Bio
My Italian grandpa (Papa) grew the best tomatoes in his Portland, Oregon backyard. My dad would drive my mom and three siblings down from our Seattle suburb to see our grandparents every summer. Papa would pick his tomatoes straight off the vine – imperfectly sized, but exactly perfect in color and flavor. He’d joke that they tasted like candy. We’d happily eat them, pack a few to take home, and then wait until next summer for more.
Since moving to San Francisco in 1999, my food perspectives have changed. Fewer grandparents grow vegetables gardens, food is engineered, modified or partially fractionized, and I have to ask if grocery store tomatoes are organic.
The local and sustainably grown produce in the Bay Area is unparallel to other regions across the nation. Over the past 4 years, I've had the opportunity to work with Oak Hill Farm of Sonoma. Oak Hill's produce is a nostalgic experience for me.
In 2008, coupled with my studies of Holistic Nutrition at Bauman College, I started Oak Hill’s CSA program (Community Support Agriculture). I embraced the chance to give people access to heirloom tomatoes, to support local farmers, and to promote eating seasonally.
Over the past decade, as I’ve practiced and advocated the importance of eating nutrient-rich food, I've watched heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and the plagued of unconscious eaters grow. Misinformation and marketing has our nation making poor eating choices that compromise our health.
CAN CAN emerged because I believe that we endure too many dietary and environmental toxins. We neglect vegetables and fruits from our diets and we use nutrient-deficient food as our fuel. Consequently, we've forgotten what it feels like to feel good.
The practice of a 3-day liquid cleanse encourages willpower, self-control and time of reflection. Letting the digestive system relax and reset leads us to discover physical and mental clarity. The result is an invigorating and inspiring feeling that puts us back on a healthy track.
An advocate for eating whole foods and practicing mindfulness, I inspire and rally CAN CAN-ers to do the same. In addition to CAN CAN Cleanse, I teach water aerobics at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco and I'm an avid traveler - next up, Mystic, CT!
I look forward to having you CAN CAN!
Teresa Piro
