Oviedo’s Riverside Fitness plants seeds of healthy diet, healthy living
Since taking ownership of Riverside Fitness club in Oviedo less than three years ago, Wayne Vandemerwe had continually heard excuses from members who complained they didn’t like vegetables or they didn’t know how to cook them. And organic vegetables were too expensive, he was told.
But years of listening and learning about nutrition left a consistent message that Vandemerwe wanted to share: “What kept coming up was eat your fruits and vegetables,” he said.
So, earlier this spring, Vandemerwe took matters into his own hands — literally. Just outside Riverside Fitness are raised beds of fruits and vegetables. Another garden in the back measures 32 feet by 4 feet. Free of charge, members can plant seeds and subsequently pick produce. Riverside Fitness paid for the initial seeds and materials for the garden, which is growing tomatoes, cucumbers and various herbs, among other items.
The garden was an immediate hit, with the first harvest planned for early June.
“I just wanted to eliminate the excuses for not eating more vegetables,” Vandemerwe said. “It was all full in one week.”
About 40 of the club’s 700-plus members are actively involved, working to maintain the garden. For $250, they can even sponsor a veggie box. One member asked what would happen if produce was stolen. Vandemerwe’s response: “That means people are eating vegetables; we’ll grow more.”
Vandemerwe, also a boot camp instructor and personal trainer, is pleased with the early results. “It has created a community that’s coming closer and closer together,” he said.
That community also is becoming healthier and wiser about nutrition, he added, noting that partnerships have been formed with Orlando Permaculture, a group focused on sustainable living, and Yamira Lee Johnson, a certified holistic life coach and founder/senior chef of Breaking Bread with Mira Inc. Orlando Permaculture has presented a workshop to members on the art of fermenting fruit and vegetables. Johnson has presented one on how to cook food that you grow.
Education is a big part of Vandemerwe’s fitness program.
“One of the big things that comes out of most gyms is ‘I want to lose weight.’ And people are very confused about how to do that. … I believe 90 percent of being healthy is eating healthy,” he said.
Vandemerwe said that while many people might work out three times a week for one hour at a time, they eat every day. His words: “You can’t rely on training to get you healthy; you have to establish a base, which is your food.”
Janet Wilhelm, a club member, was among the earliest converts.
“Access to organically grown vegetables is a huge perk of being a member of Riverside Fitness,” she said. “We have learned how to grow and prepare a variety of new veggies! Eating a plantbased diet has been beneficial to my whole family.”
In turn, Vandemerwe, who two years ago began his own plant-based diet, said he has gained additional benefits.
“My passion for helping people is fed by people wanting to be healthy,” Vandemerwe said. “And they, in turn, help me live my dream, which is being able to afford a business that helps others succeed in their goals.”