In 2001, Ramona Fasula lost her father due to complications from diabetes and his loss inspired her to learn more about natural health and its importance.

Fast forward to 2010: Ramona lost her job in the financial industry, but it was just the beginning for her. After brainstorming with a friend, she realized that the loss of her job meant that she could chase her true passion and today she gets to help others get healthy so that they don't need to suffer the way her father did. 

"The whole premise of what I teach is that food is medicine. No matter what condition we are dealing with, we can use natural food to reverse, manage, and even prevent that condition. Food is so powerful, but yet many people don't see it that way, and that is where I come in". 

Through one-on-one coaching, group classes, wellness challenges, pantry makeovers, and healthy cooking classes, Wellness by Ramona strives to teach people how to understand food so that they can live healthful lives. Ramona's latest project is a 30 Day Wellness Challenge that you don't want to miss out on. Contact her for more information!

Describe yourself in three words:
Honest, hard working, empathetic.

What do you consider your greatest professional achievement?
"My greatest professional achievement is writing my book, "A Health Coach's Guide to Heart Health", as well as being invited on various radio and TV shows including NPR".

What are your professional goals for the next six months?
"To offer my services to professional sports teams. I'm already halfway there, as I am now working with the NFL. I'd also like to be the host of a health and wellness TV show, which I am in the process of researching". 

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
"Fashion design, as I am very creative and I definitely appreciate beautifully made clothes". 

How do you maintain a work/life balance?
"One word. Organization. I have very strong organization skills. Once you get organized, work/life balance becomes easier. Organization is the key". 

What websites do you visit every day?
"I'm an Amazon junkie, so I am definitely on that site every day. I like to read spiritual books from Lousie Hay, Gabrielle Bernstein and Wayne Dyer. They are definitely three of my favorite authors. I also do a lot of research on health and wellness, so the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Dr. Mercola".

What are your top three favorite people/places/things to do in your city?
"I am a music lover. I love going to concerts, so I definitely spend a lot of time at various music venues. Philly has some of the best restaurants. El Vez and Ocean Prime are two of my favorites. I'm also a big sports fan, so during hockey season, you will find me at the Wells Fargo Center cheering on my team". 

What is your goal for retirement?
"Retirement? What's that? I will be teaching people about health and wellness until the day I die. I have truly found my purpose in life. Once you find it, you'll never want to give it up". 

Do you have any advice for women who'd like to start their own company?
"It is ok to fail. Some of your biggest accomplishments will come from failure. Some ideas will work and some won't. Learn from the ones that don't". 

Ramona's last thought: "Always believe in yourself. When you do, you can accomplish anything". 

​CONNECT WITH RAMONA FASULA
Website | Facebook | Twitter

On July 11, 2017 hundreds of women from Philadelphia (and even some Jersey ladies too!) came together for the Philadelphia Housewives Dave & Buster's Girls Night Out. We shopped from Kendra Scott of Ardmore, took selfies with Miss Philadelphia, planned girlfriend getaways with Finger Lakes Wine Country, learned more about the incredible work being done by h2entrepreneur in our city and booked skincare treatments with Clarin's of King of Prussia. 

A huge thank you to our host venue, Dave & Buster's for accommodating all of our guests and helping us have such a wonderful night! 

Want to see more photos from our event? Check out the albums from our photographers, Sarah & Isaac and Photos by Julie Michelle!

Last month, I got word that a new health-driven, seasonal restaurant was coming to town (cue my happy dance!). I've always wondered why we didn't have more local eateries geared towards cleaner and healthier eating and so this was something that I got really excited about. 

I had an opportunity to visit True Food Kitchen in King of Prussia just before heading out on vacation a couple of weeks ago before they formally opened, and was not disappointed. 

It was a hot and muggy day when I stopped into True Food Kitchen, so one of the first things my guest and I did was order a nice cold drink. We both opted for the Sparkling Antioxidant Tea (organic iced green tea, pomegranate, lemon) and LOVED it. It had the fizz of a soda, but was so much better for us and didn't make us feel bloated while we sipped and ate. I honestly can't even describe the flavor, you need to check it out for yourself. So good though, I could drink those all day long. 

Next, we ordered the Heirloom Tomato & Watermelon appetizer (marcona almond, white balsamic, chèvre). Not only was it beautiful to look at, but it was so fresh and gave us something to nibble on without feeling completely stuffed before our meals came out. 

I'd been a few weeks gluten-free by this point, and I was hardcore craving a "cheat meal" to celebrate with and so imagine my delight when I found a healthy way to do this ... a vegan Heirloom Tomato pizza (grilled artichoke, roasted garlic, vegan almond ricotta, black truffle)! While it wasn't gluten-free, the crust was thin enough to allow me to indulge without feeling like I'd just scarfed up a loaf of bread.

That ricotta... it's like all of the good things in life wrapped up into one non-dairy cheese product. It had the same velvety texture of ricotta, a slightly different flavor but more flavor, and honestly I could have sat there just eating a bowl of that. I'm also not a big tomato sauce person, but love tomatoes, so I was pleased that this was more of a white pizza.

My guest ordered the Smoked Turkey Wrap (avocado, tomato, cucumber, provolone, hummus) and found that it was more filling than it looked because it was so packed with healthy protein and veggies! 

Rachel (my guest) and I, are never ones to pass up dessert and we decided to share the Key Lime Pie (coconut chantilly). Unlike me, Rachel has been to Key West and has tried the real deal so we were anxious to see what her comparison would be! Good news: she gave it two thumbs up and said it was legit!  

In all, we had an amazing lunch and I'm honestly so excited to go back and try out other menu options (let's be honest, I'm going to be getting that heaven sent pizza again). Their menu clearly outlines the Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten Free choices, which makes ordering a breeze.

True Food Kitchen King of Prussia
239 Mall Blvd., PA 19406