How A Guy Named Gunnar Made An Online Whole Foods For People Who Aren’t Rich.

Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Let's face it: grocery shopping to get high-quality organic food at a reasonable price isn't easy. And sure – while getting fresh, local fruits, vegetables and meats – which should always be at the core of a healthy diet – you can use farmer's markets, CSAs and local grocers.

But when it comes to packaged healthy goods, from nori wraps to coconut milk to gluten-free baking powders and beyond -there's a host of options out there: Amazon, Vitacost, Walmart, Safeway…the list goes on and on. However, when it comes to buying online organic food, you'd be surprised at what you're about to discover on today's podcast with Gunnar Lovelace.

Gunnar is a serial entrepreneur focused on business and health as vehicles for social change. He is the founder of Thrive Market, which is making healthy living accessible to Americans by providing the most popular organic and non-GMO groceries at what he claims is 25-50% off normal retail prices.

He is also the co-founder and co-owner of Love Heals – a jewelry business in more than 200 high-end retail stores and with over 75 employees. To date, LoveHeals has funded the planting of over 1,500,000 trees and sponsored over 50,000 malnourished children. Prior to Love Heals, Gunnar started two technology companies in Los Angeles in software education and natural language processing. In addition to his for-profit companies, Gunnar has started two non-profits in education and environmental sustainability.

During our discussion, you'll discover:

-How Gunnar grew up poor, yet still eating foods like kale and sprouts and kombucha…[7:25]

-Gunnar's secret to never getting sick, and his top three supplements…[12:55]

-What goes on “behind the scenes” that allows Gunnar to provide organic groceries delivered to people with free shipping at a 25-50% discount…[17:25]

-Whether shopping for groceries online leaves a big carbon footprint and disrupt community small businesses…[24:30]

-How to make “cardboard” packaging out of compostable mushrooms or dirt…[28:00]

-Gunnar's favorite superfoods, including sprouted chia, coconut wraps, coconut manna, sprouted granola and more…[32:45 & 49:40]

-If Amazon Prime is so convenient, since you can buy a friggin' alarm clock and book at the same time I'm buying my canned coconut milk, why Thrive is any better than Amazon…[39:30]

-What Gunnar thinks of the Amazon acquisition of Whole Foods…[42:20]

-What is Love Heals? [45:45]

Resources from this episode:

All the products discussed in this episode can be found on my Thrive Market Favourites Page.

-Dr. Ohira's Probiotic

-Host Defense mushroom products

-Vitamin C by Health Force

-Coconut wraps

-Coconut flake cereal

-Nutiva Organic Coconut Manna

-Lets Do Organic Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

-Go Raw Spirulina Chips

-Hawaiian Orchards Macadamia Nuts

-Go Raw Pumpkin Seeds

–Thrive Market

Show Sponsors: 

-Human Charger – Go to humancharger.com/ben and use the code BEN20 for 20% off.

-Organifi – Go to BenGreenfieldFitness.com/Organifi and use discount BEN for 20% your order.

-Blue Apron –  Check out this week’s menu and get your first meals FREE—with free shipping by going to blueapron.com/ben

-Quarterly –  Get your carefully curated box of goodies at BenGreenfieldFitness.com/BiohackBox.

Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback for Gunnar or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!