[quote style=”boxed”]My best ideas come from living life, making conscious choices, doing the best I can for myself and my family. I’m always learning and see my work as sharing wisdom and inspiring healthy living.[/quote]
Terry Walters, author of the highly-acclaimed and bestselling books Clean Food and Clean Start, is at the forefront of the clean eating lifestyle movement. A James Beard Foundation Award finalist and recipient of the Nautilus Gold Book Award, Walters is dedicated to making the path to good health both easy and delicious. She shares her passion for eating clean and living well, inspiring and empowering us to make positive changes for our health and our environment.
The ultimate in healthy eating and cooking, Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close To The Source, is Walters’ revised and expanded edition of her popular first book, and offers lovers of fresh, seasonal fare with even more recipes and inspiration than before. In addition to all-new color photography throughout and more than 20 new recipes, she has updated the dishes to feature today’s most healthful ingredients, has included variations to make every recipe gluten-free and has added a new chapter dedicated to clean snacking. Renowned chef Mario Batali says, “Clean Food is the most exciting book based on fresh produce and simple recipes I have used in years.”
Walters travels throughout the United States promoting her nourishing lifestyle. She has been featured on television, radio, print and internet media and is the author of the popular blog Eat Clean Live Well. She also serves as an Advisor to the Board of Directors for Urban Oaks Organic Farm, one of the largest urban organic farms in the country.
She resides in Connecticut with her husband and two children, where you are likely to find her running, cycling, skiing, gardening or on her way to any one of many local organic farms or farmers markets.
What are you working on right now?
Book three! Every bit the seasonal, vegan and gluten-free cookbook as Clean Food and Clean Start, but with lifestyle tips for clean living throughout as well.
Where did the idea for Clean Food come from?
Eating clean has long been my passion, and turning it into a career was inspired by all the people who attended my cooking classes over the years who asked me to bind my recipes so they could share them with family and friends.
What does your typical day look like?
Typical? There’s no such thing! I could be writing, teaching, testing recipes, helping out at the farm, working in my own garden, running, running around with my children…I’m a full time author, health and business coach, educator, speaker, mom. If only there were more hours in the day!
How do you bring ideas to life?
My best ideas come from living life, making conscious choices, doing the best I can for myself and my family. I’m always learning and see my work as sharing wisdom and inspiring healthy living.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
Labeling GMO (genetically modified) foods…Greater accessibility to a variety of whole grains, legumes, vegetables…Greater awareness of what’s in our food, how it’s grown, where it comes from…Support for local small farms and farmers.
What was the worst job you ever had, and what did you learn from it?
Oh, there are so many! Scooping ice cream for 99-cent sundaes (which means 15-cent tips), selling candy and cigarettes at a large insurance company employee store, selling dog food and clearing away damaged product (yuck). I became very picky about knowing where my food came from, what was in it, how clean the back of the store was and, most importantly, all of these experiences taught me to believe in what I do above all else.
If you were to start again, what would you do differently?
If I did something differently, I wouldn’t be here, so I’ll just stick with how I did it. Although, I wish I were bilingual. Maybe that’s in my future.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Listen to your heart, never compromise your integrity, love what you do and treat everyone how you would want to be treated. Breathe your intention into the world, and eventually the world will reflect what’s in your heart.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
No failures; just lots of opportunities to learn and grow.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Countless people trying to improve their health have asked me if I could just move in, prepare their food, teach them how to live a healthy lifestyle. If I didn’t have my own family to take care of, I’d definitely consider it!
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be and how would you go about it?
Freshly grown, local produce accessible to all, plus the knowledge to understand why and be empowered to make healthy choices. I’m working on it!
Tell us a secret.
I really dislike eggplant, cauliflower and Audi beans.
Running marathons taught me that I can do things I think are impossible. If I hadn’t been training for my first marathon when I wrote Clean Food, I would have never taken the risks I did. Thank goodness for running!
What are your three favorite online tools or resources, and what do you love about them?
The Weather Channel! Don’t you just love knowing in advance what to wear, when you can go run, if you need to water the garden?
I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. It’s hard not to judge yourself when all you see of others are all the positives they want to share about themselves. I prefer reality, with it’s highs and lows, but love Facebook for the conversation and community it affords us to share.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
Clean Food, of course! It is a collection of recipes and stories from my life that formed my perspective, empowered me as a mom and as a teacher and chronicle my life, learning and healing, which I share with the hope that it will inspire your journey to eating clean and living well.
Three people we should follow on Twitter and why?
I could mention hundreds, but what is most important is that you find people who inspire, inform, encourage and nourish. If you follow me, hopefully I can help you discover those people and organizations.
When was the last time you laughed out loud? What caused it?
Moments ago. The bees have been buzzing around my garden all weekend, but my daughter just discovered one dying on the front porch. I asked her what she thought caused it to die right there. She thought it had overeaten and was just too bloated to move!
Who is your hero?
My mother, for teaching me to make my health my priority by her example and for teaching me how to write. My father for being thoughtful, smart, always true to himself and capable of change. Judith Jamison for being a strong, individual, empowered, graceful and wise woman.
What is the greatest reward of your work?
The opportunity to connect with so many people of all ages, all backgrounds, and share this journey.
What is your greatest accomplishment?
Raising two daughters who inspire me, teach me, challenge me and fulfill me every day.
Connect:
Terry Walters on Twitter: @terrywalters
Clean Food on Facebook:
Terry Walters’ Website: www.terrywalters.net
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.