Our personal health journey
working on the Web site and other neat stuff like that! You may still have occasion
to catch him when communicating with us and may see him if you attend any of Kim's
classes. Having lived (thrived, we should say!) on Kim's cooking and the whole
natural lifestyle, he can even occasionally answer questions somewhat thoughtfully!
John also worked at Abundant Living Lifestyle Center, along with Kim, for over two
years and he managed the store for part of that time.
Kim is the real brains behind the health information found on this Web site! She is
the author of a cookbook, Everyday Wholesome Eating, a raw recipe book,
Everyday Wholesome Eating...In the Raw, a baking booklet, Wheat-free, Dairy-free,
Egg-free, Sugar-free Baking, and two companion guides, The Everyday Wholesome
Eating Companion Guide and The Candida Companion Guide. She also offers a
variety of courses and seminars, including:
Good Food Good Health class series,
A Day of Wholesome Eating Workshop,
"The Raw Deal" Raw Foods Seminar,
Candida Workshop,
Wheat-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Sugar-free Baking Class,
Healthy Body, Healthy Home Workshop,
. . . and classes and seminars on other topics!
Contact us about hosting one of these seminars, or a tailor-made class, at your
location!
Simply Natural Health gives us another opportunity to work together on something we care about. The journey that
led us to attaining health through wholesome diet and lifestyle began when our son was just a baby. We became
aware of concerns with commercial cleaning products and body care products and transitioned our home to
non-toxic alternatives. But the most striking change came when John became quite ill during the fall of 1998. Until
that time, we had subsisted on what is commonly referred to as the SAD diet (Standard American Diet), consisting
mostly of meat, dairy, refined grains, and processed foods. We ate what most Americans eat, lived how most
Americans live, and suffered the health consequences that most Americans suffer from. We put up with a variety of
physical ailments (even in our twenties) that we just figured were standard American fare- headaches, back pain,
high blood pressure, painful periods, eczema, gas, body odor, fatigue, . . .
It wasn't until the fall of 1998, when John was diagnosed with Meneire's disease, that we started to take a careful
look at how our diet and lifestyle might be impacting our health. For us, it took something serious to cause us to
consider changing our ways. You see, even before he was diagnosed with this condition, John wasn't doing so
well. At age 31 (and 5'8") he weighed 270 pounds and was on high blood pressure medicine. God allowed this
difficulty in our lives to be used for our best.
Kim began reading and researching and spent a lot of time experimenting with recipes. Gradually, step by step, we
let go of more and more of the Standard American Diet and experimented with and incorporated more and more
whole, natural foods into our diet. Our tastes began to change along with the foods. We found that this was not a
matter of suffering and deprivation - once we began eating wholesome foods we found that we truly enjoyed them.
A Brief Side Note:
In case you are saying to yourself, "But I'm too picky an eater to like plain old natural foods". John was about as
picky as they come. He was truly a "meat and potatoes" man, and Kim couldn't easily get away with preparing a
meat-less meal prior to our change. John ate very few vegetables (corn, broccoli - that's about it) and he had
never eaten raw vegetables - say nothing about a salad! One time he ate a piece of raw fruit - and that was only
half an orange in sheer desperation during a family trip to the Grand Canyon. Now, John eats no meat or dairy,
consumes mostly raw fruits and vegetables as well as cooked grains, beans, vegetables and fruits - and thoroughly
enjoys it. Things have certainly changed - now he doesn't feel right if a day goes by without a salad. A friend of
ours says "You develop an appetite for that which you feed on". It was a gradual change for us, but we found this
saying to be very true. We have developed a love and appreciation for whole, natural foods - those that are
closest to the way God originally created them.
John's goal from the outset was to improve his health through changing what he ate (not limiting amounts) and
incorporating physical activity into his lifestyle. He never set out to lose weight - but what a great side effect the
weight loss was! John has lost over a hundred pounds, uses no medication and has not a had a Meneire's episode
since Spring 1999. God designed us with some pretty incredible self-healing bodies! We learned, and personally
experienced, that our bodies come into balance and weight stabilizes as we give them the nutrition and care they
need (in the form of whole, natural foods and a healthy lifestyle).
While most of our diet and health changes were focused on helping John, Kim also experienced relief from a
number of "common" problems. She is practically eczema, acid stomach, Candida, headache and back pain-free
and a period can pass almost without notice. We've also seen a myriad of other little annoyances disappear - for
example, we haven't worn any form of deodorant in years (this usually raises some eyebrows!).
Many people attribute physical healing to miraculous intervention (and we certainly won't deny God's ability to do
so) but we find ourselves in awe of the miracle God worked at creation in designing our bodies and the means for
healthfully sustaining them. And we are very grateful for the changes He has worked in our lives!
