Building businesses rooted in health, hospitality, and community
I'm Arga V. Bourgeois, a Houston entrepreneur, mom, and wellness advocate — and the chef at Sunshine’s Vegetarian Deli & Health Food Store in Houston, Texas. I build businesses rooted in health, hospitality, and community.
Arga & her father Vergis Bourgeois (“Sunshine”)
Houston, Texas · Sunshine's Vegetarian Deli
Arga V. Bourgeois
Chef at Sunshine's Vegetarian Deli & Health Food Store · Holistic Wellness Consultant · Vegan Chef · Entrepreneur & Content Creator
Houston, Texas
My story starts with family
My father, Vergis Bourgeois, known to all as “Sunshine,” founded Sunshine’s Health Food Store out of a passion for iridology and holistic health. In 2004, I stepped in to run the business side, and together we grew it from a small mom-and-pop shop into Sunshine’s Health Food Store & Vegetarian Deli — a Houston wellness destination offering vegetarian cuisine, smoothies, Irish Sea Moss Gel, Bladderwrack products, and Vital Health Biometric Body Scans.
I took our signature product national through irishseamossgel.com, and I’m now developing my own line of wellness products. I also operate a short-term rental in Houston centered on a detox and wellness lifestyle, welcoming travelers and visitors to the city.
My Turning Point
Like so many women, I spent years taking care of everyone but myself. Running a business, raising a family, and always showing up with a smile, I was quietly overworked, stressed, and struggling. My blood pressure was out of control, and my weight had climbed to the point of obesity.
Then a dear friend told me the truth: “Arga, this isn’t working. You’re staying busy, but you’re not taking care of yourself.”
That was my wake-up call. I looked hard in the mirror and realized I was in a bad place. I was dealing with grief and depression, and food had become my friend. (I loved those french fries.)
Facing stroke-level blood pressure
Waking up with blood pressure readings as high as 190/110, quietly struggling while taking care of everyone else. This was the moment I chose to save my own life.
I made the choice to see Dr. Baxter Montgomery. At the time, I was waking up with blood pressure readings at stroke level, as high as 190/110. Alongside blood pressure medication, he gave me a plan: eat raw for 60 days, drink plenty of water, and work on my insulin levels. I committed to it and lost 70 pounds within a year.
Where I Am Today
Living proof of real-world healing
Down 70 pounds, blood pressure restored, full of energy and purpose. Not through deprivation, but through whole plants, healing herbs, and everyday choices that last.
For more than 30 years, I’ve been learning how to eat well and live healthy on a budget, in the real world. That means eating more than lettuce while working, being a mom, and running a business. Today, I share the everyday food choices and habits that help me keep going, so you can find your own path to better health.
Beyond my businesses, I love investing in the people around me — helping friends and colleagues sharpen their professional materials and pursue new opportunities.
Whether I’m in the deli, online, or welcoming guests, my approach is the same: build something real, serve people well, and honor the legacy that started it all.
The journey
From a family legacy to a life’s practice
The family business
Sunshine's Health Food Store
My father, Vergis Bourgeois, known to all as 'Sunshine,' founded the store out of a passion for iridology and holistic health. In 2004, I stepped in to run the business side, and together we grew it from a small mom-and-pop shop into Sunshine's Health Food Store & Vegetarian Deli.
The turning point
A wake-up call
After years of putting everyone else first, my blood pressure hit stroke level — as high as 190/110. With Dr. Baxter Montgomery's guidance — 60 days raw, plenty of water, and steady work on my insulin — I lost 70 pounds within a year.
Going national
Irish Sea Moss Gel
Took our signature Irish Sea Moss Gel national through irishseamossgel.com, while the deli grew into a Houston wellness destination offering vegetarian cuisine, smoothies, Bladderwrack products, and Vital Health Biometric Body Scans.
Today
Rooted in community
Now developing my own line of wellness products, operating a detox-centered short-term rental in Houston, and sharing everyday food choices and habits as a content creator and Amazon Influencer.
Let’s work together
From private consultations to kitchen resets, I’d love to help you find your footing on your own path to better health.