We proudly base our values on the holistic, ancient teachings of Ayurveda. This healing system goes back over 4000 years, so we are confident in its truth.
Here are some of those values:
Eat food This seems obvious, but much of the mass marketed food is what we call "food like substances" in Ayurveda. Cheese made from chemicals is not cheese. It's chemicals that are crafted into something that mimics milk based cheese. Whey protein would be a substitute for meat, fiber shakes a substitute for veggies and even fish oil a substitute for fish. Generally speaking, over processed parts of what was once food is not considered food and obviously neither are chemicals.
Balance Everything in nature is balanced. Take an apple: It's mostly sweet, but the seeds are bitter. The cooling effect of watermelon (a well known alkalizer) balances the heat of summer.
Eat seasonally Seasonal food is a perfect balance for you in your given environment. We already do this, say for example pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. Pumpkins are an autumn crop, and their sweet heaviness is the perfect compliment to the dry and windy autumn. A cold salad in summer is the perfect compliment to long, hot days. If you can't eat strawberries fresh, then canning is a great option. Canning adds a little warm energy and this is perfect for preserving the harvest into the cold winter.
Eat fresh Fresh food-raw or freshly cooked preserves its life force. Alive food nourishes and energizes you and somehow tastes better. If you have ever overcooked broccoli and then saved it for leftovers and reheated it the next day, then you know what we're talking about here.
Eat local This naturally follows eating seasonally and fresh.
Key to the Mountain was founded on these ideas. It is who we are.
Eat food The food we start out with is wholesome, fresh food. We do not use any natural or artificial flavors or colors because those are not considered to be food in Ayurveda. That is also why we source organic-so we can be extra sure that we are doing our best to not ingest chemicals. We believe the end product should promote your health, not just fill your belly-even if it is just jam.
Balance All of our products are made with this in mind. That was the original intention behind using so much less sugar in our products. We believe a little is okay, but not to over do anything. And it just so happens that this tastes fantastic!
Eat seasonally We take what's in season and can it. This preserves the summer bounty all year long.
Eat fresh We cook all our food from scratch. This ensures that the food retains as much quality and life force as possible. We even juice our own lemons!
Eat local As much as possible, the main ingredients are local ones. This ensures that we support our local farms, local economy and get the freshest, highest quality ingredients possible. We know we are sourcing from farmers who take care of the earth and get paid fair wages!