring nutrition and healthy living into people's lives. Through her workshops, lectures, and cooking demonstrations, she teaches that food can be the catalyst for better living.
Vel’s passion and purpose is educating people in how to live their best lives by powering their bodies with healthy foods.
VEL'S STORY
Vel helped reverse her husband's heart disease by exploring ways to prepare the soul food that he loved. She has traveled the globe and integrates the spices and flavors of global cuisine into her recipes. Her mission is to share this knowledge with people who are looking for help improving their lifestyle and managing diseases such as diabetes, congestive heart failure, hypertension, and cancer through the food they eat.
VEL'S PURPLE OASIS
Vel's Purple Oasis is a community-based urban farm on one acre of land where Cleveland's Fairfax neighborhood meets University Circle. Gardening first began at the Oasis in April 2008 to get members of the surrounding community involved with each other and promote a healthy lifestyle through growing and eating high-quality produce. To learn more about the Oasis and what we're working on there, visit the Purple Oasis website.
