I’ll never forget that fateful day in my college dorm room. That day when I couldn’t zip up my pants. It was tragic and I do not exaggerate. I fell victim to the freshmen 15 and that day in my dorm room was my wake up call. In one moment (when the pants would not zip) I realized that I no longer was that high school kid who could eat whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. I realized that I was going to have to break up with the campus cafeteria soft serve ice cream (you know that machine that just calls your name after every meal).
Not being able to fit in my clothes was what jump started my journey to healthy eating and exercising. From that moment til this very day I do my absolute best to take care of my body. I do this not just to be able to zip up my pants but to feel better about myself and potentially live a longer life!
I measured health based on whether I was skinny or not. (Forgive me, I was a teenager!) I hate that I was so naive but I know now that it comes with age and lack of education. When I think back to how this all started for me, I knew that there were other girls out there with the same mind set as myself. Because of this I wanted to cultivate a community for my seniors where they could get the education now to better prepare themselves for later (you know when hormones really take over the body and you really are wishing you were 16 again!).
My adorable model team and I joined Gina Guthrie of Bocce Felice at the Lomax Farm in Concord. Gina introduced us to the world of organic farming at it’s best. We took a tour of the farm and met a couple of the farmers. We sampled herbs fresh off the vines and veggies straight from the ground! Let me warn you, basil has a very unique taste! We talked about my freshman 15 saga, how your body processes food, the benefits of eating organic food , and the reasons for eating “in season.”
I have to say, one of my favorite parts of the day was when Gina whipped out her mini cutting board (that had been clipped to her apron) and started slicing up some cucumber for us!
We were able to sample beans straight off the vine! Despite the fuzzy texture they were awesome!! 
After touring the farm we headed for the shade to prepare lunch. Gina had prepped quite a bit to save some time, but we were able to help with fixing the salad and mixing all of the ingredients for the final preparations. The entire time we were prepping and finalizing Gina was educating us on why she chose each ingredient. 
Did you know that if you are going to use Kale in a salad that it is best to massage it first?? Massaging the kale helps break it down and make it easier for the body to process it! Your company will thank you later! (hehehehe)
At the end of the day we sat around a picnic table under a beautiful shade tree eating a very healthy meal. These girls are now one step closer to avoiding the dreaded freshmen 15! I just know it!
The Melissa Lynn Hunt Senior Model Team is made up with high school juniors/seniors from Cabarrus and Charlotte Mecklenburg county. These young ladies are role models in their community, hardworking and driven to make a difference in the lives of others. As a team, they strive to be role models for others by respecting and presenting themselves well in person and on social media. They aim to better themselves through academics, community service, and extracurricular activities so that they can, in return, better the lives of others around them. Throughout the year, they work together to create and implement different ideas to give back while growing personally and building a stronger team.
