When Delicious Living published its first issue in 1985, I was a mere 22 years old. My only exposure to the natural lifestyle had come from my slightly older (and vastly wiser) sister, Mary. Twenty years ago, she’d already been cooking vegetarian meals for eight or nine years; she’d taken me to navigate the bulk bins and produce aisles at a cooperative grocery store; she’d invited me to visit her during an Antioch College internship at the then-fledgling Cascadian Farm in northwest Washington.
Despite this education from my sister, I find it funny looking back to that time, when a friend convinced me that drinking Diet Pepsi, because it had no calories, was much better for me than the juice I preferred. Although I was slender and had no weight problem, I stopped drinking my favorite fruits. Luckily, I could never stomach much Diet Pepsi, so instead I switched to water.
I recently had a lot of fun sorting through back issues of this magazine. Intuitively, I knew my sister’s edgy lifestyle values were hip and she was on to something, but I didn’t quite get how visionary she was until I came to this world myself by taking a job at Delicious Living. Reading through 20 years of advice from people who also tuned in early to the natural lifestyle has been an education. (For details, see our stories “Two Decades of Delicious Living” and “Most Delicious!” on pages 36 and 46.) Trends have come and gone. Our look has changed over time, as has our content. And yet, when I read the first editor’s note, I had to smile. Although some things have changed, our editorial mission has remained the same. “If you’re reading this magazine, it’s because you are interested in enhancing the quality of your diet and your life,” wrote founding editor Karen Greene. “We hope to become one of your most useful and enjoyable resources in reaching that goal.”
Our intentions are the same today: We aim to inspire and motivate you to lead healthy, conscientious, and informed lives and hope to provide practical, hands-on information about how to select and use natural products to help you reach that goal at home, at play, at work.
Which brings me back to my sister. Twenty years later, she is a highly competent family-practice physician with a relaxed bedside manner and a rich background in nutrition and alternative practices. I often think how fortunate her patients are to be seeing an open-minded doctor whose deep roots in this natural lifestyle translated to an enlightened approach to medicine. It makes me wonder how many others of you are out there, integrating your commitment to health and wellness into various professions and family life.
After two decades of pursuing this magazine’s mission, we reflect back but also look forward. Please join us in our quest, as we continue to help make every aspect of your daily life even more delicious.
Jean Weiss
