Wholesome Eating   an introduction

So what do I eat tonight?   some basic recipes

Raw Foods   benefits and recipes

Candida   general overview, our story, and free download

Health Pyramid  a broader look at the issues that affect our health

What Is Wholesome Eating?

We define wholesome eating as
eating foods as close to the way
they were originally created as possible.

- whole                         - unrefined
- fresh                          - unprocessed
                         - in season                  - without preservatives, additives,

- organic                       or "enriching"
          - minimal cooking        - not genetically-modified


Wholesome eating simplifies our eating choices
We don't have to obsess over RDA's and the
amount of this or that nutrient, because. . .
Whole natural foods naturally have all the good stuff!

We encourage you to begin the transition
from
Not-so-whole  to  Wholesome
from white (refined) to colorful
from packaged (processed) to fresh
from dead (cooked) to living (raw)
from nutritionally depleted to nutrient-rich
from redundant to the incredible variety
of colors, aromas, textures and flavors of
Wholesome foods !

A Personal Note About Transitioning to a Wholesome Diet,

otherwise entitled, HOPE FOR THE "PICKY"

Wholesome eating doesn’t happen on accident.  When we began our transition to a healthier lifestyle, we were living the average stressed American lifestyle and eating the Standard American diet (often appropriately referred to as the SAD diet).  The idea of preparing just one meat-free meal per week seemed a real challenge and dealing with whole, natural foods was an entirely foreign experience.

You see, my husband, John, was a “meat and potatoes” man, and he really didn’t know any other way.  His idea of a great lunch was two hot dogs, a bag of chips and a soda purchased from a local gas station.  He had to be one of the pickiest eaters around.  He didn’t eat any fruit (except for ½ half an orange in sheer desperation on a family trip to the Grand Canyon at age 10) and had never consumed a salad.  He was very limited in what prepared vegetables he would eat as well.

So you can see, if someone told him that the only way he was going to get well would be to eat in the way we do now (plenty of raw fruits and vegetables, vegetable juices and plant-based meals), he would have just politely declined the suggestion.

For most who have known only the Standard American Diet (predominantly meat, dairy, refined grains, sugar, salt and refined fats) it can be a little too threatening to change overnight to a radically healthful diet.  Though for some, the serious health concerns they are facing are enough to cause them to make the change “cold turkey”.  If you find yourself part of the majority that wants to enter into this change a little more gradually and aren’t sure where to begin, you’ll find my resources quite helpful.

I want to encourage you that you will benefit from health improvement no matter how small or slow your changes.  John lost over 100 pounds, his need for high blood pressure medicine and had no further Meneire’s episodes (click here for our full story), simply in changing our meals to whole, natural foods, initially reducing the amount of meat and dairy, then eliminating them as it felt comfortable- no portion-controlling, no hunger and no feelings of deprivation.  We quickly learned that eating foods that God created, as close to the way He created them, was the answer to our health concerns and weight issues.  I hope that you will see that this simple principle will be as freeing to you.

I encourage you to make changes as you are comfortable, getting familiar with new foods and allowing your tastes to change with them.  We found that with each change we experience physical improvement and our enjoyment of wholesome foods increased in such a way that we were encouraged to try yet another change.  Each step led us closer and closer to what we feel now is one of the best ways we can nourish our bodies.

My prayer is that the resources I’ve prepared will encourage many in taking their first steps on the path to health!

2 oranges                          opt.: 1 apple
2 frozen bananas              ½ cup nuts
2 handfuls of pineapple,    ½ cup water
  strawberries, grapes,           or ice
  blueberries, mangos or
  whatever other fruits you
  may have on hand (fresh or frozen)

Process oranges, nuts and water in
blender before adding other
ingredients (it helps if these are
smooth before adding the frozen
ingredients).  Add rest of ingredients
and process till smooth.  

Great topped with chopped nuts,
ground flax or chopped fresh fruit!

 - basic recipe -
customize according to your tastes!

5 lb. (1 bag) carrots
2  Granny Smith apples
any of the following additions:
beets, celery, cucumber, parsley,
spinach, romaine lettuce, etc.

Process through a juicer, then pack
into 8 oz. canning jars for the day.  
Refrigerate or put in a cooler pack to
go.

Meal Ideas

Chili Serving Suggestions:
   Serve chili with or over baked potatoes
   Serve chili with wholegrain cornbread
   Serve chili with tortilla chips and salsa
   Serve chili over a salad and sprinkle with crumbled

      tortilla chips and salsa (taco/nacho salad)
   Serve chili with or on brown rice

           Hearty Chili

2 Tbsp. oil/butter          2 Tbsp. chili powder
3 onions, chopped       2 tsp. oregano
6 cloves garlic             2 tsp. ground cumin
28 oz. can tomatoes     ½ tsp. cinnamon
5 cans of beans                  1 ½ tsp. sea
salt
(kidney, black, pinto, etc.)

Sauté onions and garlic in oil/butter.  Add
seasonings, tomatoes, and beans.  Bring
to a boil, then simmer for at least 20
minutes, stirring occasionally.  

This is our all-time favorite company dish.  We
serve with tortilla chips or cornbread and all the
fixin's for a make-your-own salad bar.

            Brown Rice

Measure brown rice into a large saucepan (about ½ cup per
person).  Add a pinch of salt and some oil/butter, if desired.  
Add twice as much water as rice, and bring to a boil.  (Can
boil the water in a teakettle before adding to the rice to speed
up.) When mixture reaches a boil, reduce to simmer, cover
and cook for about 45 minutes.  Test for tenderness.  
Remove from heat and let set for 10 minutes before removing
cover and serving. (This is the secret for non-sticky rice!)

Wholegrain pasta                Pasta sauce

Heat pasta sauce.  Add sautéed onions, peppers and/or
mushrooms, if desired.  Prepare pasta as directed on
package.  Excellent served with salad and wholegrain bread.

               Pizza

Wholegrain pizza crust
Pizza or pasta sauce

Non-dairy cheese
Pizza toppings-  onions, peppers,
   mushrooms, garlic, tomatoes,
   artichoke hearts, black olives, etc.

Preheat oven and baking sheet/stone.
Sauté vegetables to top pizza.  Spread
pizza sauce on crust, sprinkle with grated
vegan cheese and toppings.  Bake at
425 degrees for 25-35 minutes.

Simple Snacks

The Benefits of Raw Foods

Raw foods come to us with the living enzymes necessary to facilitate the digestion and assimilation of the nutrients
in foods.  Cooking kills all enzymes, as well as most vitamins, and alters the minerals and proteins in such a way
that they are less usable to the body.  Because the cooked food is not accompanied by the enzymes necessary
for digestion, it places more of a strain on our digestive system and many of the nutrients that are left after
cooking are lost in this process (besides those lost through any refining or processing).

Raw foods are also the most nutritionally dense, because all of the original vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats and
fiber are in their unaltered forms and completely available to our bodies.  A raw food offers up to three times the
nutrition of the same cooked.  Since true nutrition is concerned with feeding our cells, it is important to provide
them with the living nutrients of raw foods.  Life can be sustained on cooked foods, but cells are not replenished
and replaced in an optimal way.  On raw foods you will find that you eat less, yet your body will operate more
efficiently with what you provide.

Also because raw foods are easily digested, less energy will be expended on the process of digestion and be
available to you.  Most people who add more raw foods to their diet are surprised by the increase in energy they
experience.

                                         Live foods feed a living body!

Easy ways to add more raw food

to your day:

Choose fresh fruit for snacks
Begin lunch or dinner with a large salad
Try a fruit smoothie for breakfast or dessert

Reasons for RAW

1. Eating raw means we are consuming foods as close to
the way God originally created them as possible.

2. All animals subsist on an all raw diet (except for
humans and their pets)

3. Raw foods are in their purest state (organic)
Unaltered by heat, chemicals, stabilizers, preservatives,
colorings, additives, etc.

4. Packed with nutrients in most body-available form:
    Amino acids                            Phytochemicals
    Essential fatty acids                Antioxidants
    Complex carbohydrates          Chlorophyll
    Vitamins                                  Fiber
    Minerals                                  Purified water
    Enzymes                                 Oxygen

5. Raw diet provides more vitamins, minerals,
antioxidants, etc.- than any other diet!

6. In contrast, cooking:
   a.  destroys oxygen, enzymes and chlorophyll
   b.  destroys most vitamins (all of C, most of B)
   c. alters minerals (rendered inorganic)
   d. alters/harms fats and fiber
   e. requires more energy for digestion
       cooked foods - 35-65% of energy
       raw foods - 8-12% of energy
   f. requires more time for digestion (2-3x)
   g. encourages overeating- because nutritional

       content is lacking, our cells are still looking

       for nutrition.

Date Nut “Dough”

1 cup pecans                  ¼- ½ cup honey (to taste)
1 cup walnuts                  ¼ - ½ tsp. sea salt (to taste)
1 cup dates, pitted                

Grind pecans, walnuts and dates in food processor
until well-chopped and blended.  Add honey and
continue to process until mixture forms a ball.  
Careful to not over-process.

            As a pie crust:
Press into base and sides of pie pan before adding
filling. Reserve some of the “dough” to crumble on
top of the finished pie.

            As cookies/raw balls:
Use as is, or add:
1 tsp. cinnamon and/or ½ tsp. nutmeg,
or 1 Tbsp. carob powder,
or 1-2 Tbsp. orange zest
Roll the dough into balls, then roll in flaked coconut,
ground nuts or carob powder.

         These cookies make excellent holiday treats
                              and presents.

Recipe taken from Everyday Wholesome Eating...In the Raw,
used with permission.

Order the Candida Companion Guide today!

Includes a full 3 week menu plan.
Contains recipe lists for compatible recipes
in Everyday Wholesome Eating and
Everyday Wholesome Eating...In the Raw
Includes handy reference sheets

to copy and post in your kitchen.

                               Our Personal Experience of Dealing with Candida

My husband and I took a year and a half to transition from the Standard American Diet (bagels and
cream cheese for breakfast, hot dogs and cheese curls for lunch and a dinner planned around a meat
centerpiece and a rice mix or pasta side dish, occasionally an overcooked veggie besides) to a whole,
natural vegetarian diet that included lots of raw fruits and vegetables as well as vegetable juices.  We
saw some pretty amazing results (John lost over 100 pounds, was able to get off high blood pressure
medicine and was free of Meneire’s disease symptoms, and Kim was relieved of many annoyances like
headaches, back pains, acid stomach and menstrual problems) but we had some nagging problems that
just didn’t seem to be going away.

It became very discouraging because we felt like we were doing everything we could think of “right”

yet John had persistent fungal problems and I had been struggling for years with low energy, low
enthusiasm, and low libido.

We sought what help we could.  John’s fungal problems (athlete’s foot, jock itch, ringworm, toenail
fungus) we treated topically with every cream and powder on the market.  We thought it was a skin
problem.  It wasn’t until late in the game that we learned it was an internal problem that was manifesting
itself on John’s skin.  Our family physician said he could take a medication but it would be very
expensive and he would need to come in regularly to have his liver checked.  Praise God that we were
kept from pursuing that option.  I went to our physician regarding my low energy and libido.  He ran
some blood tests, which came up normal.  He recommended I take an antidepressant for a while to see
if that would help.  I really didn’t think I was depressed, so once again, praise God, we did not try that
option.  But still no relief.  We even went to an acupuncturist, but when he consistently suggested that
my low energy was tied our vegetarian diet, I became disinterested.

We had sought help in many directions and were doing everything we could think of for our health, but
these problems hung on.  Then, while visiting with friends from our church, the wife asked if we had ever
heard of candida and she explained how John’s fungal problems were linked to this health problem.  
Hurray!   We had a name and an avenue we could investigate.  I made some additional dietary changes
to help John with this condition, still having no idea it was also the source of my problems.  Six months
later I began reading a book specifically about candida and when I read the list of common symptoms
“fatigue” and “low sexual interest” jumped off the page at me.  I had the same underlying problem, it was
just manifesting itself in a different way in my body.

We decided to aggressively attack this problem as recommended in the book, and experienced some
pretty pronounced healing symptoms as the yeast died off (temporarily I had extreme fatigue, inactive
bowels for a week and a half, and we were unusually crabby).

For the first time in years, we saw improvements in our conditions.

I began investigating candida and its treatment even more intensely, spoke with others who were
dealing with or had dealt with this problem, and developed the plan that I share in The Candida
Companion Guide.  The plan we originally followed was effective in freeing us from the tenacious hold of
candida, but the method, I believe, was more stringent than need be.

I’m excited to share with others a far more “doable” plan as well as the recipes needed to survive this
temporary restricted diet.

I would love to hear your own personal story of recovery from candida, as well as any ideas, tips or
encouragements that might be of help to others.  Sometimes the smallest suggestion can be the key to
success for a person, so please send along a note!  Please e-mail your stories or suggestions to:
info@simplynaturalhealth.com.  Please indicate if you’re willing to have your story or ideas shared on
our website.

Do you suspect you have candida? 

If you find you have a handful or more of the symptoms listed here, you may be dealing with candida. Modifications to your diet and lifestyle may give you some much-needed relief!

                                           Candida’s Most Common Symptoms

      Yeast/Fungal Problems

           Recurring fungal problems

           Chronic vaginitis/yeast infections, vaginal itching, burning or discharge

     Reproductive/Sexual Issues

           Menstrual irregularity and/or cramping

           Prostatitis

           Impotence

           Infertility

           Premenstrual tension

           Endometriosis

           Decreased libido or loss of sexual desire

     Digestive/Elimination Problems

           Abdominal pain

           Bloating, belching or intestinal gas

           Heartburn, indigestion

           Constipation

           Diarrhea

     Mental/Emotional/Energy/Quality of Life Issues

           Fatigue or lethargy

           No sense of looking forward to anything, feeling “drained”

           Irritability, anxiety

           Poor memory

           Mental fogginess/cloudiness/spaciness

           Disorientation/confusion

           Inability to make decisions

           Periods of crying or anxiety

           Depression

           Irritability or shaking when hungry

          Chemical sensitivities

           Insomnia

     General Body Problems

           Muscle aches, weakness, or paralysis

           Headaches

           Joint pain or swelling

           Cold hands or feet, or chilliness

     Problems difficult to see

           Adrenal exhaustion

           Weakened immune system

           Thyroid problems (over- and underactive)

 Other Symptoms

      Issues Centered Around the Head

            Pressure in head- feels like head is swelling

            Dizziness, poor balance, lack of coordination

            Dry mouth or throat

            Rash or blisters in mouth

            Bad breath

            Tongue coating

            Sore throat

            Nasal itching

            Nasal congestion or post nasal drip

            Burning or tearing of eyes

            Spots in front of eyes or erratic vision

            Recurrent ear infections or fluid in the ears

            Ear pain or loss of hearing

            Laryngitis, loss of voice

      Issues Centered In the Chest

            Wheezing or shortness of breath

            Pain or tightness in chest

            Cough or recurrent bronchitis

     Mental/Emotional/Energy/Quality of Life Issues

            Drowsiness

            Inability to concentrate

            Mood swings

      Digestive/Elimination Problems

            Food sensitivities

            Rectal itching

            Mucus in stools

            Burning in urination

            Urinary incontinence, frequency or urgency

            Bruise easily

            Skin problems- rashes, itching, eczema, acne, etc.

            Psoriasis or recurrent hives

            Body odor (foot, hair, body)- not relieved by washing

     Unsuspected Candida Connections

            Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

            Fibromyalgia

            Hyperactivity

            Attention-deficit Disorders

            Autistic tendencies

            Breast and prostate cancer

            Inflammatory bowel diseases

       What we eat has a great impact on our health but we don't want to place diet in too high of a position. 

      Other aspects of our life can have an even greater impact on our overall health. 

      My health pyramid attempts to put these factors in their proper place.