My mother was way ahead of her time.  When my brother struggled with what was then referred to as hyperactivity, somehow she knew not to give him the medications recommended by our well-meaning pediatrician.  Instead, our family embarked upon a health food journey, which in the 1970’s included many items which now we’d never consider healthy, but for the time was revolutionary.  This foundational belief that what you eat matters and has a direct impact on your health and wellbeing has permeated my life. In my late teens I became a vegetarian. What I quickly realized was that if I wanted healthy delicious food, I would have to make it myself. I’ve been cooking ever since.

As an Environmental Studies Major at Boston University, the complicated impacts our food choices have on the environment were unveiled. The more I learned about how our food systems were destroying the soil and water needed to grow the food, the more committed I became to eating an organic, plant based diet.

I went on to teach high school science for 10 years and was known as the crazy teacher who let you eat during class, but only fruits and vegetables!

Two kids and many life changes later, I met my partner who suffered terribly from rheumatoid arthritis.  His physician recommended a grain-free diet to reduce the inflammation that contributed to his pain. At the time there were a good number of gluten free pastas and bread substitutes available, but almost all of them not only contained other grains such as rice and corn, but were loaded with processed sugars and unhealthy fats.  EHSTO, an artisanal gluten and grain free bakery was born.

It was not long until Muneeza Ahmed found me selling EHSTO products at a farmers market and asked if I could make them for her without yeast or vinegar. Eventually we began producing a whole line of Medical Medium compliant baked goods and the rest is the story of Zesto.