My Dad’s Healing Philosophy: Natural is Best

MMC
Nov 12
2 min read

🌿 A Tradition That Started in the Kitchen

Growing up, health and wellness didn’t come from a bottle on a store shelf. It came from my dad, John Thomas's, kitchen.

"Gourmet Supreme web page featuring steak and ketchup sauces, fresh vegetables, and text about custom brewed sauces. No MSG."

He was a retired fire chief from the Midwest with a stubborn streak, a big heart, and a deep belief in doing things the right way, even if it meant blowing up a pressure cooker while trying to make his own all-natural barbecue sauce. (He couldn’t find one without what he called "junk" ingredients, so of course, he made his own.)

That sauce wasn’t just a one-time thing either. He took an old family recipe, tweaked it using only real, natural ingredients, and turned it into a small business, bottling and selling it at local markets and stores like Dayton's and Marshall Field's. That attitude of “if it doesn’t exist, create it yourself” was the spark that lit our family's love for making honest, quality products.

🧡 “Natural Is Best”

His philosophy was simple: “Natural is best.” That belief is the heart of our business today.

Tell Popeye (his nickname) you had a headache, and he’d slice you some cucumbers. Got a cold? You’d be sipping echinacea tea before you could sneeze twice. He didn’t trust pills and potions when plants could do the job.

He believed in the natural pace of things. No shortcuts, no quick fixes. Calendula for soothing inflammation. Raw honey for wounds. Aloe straight from the leaf for burns. Olive oil for moisture. He’d whip up blends with whatever was in the kitchen or garden, always with intention, never in a rush.

🌱 From Family Tradition to Quality Brand

Those little traditions became a way of life for my family. What started as simple remedies turned into generational wisdom and eventually, into our product lines. Each product we make is rooted in a simple, pure philosophy, updated with today’s clean, ethical practices but grounded in the same belief: natural is best.

You’ll find that in everything we do. In our minimalist ingredient lists. In our commitment to sustainability. And in the way we take our time because good things grow slowly, just like his famous barbecue recipe.

🧓 A Legacy Bottled with Love

When I think of where we are now, bottling formulas, some inspired by his old remedies, I can almost hear him chuckle and say, “Told you plants could make it better.” He never knew that we'd create a business based on the same principles of natural goodness. But he left us something better: a legacy of curiosity and determination and a desire to pursue natural solutions for healthful living, all built on love.