I sat down with Julie Ward, a colleague specializing in nutrition and herbs, to discuss her life path and thoughts on her current focus. As always, it starts with the roots; when I asked Julie about her younger years and memories of herbs and plants, she brought up her Southern-born grandfather, an avid gardener, who ensured the family table was filled with fresh-grown food. A vivid memory Julie conveyed of her grandfather, “He ensured that his offspring recognized the importance of the cotton plant and its many manifestations of meaning in America.” After going to school in the South, Julie has recently returned, intending to explore her heritage, herbs, and food.
Julie’s life path has been a windy one. Not wanting the “usual” things …a house and kids, she instead wanted to travel. Being enterprising, she started a travel business doing tours to Africa and a global fabric import business, delivering fabrics to top fashion companies. Both ended after political and economic upheaval, 9/11, and an economic recession.
Julie’s next curve in her path presented itself after listening to a friend suggest that food should be part of her next venture. Building upon her enduring passion for nutritious food and herbs, Julie pursued a certification in Plant-Based Nutrition from e-Cornell, as a certified ACE Health Coach and herbal studies at East West School of Planetary Herbology. Using her own experience of healing lifelong digestive issues, combined with new knowledge, she started Fresh Food Alchemy, a homage to her mom, focused on digestion and the development of healthy eating habits.
Fast forward to today, and in talking with Julie, one quickly recognizes the evolution of her healing paradigm to include ‘spirit.’ Her lifelong spiritual journey based on her Christian upbringing has brought her to today. Julie has a lofty goal of wanting to help people find and recognize their purpose on this planet. Recognizing that healing is much more than food, Julie states, “My philosophy is to treat the whole person, their physical, mental, and spiritual body. Being a whole, healthy, evolved, and fulfilled human on this planet combines lifestyle, nutrition, spiritual practices, play, and truly seeing ourselves as connected to Nature and all life.” Creating an adjacent business, “Spirit Alchemy,” builds upon her vast travels and cultural and indigenous practices; Julie explains, “Looking at the spiritual nature of herbs and where they fit” is central to her current work. “I treat the spirit by addressing nutrition and emotional health through food and herbal concepts. It’s time we assist people to be whole, integrated, and fulfilled.”
You will find Julie holding tea meditations, teaching classes, continuing her education, and mostly celebrating her ancestors, life, and the amazing world of plants.
You can find out more about Julie’s work at the following links:
Julie’s life path has been a windy one. Not wanting the “usual” things …a house and kids, she instead wanted to travel. Being enterprising, she started a travel business doing tours to Africa and a global fabric import business, delivering fabrics to top fashion companies. Both ended after political and economic upheaval, 9/11, and an economic recession.
Julie’s next curve in her path presented itself after listening to a friend suggest that food should be part of her next venture. Building upon her enduring passion for nutritious food and herbs, Julie pursued a certification in Plant-Based Nutrition from e-Cornell, as a certified ACE Health Coach and herbal studies at East West School of Planetary Herbology. Using her own experience of healing lifelong digestive issues, combined with new knowledge, she started Fresh Food Alchemy, a homage to her mom, focused on digestion and the development of healthy eating habits.
You will find Julie holding tea meditations, teaching classes, continuing her education, and mostly celebrating her ancestors, life, and the amazing world of plants.
You can find out more about Julie’s work at the following links: