The Purpose of the Fritz Terfloth Foundation - Münster in Westphalia
For a healthy way of life and creative thinking
"Nutrition and Language"
The Terfloth family has had a long tradition of commercial enterprise,
going back to the year 1774 to Greven and Münster in Westphalia, Germany.
As the assets of the foundation originate from the family food import and
wholesale business, the Foundation wishes give back a good part of proceeds for
the benefit of consumers.
Our Mission
- to inspire, cause and assist individuals and their groups to improve and sustain their own and their environments health and wellbeing
- to focus on their early youth to enable them to recognize the possible consequences of their nutrition, environment and their own behavior
- to assist this movement to be self-generating and multiply over time
What we do
The Fritz Terfloth Foundation supports the dissemination of new and important
findings regarding the prevention of illness though healthy nutrition, with
special emphasis on avoidable overweight and obesity, from early childhood on,
and on the resulting diseases such as diabetes as well as the catastrophically
increasing social costs.
The Foundation wants to investigate and impart knowledge and findings
independent of marketing interests and bias. It develops and supports projects
- currently above all in Münster - which promote an enduringly healthy way of
life.
The focus of the Foundation's work at present is
the spread of stimulating findings related to the prevention and alleviation of
illness. The Foundation wants to convey how healthy behavior is conducive to
our general well-being.
To this end, for instance, the Terfloth Foundation has prepared comprehensive
websites about hundreds of 'vegetable' or plant-based foods with the support of
the University of Applied Sciences in Münster (www.terfloth.org).
The sites with information about merchandise make the readers familiar with
these foods and their nutritional benefits, which are generally recognized
worldwide.
In addition, the Foundation has published a book with this aim, entitled What
Should We Eat and Drink? With recommendations that are not dependent on any
industrial interest group, the Foundation wants to provide support in choosing
healthy foods from those that are offered and to leave it up to
self-responsible consumers to stop unhealthy weight gain due to poor eating
habits and to cultivate their own well-being.
The Foundation concentrates on projects that enable a particularly far-reaching
spread of findings through the media and can serve as pilot projects, owing to
their basic idea that can easily be developed further. The positive effect of
the projects should spread out from Münster to the rest of Germany and beyond
to the English-speaking world.
Children and adolescents above all should become familiar with the value of
consciously healthy behavior. The Foundation wants to contribute in this way to
teaching future generations to appreciate a healthy life style.
It must be taken into consideration that learning to think positively and
creatively is imperative to approaching this goal. It should make those who
possess this knowledge capable of making well-founded decisions without being
influenced by selfish interests.
Exemplary for an attractive multitude of possibilities are a health kiosk,
commercially run by interested pupils, where reasonably priced healthy food and
drink is offered during breaks; "Healthy Eating", a self-learning
parcours initiated by older pupils for younger children; and the creation of a
stimulating environment in kindergartens and school libraries.
Through practical, active learning, these and other projects - not least including
that of the Westphalian School of Music entitled "To each child its
voice" - are intended to awaken, strengthen and spread consciousness of a
healthy life style and creative thinking, beginning in primary school. In
addition, projects in music and the arts are promoted. These should finally
have an influence as well on parents and the environment.
An understandable and attractive German language cook book is in preparation
for the extended family of parents, teachers and children. Further planned is
the production of videos about developments and experiences with these topics,
which are intended to reach other interested circles and to motivate television
stations to examine these subjects and encourage the public to take part.
What we envision
The current and future boards of trustees, as well as consumers, should always
keep in mind that, in addition to food and drink, people require other physical
and spiritual nutrition; this must be taken into consideration in the promotion
of disease prevention and well-being. Thus the term nutrition must be
understood in a broader sense, comprising - in addition to the directly vital
needs such as clean water, fresh air, sunlight and warmth - also physical
necessities such as exercise, sleep, and relaxation. Exercising, singing,
laughing and playing are proven to have a positive effect on the immune system.
Of great importance on the social level are aspects such as love, respect,
self-confidence, recognition, encouragement and loving care, and particularly the
acknowledgement of and adherence to both basic social rules and individual
promises.
With regard to the latter, knowledge of the fundamental importance of creative
thinking and of a well-developed facility for language and communication is of
the utmost importance for accomplishing our stated goals. It forms the best
basis for interpersonal understanding. Accordingly, this knowledge should
receive appropriate consideration in the Foundation's promotional program as
soon as possible.
In general, it is important for the groups and persons concerned to recognize
and develop THEIR talents and to reflect on the purpose of their existence and
of the achievements they are capable of. They must be open and prepared to
observe, to recognize, to learn, and - where necessary - to change.
The seal of the Foundation depicts a stylized
ball bearing. This symbol of the effective use of energy is meant to inspire
the Foundation continually to move forward in cooperation with other committed
persons and groups, purposefully and energetically. The exchange of ideas
between people has its own dynamics: It evolves through all of us, across
generations, and for decades to come.
The beautiful spark of JOY is the elixir that keeps our ball-bearings happily turning.
Boerries Terfloth, 2008
