TIDBITS

A Garden Can Help Sprout Family Wellness

By Rachel Weston / Photography By Kara Richardson Whitely | January 02, 2019

When Kara Richardson Whitely took her five-year-old daughter for a routine wellness test, she was confronted with a problem. Whitely had struggled with her own weight for most of her life after experiencing a childhood trauma. It had not occurred to her that her issues with food may someday become issues for her children.

Whitely leads an active life. A dedicated hiker; she is an ambassador for the American Hiking Association. She successfully climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro twice and wrote the book, Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro at 300 Pounds (2015), to detail the process. Now, her pediatrician was presenting a graph that showed her beautiful daughter had just crossed into the over-weight zone on her growth chart. This prompted the author and motivational speaker to consider new options.

“A lot of people don't understand there is a biological and genetic component to binge eating disorder. It doesn't mean that because I have it my daughter will,” Whitely explains. "It isn't her destiny.”

In her recent memoir; The Weight of Being: How I Satisfied My Hunger for Happiness, (Seal Press, July 20l8),Whitely shares an unflinching view of her pursuit to lose weight and keep it off.

“A big turning point for me was my community garden,” she says.‘‘One of the best things about growing up with my mom was her garden. When I was determined to make a healthier turn, that garden came most naturally”

As she and her daughter planned and tended a garden plot a block from their home in Summit, seeds were being planted for bigger changes and rewards. The initial investment she made for a whole season of growing a kaleidoscope of carrots, tomatoes, peas and radishes was comparable to what she had recently paid for ingredients for one big pot of chili. Gardening is something that is now part of the fabric of her family.

“I wrote this book so that others who are struggling with food or weight don't feel alone. These things often thrive in silence or isolation.,” she says. “The more I share my story it is very healing for me, but I hope it helps people know they are not alone and that help is available to them."

More information is available at kararichardsonwhitely.com.