There was something like 80,000 square feet in the place, compared to an average Whole Foods Market, which is 32,000 square feet. Absolutely huge. They sold everything from organic jackfruit to baby clothes. (Believe me, I noticed the baby clothes. See my post for Tuesday, February 26.) One could spend half a day poking around.

The ready-to-eat section of the store was staggering as well. I haven’t seen such a tempting displaying of gelato—that’s Italian for ice cream—since I was in Venice a couple of years ago. You could order pizza, rice bowls, smoothies, or make your own salads from a really tempting salad bar. Halibut burgers anyone?

To those readers who are new to my blog or my books, Whole Foods Market is the world’s largest retailer of natural and organic foods with more than 270 stores. Whole Foods started with one small store in Austin back in 1980, so they’re headquartered here. I loved signing books at their flagship store and appreciated the invitation.

Another highlight in central Texas this week was visiting Coyote Creek Farm (www.coyotecreekfarm.org) in Elgin, Texas. The farm is owned by Jeremiah Cunningham, a 71-year-old cancer survivor who got into organic farming after his brush with cancer and after reading my book, Patient, Heal Thyself, my first book that was released in late 2002. When I asked Jeremiah what he decided to do after he learned he had cancer, he said with the most deadpan Texas twang, “I read your book, and then I went out and bought me some cows.”

“Wow,” I replied. “Most people read my books and go out and buy some supplements and carrot juice, but you really took the bull by the horns.” Jeremiah shared a laugh. He’s six feet, six inches tall, got a full head of hair, and still looks like a strong farm boy.

When we toured the farm, Jeremiah told me that he is very conscious about the soil quality of his 90 acres of certified organic land. They spray compost tea four to six times a year to foster healthy microorganisms, and they also feed the “biology” of the soil by spreading hydrolyzed fish, molasses, and humic acid twice a year.

What Jeremiah was really proud of, though, was his chicken flock—more than 7,000 chickens and probably the largest organic and pastured chicken flock in the nation. His pastured chickens get as much as 30 percent of their diet from the pasture, where they eat grass, worms, grubs, and other little creatures. His high-quality omega-3 eggs are phenomenal. They are called Jeremiah Cunningham’s World’s Best Eggs, and they are sold in a bunch of Whole Foods store throughout Austin and Texas. Jeremiah is a personal friend of John Mackey, the founder of Whole Foods, so it’s great to see them working together.
 
I also learned that Coyote Creek Farm has the first commercial organic feed mill in the state of Texas, which is sold to farmers in the area so that they can begin producing organic eggs. Jeremiah asked me if I wanted to feed one of his cows with alfalfa pellets. I gulped because I’m just a city boy, but he brought over his lead cow—I think her name was Iris—and watched while I gingerly held out my hand filled with a heap of organic feed. Iris ate right out of my hand—then licked it! She was a red heifer, by the way, and Jeremiah’s farm has a bunch of them.

Final Jeremiah Cunningham story: I took a dozen or two his World’s Best eggs back to the tour bus, and then I cracked three eggs into a small glass and drank them raw—just like Rocky did in the movie—in front of the film crew guys. That got their attention!

In other news, we adopted the Pinegar family for a Perfect Weight Makeover: Steve and Penny and their three children. Penny has pre-diabetes, which is really Metabolic Syndrome. Both of her parents have diabetes with bad side effects, and Steve has diabetes and so does his father, so you can see how this family is fighting some serious health issues. Penny had gastric bypass surgery back in 2002, I believe, and still wants to lose 70 pounds. Steve is looking to lose at least 30 pounds.

Finally, I did another Perfect Weight Weekend Seminar at Shoreline Christian Center, where Rob and Laura Koke are the pastors. The Kokes started the church out of their living room back in 1986 and has seen amazing growth. I’ve spoken at Shoreline Christian Center before, so it was great to be invited back. I have to admit that I was feeling tired by the end of the Saturday session, and it was good to get back on a plane for home in Florida.