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We are sisters. More than sisters: best friends. This is our journey together in supporting each other in our very different lives, to cherish every moment, and live each day with gratitude and hope for tomorrow. Over the years, we have inspired and influenced each other through our individual experiences and personalities. We are five and half years apart and haven’t lived in the same state since 1994 when LeeAnne went away to college. But the distance apart has only made us closer as we’ve talked on the phone nearly every day! After living apart for more than 17 years, Kimberley has just moved back home and we finally live in the same state again! We are even on the same island where we were raised. We can finally just come over to each other’s home for dinner on a whim! We couldn’t be more elated!

Standing up for my best gal.

We haven’t always lived a healthy lifestyle and it didn’t happen overnight. It slowly evolved over a period of about 5 years or so. We both battled with extra weight and enjoyed our Taco Bell Burrito Supremes and late night post partying binges of Zippy’s (a local fast food joint) Chili and Rice and French Fries. Other than an occasional surf sesh, we rarely exercised.

For older sister, LeeAnne, it was after she got out of an unhealthy relationship that she made the conscious effort to improve her quality of life. The relationship had taken a toll on her self-esteem and self-worth. While she wasn’t over weight, LeeAnne definitely was soft and a lot rounder. LeeAnne started to incorporate more veggies and fruit into her diet and got on a more regular exercise routine of jogging, surfing and hot yoga. She cut out Taco Bell and other late night munchies and began educating herself through books on nutrition and health.

Around the same time, Mama Sita was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and she began holistic treatment of herbs and diet. She incorporated this holistic treatment with radiation. It was from her experience, LeeAnne learned the power of whole foods to heal and prevent illnesses. She is now well and also practices this lifestyle while traveling from country to country. In the meantime, Kimberley, who has always been passionate about the environment and animals, shared a few books with LeeAnne on cruelty of slaughterhouses and negative effects consuming animals that are pumped with antibiotics have on our health and the environment. In 2008, the three of us embarked on a 3 month mother-daughter journey, traveling around Asia. Upon leaving the US, LeeAnne decided to follow Kimberley’s lead of a meat-free diet; giving up eating meat, with the exception of seafood. It’s been three years and LeeAnne hasn’t gone back nor does she miss it.

Younger sis, Kimberley, who incorporated a plant-based diet a year before LeeAnne, has only recently indulged in a little free-range, organic buffalo and beef while she has been pregnant. For years, she also struggled with losing her “freshman 15” and self-image issues through one fad diet to another. The decision to stop eating meat has been one that is a long time coming and reading Tim Robbins’ The Food Revolution was the tipping point. Moreover, she has always been passionate about animals, majoring in zoology, which naturally turned into a desire to protect the ecosystems that all animals (including humans) rely on. Her and her husband have dedicated their lives to live as sustainably as possible by growing much of their own food, joining a CSA, and education people about living sustainably. By adopting a healthy, whole food, plant-based diet, Kimberley and LeeAnne were able to lose weight, gain a healthy self-image, and be environmentally sensitive.

Kimberley, hubby and bun-in-the-oven have just moved home from Colorado. Our gypsy of a mother, Mama Sita is to follow after finishing up her travels and soon we will all be reunited. Follow us on our journey towards sustainably growing, cooking and eating local, organic, and healthy meals. We hope our story inspires you to seek a better, healthier lifestyle.

With Warm Aloha,

Girl in the Green Apron

PS. Here some pics from our 2008 trip together