Sourdough Basics

Leslie Bobb is a fermentista, traditional foodie, and health educator. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, with a minor in Communications, from California State University, Bakersfield in 2006. She then found her way to nutrition and health and earned her certification as an Integrative Health Coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in 2014, followed by certification as a Nutritional Therapist from the Health Sciences Academy that same year. She is currently earning her Master’s degree in Public Health from Virginia Commonwealth University. In 2014, Leslie founded Real Simple Health with the aim of sharing her newly gained knowledge of health and nutrition. She set out to empower as many people as she could by teaching them that their health was something they could actively affect. Through public speaking, her website, social media, and personal coaching, she sifted through the overwhelming amount of often conflicting information regarding  nutrition and health to provide her clients and readers clear,  simple information they could turn into achievable action steps. She is working with her team on completing Cultural Revivalists’ first publication, a children’s book on traditional foods.

Lyndsay Gutierrez is a health educator, chef, fermentista, and admitted food nerd! After 9 years in the Navy traveling and eating around the world, she completed a BS in Health and Wellness from Kaplan University, followed by an AA in Culinary Arts at The Art Institute of Virginia Beach and health coaching certification through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She is now finishing a MS in Integrative Nutrition and Community Health Education along with a certificate in Herbalism from Maryland University of Integrative Health. She has been around farming, gardening, cooking, canning and food preservation all throughout her life and finally fermentation more recently. She loves all of the aspects from environmental and health aspects of farming, to all the creative, delicious ways you can get that food on your plate, to the science of what those foods tell your body. She founded Cooking Up Your Best Life in 2014, doing private and group health and nutrition coaching, cooking classes and food tours. Through public speaking, classes and events all throughout the community, as well as her website and social media, her goal is to empower people to create and live their best life.

Leslie and Lyndsay met through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. They discovered that they were both drawn to traditional diets and ancestral wisdom. They also quickly learned that they shared a love for the science and art of fermentation. That shared passion soon became more than a hobby and they founded Cultural Revivalists. The mission of Cultural Revivalists is to “bring back the traditional cultures of traditional cultures”. Leslie and Lyndsay work to reconnect people to their environment, cultures, and communities by getting them connected to their food. They teach people the art of cooking real food and, most importantly, fermentation.  Leslie is working with her team on completing Cultural Revivalists’ first publication, a children’s book on traditional foods.

When not teaching workshops on things like kombucha or preaching the importance of a diverse microbiome, they can be found travelling, out in the Shenandoah National Forest hiking, spending time in various activities with friends and family, or doing homework. They continue to build their series of online courses to inspire confidence in home fermentation.