After an unexpected Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis at only 20 years old, Catherine Clark felt she had the opportunity to start again when she was declared cancer free. She knew that this time, she wanted to treat herself better.
When she embarked on her new healthier life focus, the chartered accountant at HG Physio in Umhlanga made it her mission to learn and research different schools of thought and gather as much information as possible.
Catherine had heard a lot of talk about collagen and bone broth, which sparked her interest. “We no longer get enough collagen in our diets because we don’t eat enough collagen meats the way our great-great grandparents did. Unlike our ancestors, we don’t consume the animal from head to tail, which means we are missing out on the majority of the collagen that is found in the parts we no longer eat,” says the mother of 11-year-old Josh and eight-year-old Ella.
As you age, she explains, the collagen in your body decreases and the ‘signs of ageing’ start to kick in. “As early as your 30s, you may already start experiencing weakening muscles, joint pain, wrinkles and perhaps even gastrointestinal problems. These are not only symptoms of getting older, they can also be key indicators that your body lacks collagen.” Catherine was starting to feel the signs of early onset arthritis in her fingers and was keen to try collagen and bone broth to see if it would help. “I saw dramatic changes from the collagen, but struggled with the bone broth. It seemed ridiculous to boil bones all the time! I don’t have the time and it smells. You also have to be so careful where the bones come from.”
She discovered that America had a good, powdered bone broth, which was a game changer. “I don’t digest meat well, so it was life changing for me to have this protein form. Being able to add it to a smoothie, soup or stew made it so easy to incorporate into a busy lifestyle, while knowing it is giving my family and me what we needed.”
Thrilled with the positive effects of the powdered form, Catherine felt frustrated that these additive, gluten and sugar-free products were not available locally. She decided to change that. “I had a driving passion to start a business and help educate and encourage people to realise that they could also reach their full potential in health and wellness.” The Harvest Table was born in 2018 and her dream was starting to become a reality. “Building a business based on integrity and with a greater purpose than financial gain is a non-negotiable for me. Our vision is to not only create beautiful, pure, wholesome products that are hand-packaged earth-consciously, but to also create employment and shift the lives of our customers positively by educating them and helping them to make better food choices daily.”
Besides the collagen granules and pure bone broth powder, Harvest Table have now extended their range to include mushroom powders, too. “Mushrooms are powerful for cancer prevention and heart and brain health, so we are really excited about this new product.”
As a momtrepreneur, Catherine says the constant juggle between roles and the challenges of owning your own business make for tough times that require her to dig extra deep to stay positive. It is at these times when her clients’ positive feedback really motivates her to continue. “Hearing that people are doing better makes everything worth it. Making our health a priority should not wait until we are older and our quality of life starts deteriorating. Don’t wait for aching joints or sagging skin to start adding collagen to your diet. Luckily, you can now do it without blocking your nose to swallow a pig’s heart to get your dose of collagen!”
WIN one of The Harvest Table starter kits valued at R775 each! Enter on our competitions page.
Details: Stockists: Umhlanga Spar, Park Square Spar and Mount Edgecombe Spar, Azhiko and Lifestyle Health or shop online: www.harvesttable.co.za, Instagram: @the_harvest_table
Text: ELANA WAGNER
