In 2005, Michelle Wohlfarth, a holistic health educator and certified integrative nutrition coach, created The Healthy Living Kitchen, in Hummelstown, to follow her passion for cooking wholesome food, caring for the Earth and keeping all things in their natural order.

A weekly menu of fresh, high-quality, locally sourced food is available to choose from, as are her Detox Boxes and Care Boxes. Menu items change with the seasons. Pick-up is available at the shop or delivered twice a week in certain zip codes.

Wohlfarth encourages people to use broths and soups as they would food supplements, incorporating them into a daily or weekly wellness regimen. As an advocate for sipping broth and soup all year long––not just during the winter months––the menu includes four kinds of nourishing and healing broths, as well as seasonal soups. A new item added to accompany the broths is a delicious infusion made with coconut milk, lime, lemongrass and ginger.

Vegan Immune Builder is a nutrient-dense, alkalizing broth that adds flavor to any savory dish or tastes delicious to drink alone. Kombu (seaweed) helps strengthen the nervous system, adrenals, bones and teeth, and helps remove toxins from the body. The medicinal properties of shiitake mushrooms include building and enhancing overall energy, reducing inflammation, boosting the immune system, along with antiviral properties.

Potassium Recharge is a special clear broth loaded with immune-building nutrients such as carrots, potatoes, leeks, greens, onions, garlic, herbs and seaweed, cooked together for just the right amount of time and strained into a clear broth with a flavor that feeds body and soul.

Healing bone broth, made with only 100 percent grass-fed beef bones, is collagen-rich with amino acids. Cooking for at least 48 to 72 hours pull all the nutrients from the bones to create a gelatin broth that tastes nourishing and can help with arthritis, digestive disorders, bone loss and overall wellness.

Rejuvenating Chicken Broth is made with high-quality, pasture-raised chickens, herbs such as bay leaves, thyme and summer savory, and vegetables that include carrots, celery, onions and garlic. It can be enjoyed alone or used as a base for cooking grains, stews and soups.

“Scientific research supports the belief that chicken soup makes people feel better,” explains Wohlfarth. “It is not just a tale from Great-Grandmother’s kitchen. Because of the bones, there are properties within the broth that help the body heal.” She notes, “Cooking healthy food together transforms the way people think and feel, and the smells within the kitchen evoke feelings of home and hearth, of comfort and calm.”

Wohlfarth and her staff teach classes on how to cook fabulous, wholesome recipes that taste great for the whole family and are easy to prepare. “Seasonal eating puts us back in touch with the Earth and provides us with a connection to think about how we truly feel; inspiring us to get into a rhythm of wellness,” enthuses Wohlfarth.

The Healthy Living Kitchen is located at 16 S. Rosanna St., in Hummelstown. For more information, call 717-512-0077, email [email protected] or visit HealthyLivingKitchenPA.com.

Gisele Rinaldi Siebold is a contributing writer to Natural Awakenings South Central edition. Connect with her at [email protected].