American takes natural lifestyle to Jamaica

Hailing from the icy boroughs of west Chicago, in the US state of Illinois, raw food chef Sara Gentis has come to Jamaica, specifically Maverley in St Andrew, to share her philosophy.

Gentis, who is also a wellness coach and founder of Intrinsic Wellness Solutions, says her 'probiotic forward' lifestyle is nothing new and is only meant to encourage friendly bacteria in the body.

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeast that are beneficial to the digestive system. They are most often found in yoghurt and fermented foods, dietary supplements and beauty products. Gentis has introduced a probiotic drink called Kombucha.

"It's a dairy-free version of getting your probiotics incorporated into your diet. I've been doing it since 1996, making fermented drinks and culturing vegetables like sauerkraut and kimchi," she said.

"I've been coming to Jamaica for some years. I had residency for a period of time, and I saw where this is something I could really do. I could bring my knowledge forth, and last year I launched it," she said.

Gentis operates on Molynes Road in Kingston, in front of the Maverley playfield.

"I chose this location because there's a lot of activity here. This community is a part of my history a little bit. Not specifically Maverley, but I used to live right on the other side of the [Washington] Boulevard. There were some people in this community who looked out for me and treated me nicely. When they knew I was looking for locations to pop up and teach about this product, they certainly made a place for me."

While some may consider Gentis to be out of place, promoting her natural lifestyle as a Caucasian woman in a majority black country, she says she is not trying to teach anyone who is unwilling to learn.

Ancient art

"I understand there is natural scepticism in anything that is new. What I rely on mostly is the fact that this is an ancient art. I'm actually not teaching anything new. I'm teaching the art of fermentation, which is thousands of years old and I didn't make it up," she said, adding that she doesn't feel any pressure.

"As a coach, I teach people who want to be taught by me, and I don't try and push my things on to people who don't. I think that I have an option for people, an alternative for people who want that alternative. And I believe people are getting good results as well, and they're liking the products," she said, noting that she has received rave reviews for Kombucha.

"My customers are everyday people. They are taxi drivers, they are PE teachers at the school down the street, they are shopkeepers, they are hairdressers. Anything from Rastaman to ladies who come by and say, 'How do I get this belly down?' We even have people who are very interested in if this will create any vitality for them. Health is not supposed to be for one class of people."

One of Gentis' customers, Tameka Muschette, says Gentis has taught her many things about how to stay healthy naturally.

Muschette told THE STAR, "When I walk on the road and people see me, they want to know why I have so much energy, why am I the way I am, and I let them know I've incorporated what Sara has taught me."