Our Vision & Mission

Our vision for Sunny's goes beyond just offering a healthy food option and a gathering place for like-minded individuals. We aim to foster a holistic approach to health, promoting a well-rounded wellness lifestyle within our community. We believe that leading a healthy, mindful, and physically active life contributes to a clear and positive state of mind that radiates to all areas of life.

Our mission is to provide a platform for learning, growth, and support that empowers our community to achieve their health goals.

About Us

We aim to build a community to #ShineOn together!

SunnyDays exists to support mindfulness and health & wellness for the people of Northwest Arkansas. We welcome all to participate in unique experiences to find new ways to support each individual’s journey. SunnyDays is an extension of Sunny’s on Second, Bentonville’s happy healthy cafe. Sunny’s mission is education while serving organic, nutrient-dense food.

Our Team

Sunny’s on Second and SunnyDays are owned and operated by a small but mighty female team.

Meet our executive chef, Adrienne Pegues-Hayes.

A nutritionist and health food chef passionate about using real whole foods and creating eye-catching, nutrient-dense meals. Adrienne sources as many of our ingredients as possible from local farmers and purveyors and also follows the Dirty Dozen list, sourcing these ingredients organically.

Meet our wellness director, Tara Loop, who has a background in holistic nutrition and curating wellness programs for hotels for over ten years. Her mission is to help others feel their best through nutrition and mindful living. She helps drive Sunny’s brand, Sunroom, and SunnyDay events.

Buzzword Brush Up

Your glossary to all those buzzy health words.

You may have heard people talk about being on an Alkaline diet, or eating more alkaline and been like, what the heck is that. Well, the broad definition of Alkaline is that it’s a substance that can neutralize the acid in our bodies. Hmm. Confusing, tell us more. The food must have a pH greater than seven on the pH scale to be considered alkaline. Think about how you test pool water—having a pH greater than seven on a scale of 0-14 is alkaline, while a pH of 1 is very acidic. Studies have shown that eating alkaline food (testing at a seven or above) helps to reduce stress in the body and promote homeostasis. For example, an alkaline diet promotes a stronger immune system, more energy, and stamina and helps to maintain a healthy weight for your body type. Packaged and processed foods such as potato chips and sodas are acidic, while foods such as spinach, kale, almonds, and avocado are known to be more alkaline. Filling your day with more fruits and vegetables may help alkalize the body, helping to promote better health internally!
A popular term in the beauty world, collagen has been tossed around to add to your day for skin health, but did you know collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body! It is responsible for giving our skin structure and strengthening our bones, muscles, and tendons! So, not just good for a beauty routine but great for your longevity and to support your bones that help you walk this beautiful earth. Collagen is found in fish, eggs, citrus fruits, and berries. Look to our smoothies to get your fix!
Keto or Ketogenic Diet
Another buzzy dietary theory, Keto refers to a diet low in carbs and high in fat. Resulting in restricting the body of the primary energy source, carbs, and forces the body to break down stored fat and create ketones to use as energy.
Paleo
Also known as the caveman diet, paleo refers to eating meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. Such as the way humans ate when first roaming the planet.

You’ve heard the term anti-inflammatory; it sounds cool and important, but what does it mean?! Let’s start with inflammation. Inflammation is defined as the process of your body fighting infection, whether from bacteria or viruses. For example, you may notice a cut or scrape getting red and puffy; this is an example of inflammation and can occur internally and externally. Inflammation is caused by too much packaged and processed food, daily stress, physical injuries, illness, disease, and even pollution and allergies. Because there are so many factors that can cause inflammation, we look to support our bodies to fight inflammation. Therefore, when referring to anti-inflammatory, we refer to properties that support the body to help reduce inflammation, fight infection, and reduce swelling. Adding in Anti-inflammatory foods such as turmeric, leafy greens, and superfoods spirulina, chlorella, and matcha to your daily routine, are great ways to help reduce inflammation internally.
The dictionary explains the word detox as a time when one avoids and rids the body of toxic or unhealthy substances. Detoxes have become buzzy in the wellness world with many different ways to do so. Such as juice cleansing, fasting, or eating only watermelon (we do not suggest this); insert eye roll. When you fill your day with whole natural foods such as leafy greens, healthy fat like avocado, coconut milk, nuts, and seeds, your body will naturally detox what it does not need and help you maintain your health and overall well being.
You may have a vegan friend or hear of people following a vegan diet and what this means is that someone stays away from, does not consume food or products that come from an animal. Being vegan means not eating eggs or honey. Individuals on a vegan lifestyle eat lots of fruit and vegetables and whole grains to get all the nutrients they need.

Fruits like oranges, blueberries, and strawberries have a reputation for being loaded with antioxidants, but what exactly does that help with? Antioxidants help protect, prevent and delay damage to our cells from free radicals. And what is a free radical?! Free radicals are naturally occurring and can be found in our environment. They are pollution such as tobacco smoke or radiation. Free radicals cause stress and trigger cell damage. Studies have shown eating a diet loaded with foods high in antioxidants may help fight free radicals, and we want all the help we can get. A smoothie a day is the perfect way to get in those antioxidants.
Gluten is a protein found in many grains such as wheat, barley, and rye. Foods such as bread, pasta, and cereal typically contain gluten. And gluten-free refers to eating foods that do not contain gluten. Some individuals experience allergic reactions, whether physical such as rashes and hives or internal symptoms like bloating when consuming gluten. In addition, individuals with Celiac disease, an autoimmune disease, cannot eat gluten because it damages the small intestine and resulting in the body not being able to absorb any nutrients.
* Sunny’s is not a gluten-free kitchen. Gluten-free items may have cross-contamination.
Several studies with unwavering data state that our gut is the second brain and where health begins. Probiotics are living strains of bacteria that add to and support the population of good bacteria living in our digestive system. You can get probiotics through yogurt, fermented foods, sauerkraut, and cultured coconut yogurt. Prebiotics are plant fibers that help to stimulate the growth of good bacteria in the digestive system. For example, you can get prebiotics from eating leafy greens, bananas, and avocado, to name a few! Pre and Probiotics added to your daily routine helps to keep your good bacteria happy and support the growth of new strains to help fight infection, keep your immune system and digestion in top shape.

Disclaimer: Sunny’s does not prescribe diets or believe in one dietary theory.
We encourage you to educate yourself to make informed decisions that feel best for you!
#foodinitsnaturalstate