When we describe the United States, “sustainable” is not usually the first word that comes to mind. Our nation is the leading contributor to global warming, and high material consumption has long been taken for granted. But in little pockets across this country, people are forming communities that embrace environmental sustainability as a way of life. And not only environmental sustainability, but social sustainability too. We’re starting to learn that in order to form communities that can endure and thrive, we must not only manage our ecological resources wisely, but also our personal and emotional resources. We must learn to care for and understand each other if we are to form truly sustainable communities.

This Saturday, an exciting new film, Within Reach, enjoys its world premiere in Berkeley. The film chronicles a young couple’s 19-month bicycle journey across the U.S. in their search for what they call “sustainable communities.” They visited 100 communities that seek to live sustainably, exploring not only how these communities interact with the Earth, but also how they practice commerce, how they raise children, and how they build a cohesive social structure. The communities visited are diverse: they range from an electricity-free “radically simplistic” farmstead in Missouri, to a household of Buddhists in Wisconsin (who flourish while spending only $40 each per month on food), to the urban, creative Berkeley Student Housing Co-ops right in our backyard. Not all visits were harmonious—on the outskirts of Austin, Texas, the filmmakers were chased out of a secluded squatter community by an unstable man—but overall, the directors Ryan and Mandy discovered that living in loving harmony was a common thread amongst these communities, which not only brought them together but also sustains them.

At Café Gratitude, we attempt to cultivate a loving, supported community--a socially-sustainable community!—that is also nourished in an environmentally sustainable way. After all, shouldn’t the two go hand-in-hand? More importantly, can they exist without each other? For when we learn to love each other, the people around us, we learn that we can extend this love to future generations as well by protecting our environment. And when we take care of our planet, we nourish all her people. Achieving a sustainable nation may still be a long-term goal, but we can start right now in our own communities.

This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Eric-James Horton, Certified Health Counselor, Chef, and co-owner of "Conscious Nosh Chef Services." Conscious Nosh is a bay area business that helps customers create personal health and diet plans, and delivers hand crafted healthy and delicious foods to their doorsteps to help them stay on track. (They also make overwhelmingly delicious raw vegan macaroons!)  I caught up with Eric to find out about what has led him down this path, and what inspires him about his work.

To find our more about Eric, or to sign up for his "Farm To Table" Cooking Class on Sept 6th, visit: BayAreaHealthCoach.com.

What are you passionate about? I'm passionate about the work that I do; one-on-one health and wellness counseling, one-on-one cooking coaching,  teaching group cooking classes and personal chef services. I love connecting with a huge network/community of movers and shakers in the health and healing world, learning about permaculture, becoming a homesteader and a family man.

What motivates you in the work you are doing? Setting up a good home space for the future generations! I want my kids to live in a world that they feel safe and healthy in. My clients motivate me. Their strength and courage to create a life they feel powerful in motivates me to do all that I can do that too.

Familia gratitude:  DIY

Your actions have spoken: we know that my Fibonacci blog post is accepted through the community, it has gotten 4 digits clicks/traffic! Bang! Puyaka!

Congratulations if you have created toothpaste & other DIY things, we welcome feedback (comments below all blog posts or email info@cafegratitude).

Here is another thing in life you should want to do yourself.  After you read this blog and make it your brain is going to excrete so much serotonin/dopamine/norepinephrine/melatonin/insulin/prostaglandins that you will shine 2,000 light years of beauty & health; the laws of physics will bend for you.  Of course you will brag about making this household item, show off to your friends and be cocky, start a new business, enroll others, and be community. Becoming self sufficient is a step by step thing. You will be able to make your own laundry detergent.

This is another recipe/formula for an everyday item that big companies don’t want you to know.  How come I didn’t think of this before? How come you haven’t made this when it first clicked in your brain? If the left side of the brain thinks creativity I had ignored it every time, I would go to purchase the powder stuff thing & complain. "How come this is so expensive?" or "I don’t want to smell like petro-chemical-rose scent every time I dress" or "I don’t want my chones to cross-contaminate where I am more vulnerable!"

Of course I’m always about bulk buying; I know that greater quantities = less $. Buy that fancy soap, go for it.  Consider buying a whole gallon of body soap and then refilling it every time. For toothbrushes, buy the ones with changeable heads.  I have been using the same old toothbrush handle for as long as I have been working at Café Gratitude.  Now the time came for laundry soap so here it is for you and your community to try.

Do it yourself: What a combo of words!  In Spanish: "hazlo tu mismo".  Remember self is the only thing we are, now.