Long before BOOD existed, there was Timothea.
Jon’s mum has always been someone who turns to nature first. For as long as Jon can remember, her kitchen has been filled with homemade preparations: sea moss made by hand, herbal teas brewed for different moments and homemade kefir carefully left to ferment.
And then there is her recipe book.
Filled with recipes, remedies and ideas collected over the years, it reflects a way of life that existed long before wellness became an industry. Some recipes were passed down through the family. Others were discovered, adapted or created by Timothea herself—and carefully preserved so they would not be forgotten.
None of it was made because it was fashionable. There were no wellness trends, viral morning routines or shelves filled with the latest supplements.
This was simply how Timothea lived—and how she cared for the people around her.
Nature Was Always the First Place to Look
Growing up, if someone in the family was feeling under the weather, tired or simply in need of some extra care, Timothea would often look to what nature could offer.
There might be a pot of tea brewing, something homemade being prepared or a familiar ingredient brought out of the cupboard.
It was never complicated. It was practical, consistent and rooted in knowledge gained through experience.
That way of living shaped Jon from an early age.
He grew up seeing that looking after yourself was not only about responding when something felt wrong. It could be found in the small things you did regularly: what you ate, what you drank, how you rested and the ingredients you brought into your home.
Natural was not considered an alternative in their household. It was simply part of everyday life.
From Grace to Timothea
Timothea’s approach did not appear from nowhere.
Her mum, Grace James, was a Saint Lucian matriarch whose strength, knowledge and connection to the natural world helped shape generations of the family.
Grace came from a time when knowledge about food, plants and homemade preparations was often passed down through everyday life. It was not always written into recipes or described as “wellness.” It was learned by watching, helping and being present.
Timothea carried that same instinct into her own home.
Some of that knowledge came through recipes passed down by the generations before her. Some was carefully preserved in her recipe book. Other recipes and preparations were developed by Timothea through years of making, tasting and learning.
Jon grew up watching it all come to life—in the teas she brewed, the sea moss she prepared and the natural ingredients she reached for as part of everyday family life.
You can read more about Grace James and the Saint Lucian family legacy behind BOOD here.
Sea Moss Before BOOD
Sea moss was part of Timothea’s life long before it became something people shared on social media.
She knew it as a traditional ingredient—something prepared at home and included as part of ordinary life. Jon saw the time, care and patience involved in making it properly, along with the sense of family and heritage connected to it.
The same was true of moringa, herbal teas and homemade kefir. Each reflected Timothea’s preference for simple ingredients, prepared with care and made part of a consistent routine.
Sea moss was already familiar through family life and Caribbean heritage long before BOOD began. Following a family trip to Saint Lucia, the idea of sharing that tradition with people back home would later become part of BOOD’s founding story.
For Jon, that connection was especially close to home. He had grown up watching his mum prepare sea moss and other homemade recipes as part of everyday life.
Timothea’s influence was not the whole BOOD story—but it became one meaningful part of it.
She Lives What She Believes
One of the most striking things about Timothea is that she has never needed to lecture anyone about her way of life. She simply lives it.
Now in her early seventies, she remains active and continues to do a physically demanding job. While no single ingredient or homemade recipe can take credit for someone’s health, her long-term commitment to looking after herself has always been clear.
There is something powerful about watching someone practise the habits they believe in over many years.
Timothea’s approach has never been about trends or quick fixes. It has been about consistency, resourcefulness and respecting what the natural world provides.
That philosophy continues to influence how we think at BOOD today.
More Than a Recipe Book
Timothea’s recipe book is more than a collection of ingredients and measurements. It is family history.
Its pages hold homemade recipes and traditional preparations—some passed down through generations, others created, adapted and perfected by Timothea herself.
But not everything can be captured on a page.
Sometimes it is a handful rather than a measurement. A certain colour, smell or texture. A familiar phrase such as, “You’ll know when it’s ready.”
That knowledge is truly passed on when someone watches, asks questions and eventually learns to make it for themselves.
Jon grew up doing exactly that. He watched the sea moss being prepared, the teas being brewed and familiar recipes returned to time and again.
By watching his gran and mum bring these traditions to life, Jon inherited more than recipes. He inherited a way of thinking: start with nature, keep things simple and make them with care.
Long before BOOD came in jars, part of its story was already being written in Timothea’s recipe book.
A Quiet Part of the BOOD Story
When people ask where BOOD came from, there is no single answer.
Its story is connected to family, Caribbean heritage, a shared journey to Saint Lucia and the traditions that existed long before the business began.
It is also connected to people like Timothea, whose everyday choices showed that natural ingredients did not need to be complicated to hold a meaningful place in our routines.
She may not have called it “holistic wellness.” She was simply doing what she had always known.
Today, as more people look for simpler and more natural ways to support their wellbeing, we are proud to carry part of that influence forward through BOOD.
So this chapter of BOOD Stories is for Timothea: Jon’s mum, Corey's aunty, Grace’s daughter, the family’s recipe keeper and one of the quiet influences within the wider story behind BOOD.
Traditional foods and homemade preparations can be enjoyed as part of a balanced lifestyle, but they are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.