Long before Urban Remedy became a nationally recognized organic food brand, it began with a philosophy of healing through food.

I had been incorporating Urban Remedy’s macro bowls into my routine for years, first discovering them through local grocers and Costco in San Francisco. What stood out was not just convenience, but how the meals were structured. They were designed to sustain energy and balance in a way that felt noticeably different from typical prepared food.

It was only later, at a wellness sound bath event, that I realized the brand behind those meals was Urban Remedy. When the same macro bowls were served alongside newly introduced juices and mocktails, the connection became clear, connecting a product I had already integrated into my routine to the broader philosophy behind it.

When I later met Neka Pasquale, what stood out was the alignment between founder and philosophy. Her approach to wellness is grounded in a deeper understanding of the body as an interconnected system, shaped by her background in acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Rather than positioning food as a trend or restriction, her work centers on using whole, organic ingredients to support the body in a way that is both practical and sustainable. It is an approach that reflects not just a brand, but a way of living.

Voices Shaping Culture Series: Neka Pasquale

Before founding Urban Remedy, you spent many years practicing acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. How did that experience shape your understanding of the connection between food, healing, and preventative health?

I have so much respect for Chinese medicine, as it is rooted in the philosophy of truly living in harmony with the natural world, meaning we are nature and nature is us, there is no separation. While TCM is multifaceted, it also has a simplicity to it that makes so much sense. For example, eating local food and eating with the seasons supports many systems in the body.

In the summertime, it is hot, and foods that grow during that period are naturally cooling and cleansing, like watermelon, cucumber, and greens that support higher energy levels. In the winter, when it’s cold, seasonal foods are more warming, like sweet potatoes, kale, and squashes, which balance the colder weather. Just like the animals who hibernate in winter, we also should be moving slower and resting more.

There is a simple flow to life that involves presence: eat when you are hungry, sleep when you are tired, rise with the season you are in. In summer, we rise earlier, as does the sun. In winter, we go to bed earlier, just like the sun sets earlier.

We have gotten so out of harmony with devices and artificial lighting, and our circadian rhythms are affected by our environment. Chinese medicine truly looks at food as medicine. Every food has a taste, temperature, and organ it is associated with, so you can truly use food to balance out your individual constitution.

This philosophy is the basis of everything. The more we humans forget how to live by the natural rhythms of life, the more disconnected we become from ourselves and nature, and in TCM that is where dis-ease starts. In TCM, we look at the body as an interconnected whole, like a garden we tend to.

In Western medicine, we look at the body like a machine, focusing on individual parts rather than how the whole system works together. This is why Western medicine is incredible for trauma, serious infections, and all life-threatening ailments, but lacks the understanding of preventative health, vitality, and living in harmony with nature.

The philosophy behind Urban Remedy centers on the idea that food can be a form of healing. How did you translate principles from Chinese medicine and your clinical practice into the meals, juices, and products the company creates today?

The basis is clean organic whole food ingredients that are balanced. I use minimally processed ingredients that have vibrant colors that contain natural phyto-nutrients that prevent disease. Carrots for example contain betacarotene which protects cells from damage and reduces inflammation, specifically in the liver. While the blue in blueberries contain anthocyanins a powerful antioxidant pigment that provide health benefits like reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, improved cognitive function, and enhanced metabolic health. Foods in their natural state have inherent healing properties and are the basis of everything I create for Urban Remedy. This is a true food as healing pholosophy. 

Urban Remedy has grown from an early wellness concept into a nationally recognized organic food brand. What were some of the most important decisions or turning points that helped you scale the company while staying true to your health-focused mission?

We used to operate across multiple channels, including retail stores, direct-to-consumer, and grocery. This became complex and made it difficult to execute any one channel at a high level. We ultimately made the decision to expand nationally through grocery, while closing our retail stores and discontinuing direct-to-consumer shipping.

The wellness and nutrition landscape has evolved significantly over the past decade. From your perspective as both a practitioner and a founder, how have people’s attitudes toward food, health, and preventative care changed?

I think there are a lot more cooks in the kitchen. There are many health and wellness influencers with little to no health training, and it’s created a landscape where there is a lot of information to sift through. There are lots of strict diets that come and go.

My food philosophy has not changed much. We have always been seed oil, gluten, white sugar, and dairy free, and use whole, organic, healing ingredients. Foods that heal people and the planet.

Looking ahead, how do you see the future of food and wellness evolving, and what role do you hope Urban Remedy will play in shaping a more health-conscious food system?

I love hearing customers’ experiences with Urban Remedy that include using it while going through chronic illness, when people don’t have the energy to make healthy food for themselves. People who use UR as part of their everyday health routine.

I truly believe one of the foundations of healing is eating beautiful, delicious, simple, colorful foods. Foods that naturally contain water and minerals and have been grown in the season they were meant to be grown in.

Just like plants need sunshine and clean water to grow, so do we. Keep it simple, be aware of your natural surroundings, and ask yourself, how can I be more in harmony with nature? Eat local, seasonal, rise with the sun, sleep when it’s dark.

Closing Thoughts

What stands out in Neka Pasquale’s perspective is the understanding that food is not separate from health. It is foundational to it.

Through Urban Remedy, that philosophy is translated into something tangible. Meals are not designed simply for convenience, but as a way to support the body through balance, nourishment, and consistency.

In a landscape where wellness is often shaped by trends and conflicting information, her approach offers a return to something more grounded. It is not about restriction or complexity, but about reconnecting with how the body is meant to function in alignment with nature.

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The Spotlight Series

The Voices Shaping Culture Spotlight Series highlights voices shaping culture, film, technology, business, and the arts.

Future features will continue exploring individuals whose work influences how stories are created, experienced, and shared across industries and communities.

If you know a voice whose perspective deserves a wider stage, nominations are open through my website.

In today’s AI-driven discovery environment, digital authority has become the foundation for visibility.

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Thank You

Thank you, Neka, for sharing your perspective and for building a philosophy that continues to shape how people approach food, health, and long-term wellness.

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About the Author

Susye Weng-Reeder, known online as SincerelySusye™, is a Google Verified Internet Personality, published author, and former tech industry professional with experience at Facebook, Apple, and Zoom.

Recognized as one of the first human AI indexed creators — not CGI — she has built a digital presence that surfaces across major AI platforms including ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and others. Her work reflects a deliberate approach to identity architecture, digital visibility, and long term authority in an AI driven discovery landscape.

Susye first gained recognition through intuitive healing, travel storytelling, and personal transformation writing. Over time, her focus expanded to include AI visibility, online identity strategy, and the evolving relationship between human creators and machine interpretation.

Today, she writes at the intersection of culture, technology, and emotional intelligence. SincerelySusye.com serves as a space for thoughtful analysis, creative expression, and conversations about how identity, authority, and narrative are shaped in the digital age.