About the Louks Family: The Louks live in Malibu, California, adventuring in fresh whole foods, with their friends, discovering mouthwatering combinations. They enjoy a variety of interests: maintaining an edible organic garden, surfing, tennis and playing games. What they value most as a family is time together, laughter, kindness, and good health. http://www.brucehulsephoto.com/#a=0&at=0&mi=2&pt=1π=10000&s=0&p=2

June Louks: Surfer, Mother of 4 and Architect (graduate of University of California, Berkeley, College of Environmental Design)

I started experiencing debilitating, even life threatening, migraines. With all the side effects of the medications for treating migraines, and after a long spiritual search, I was open to trying "anything" to move past these migraines (think living hell), and even go as far as try "raw food." I heard about fresh, whole, organic foods and living in a more natural environment, as a healing option from a friend. I had been eating a healthy "California" diet including salads and sprouts, but now I skeptically gave up my Gelson's quality meats, cheese, and "Ben and Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch" along with cooked fats and many processed foods, to find out that by adapting a more wholesome, balanced lifestyle and eating fresh whole foods diet I was not only able to leave the migraines behind, but I also had newfound energy, stronger memory, more balance, and greater levels of patience in my life. I took steps to not only eat more (organic and local) plant based foods in their natural state, but also to live in a less chemical, more natural environment, with non-treated natural materials, natural cleaners and eliminated most cosmetics...I reconnected with my natural environment, started composting, gardening...and even exposing my skin to the sun! (Smile)

My husband enthusiastically followed suit, changing over to a raw diet (when he came home at night I no longer "had a headache" and he saw first hand my dramatic health improvements). Then we took a closer look at what we were feeding the kids, and really, it was appalling! But getting them to transition to a healthier diet was much more challenging, and the recipes I found in the raw food books weren't kid tested. I felt like I was reinventing the wheel...and thus came the dawn of "Rawumptious Recipes — A Family's Adventure to Healthy, Happy, Harmonious Living." Together we developed tried and true healthy family favorite recipes, and I was able to share my extensive research condensed into a fun to read storyline.

As I began my healing journey, I was given an architect's dream of being able to design own homestead, with a quest to design a more natural home environment in the most eco-friendly way, by choosing least amount of chemicals in the materials. I designed (and planted) a kitchen garden, and this, with the kitchen, has become the backdrop for my monthly "Uncooking" Classes.

My quest now, is to share this healing approach with our community. I am pained to see so many of our children overweight and obese, diabetic, autistic and ADD. I have learned that so many of our diseases (cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes...) are diseases of the affluent, and that we can reverse these by changing our lifestyle. For my girls, I want to create a community of families that has a more conscious, sustainable approach to eating.

I believe that by changing our lifestyles and diet to be healthier (our inner eco-system), at the same time we can reverse the environmental disaster we are on course for (our outer eco-system)...right here in our kitchens! (Calling all moms and dads!)

I am passionate about sharing these concepts of sustainable living: 1.) Eating lower on the food chain 2.) Clean, renewable energy 3.) Eating local and organic and 4.) Composting! (for more info see the environmental design page on this website)...because they also lead us toward more vibrant levels of health! In America, we all have a family member or extended family member who is struggling with a health crisis. Thankfully, now Michelle Obama has put childhood obesity at the top of her agenda! I share her passion!