I have received many questions about why we eat the way we do and requests for the more personal side of my story. Being of a more private personality, I have kept a lot of my story in the shadows of this blog with only little mentions here and there of the story behind it. I recently wanted to start answering your questions by sharing more personally. Because I have many topics and recipes I also want to share, I will give my story in fragments, but most of it will eventually be told here.
I find that there are many assumptions by others as to why someone chooses to eat healthy food. Many of those assumptions are untrue, at least for us. Today, I wanted to share two of the main reasons I care about what we eat. You may find them different than you thought, or perhaps you will find them similar to the reasons you yourself eat good food.
For Today
For many, the goal in eating well is a long, disease free life. For me, I hope that the way we eat promotes a long and healthy life, but that’s certainly not the main reason. My top reason is for the present…..for today.
Going through what I would label a “health crisis”, basically being completely worn down and exhausted, made me take what I eat seriously. On that still ongoing journey of healing, resting and rejuvenating my body I found that eating a very clean diet, made me feel refreshed, gave me more energy, increased my sense of well being and helped me fulfill my responsibilities. I’ve noticed the same with my family. When I am diligent in giving them a well balanced, produce filled, protein and bone broth rich diet, our daily quality of life is better in sometimes small, but certainly tangible ways. Even my four year old craves certain healthy foods if we fall off the bandwagon for too long.
I like feeling good today, who doesn’t?
When we are not eating a well balanced, nourishing diet, our energy and daily sense of well being and health is effected. My four year old starts acting up more, and even begins to deal with some yeast issues. So the primary reason we eat the way we do is for today. I like feeling good today, who doesn’t? So many times a person who doesn’t care about what they eat say, “ So and so is trying to live longer by eating healthy. But they could get hit by a car tomorrow and all of their efforts will go to waste”. I can’t help but shake my head sometimes at this logic for many reasons, but the primary reason is because if I get killed tomorrow, that’s okay. My efforts to eat well won’t be wasted because it made my quality of life, my ability to serve God by serving others, and the building of my children’s health for the days preceding better.
I think this is an important point to make and one that has weighed on my heart the last couple of months. Many of you will remember that my mother-in-law passed away last summer from cancer. It was a hard time for our family, though we were sustained by grace. The ongoing pain and sense of loss for my husband and my family has been the obvious focus. But a side issue that I had to deal with was the surprising number of people who felt like Sono’s death by cancer undermined her commitment to eating a healthy diet. “If Sono got cancer and died, then there is no hope for anyone!” was the thought process.
You see eating an local, organic, grass fed meat, raw milk, bone broth, produce filled diet was important to Sono. And she introduced many of us, including me, to Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions. You could even say that she was the inspiration for many families in eating well. So for her to not only get cancer, but to die from cancer was a death blow to the ideas she supported for many.
And with that, I realized that if I ever got cancer the same could happen for my readers here, at the Nourishing Gourmet. The thought and pressure that thought gave me discouraged me for a time. If sharing a way of eating put me in the position of never getting a disease- if I wanted my message to ring true- I didn’t think I could handle the pressure.
In the stress of everything, I even began to question myself. But my dear husband, with his rarely failing common sense asked me, “Do you really think that you or your children would be better off eating a junk food diet?”. No, of course not. The fruits of my labors in making our food from scratch and eating well were obvious in our lives today. Hopefully for tomorrow too, but we see the benefits certainly in the present.
So, readers of the Nourishing Gourmet, you mustn’t feel that my labors are wasted if I die in a car accident or eventually get cancer. As I share more of my story you will discover that eating a certain type of diet helped me feel like I got my life back to thrive in and enjoy. Any effort I have put into the way we eat, has been repaid in full already.
As a side note, as I have read about cancer prevention, I’ve become more and more convinced that simply eating well may not be enough for most of us to prevent cancer. Our food is certainly not the only toxin present for our world is toxic. Stress is toxic. Our water is toxic, our air is toxic and our lifestyles our often toxic. Even our” pure”, organic food is imperfect. A course of eating very particular foods (and which foods those are differs according to who you ask) as well a regime of cleansing and fixing any deficiencies and reducing stress are just a few of the things needed to have a higher rate of preventing cancer. A book that I have found very interesting on the topic is Knockout: Interviews with Doctors Who Are Curing Cancer–And How to Prevent Getting It in the First Place
For the Health of my Children
The second reason my husband and I eat healthy food is for the future of our children (so no, it’s not just for today sake’s). I hope that the nutrient rich foods I feed myself and my husband preconception, during pregnancy and nursing, and then feed my children as they grow gives them sturdy little bodies and a keen minds. I do believe that the food we eat makes a difference in this area. We do live in a fallen, toxic world and we certainly can not prevent everything (that’s where our faith in a sovereign God holds us together spiritually), but I believe our children our better off because of the nutrient rich diet I seek to feed them and I am grateful for the opportunity to do so.
So there you have it, two main reasons I cook the way I do. I am so thankful to have discovered the difference good food makes in my life and the life of my family. While I certainly can be frustrated at times that our health isn’t always perfect, I feel full of gratitude for the difference it has made for me and my family already.
What about you? Why are you interested in eating well?
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Your reasons are two of the main reasons I try to eat as well as I can. I also believe that eating a sound, traditional diet is good for the environment as well. Through eating as well as we can, I believe that we’re promoting the kind of farming practices that can help heal the earth as well as our bodies. It’s a more sane way to live.
I guess I eat the way I do primarily out of respect for animals. But then my health and the health of my children, of course, is right up there too. We are whole food vegetarians. “Good” vegetarians, I call ourselves. No processed junk or fake meat eating here. Recently I have begun to seriously consider eating meat again. Grass-fed, organic, and ethically-raised, of course, but so far I can’t quite bring myself to it. But I love all the Weston A. Price-supporting blogs and am learning a lot along this journey.
I eat the Nourishing Traditions style diet because it MAKES SENSE. Meaning, it helps emphasize a connection (for me) to the cycle of seasons and life itself. I feel more ‘nourished’, as a result, and while there’s been no miracle cures, I still have a sense of serenity when I make my bone broths, and get to know the farmer who sells me the raw milk I enjoy so much.
I agree Robin! It does make sense. 🙂
Hear, hear! We actually came to WAPF as “where to go long-term” from the Atkins diet. I started reading the WAPF website, and my main reactions was, “Wow, these people make sense–and make even more sense when correlated with history!”
Great points. Eating delicious, nourishing food should be as much about the current experience of life as it is about the long term effects. Life is meant to be savored right now. Thanks for the reminder!!
Thank you for a great post and a wonderful recipe! A friend of mine told me about your website as we started GAPS and found WAPF and “Nourishing Traditions” a couple of months ago. We have used many of your recipes, including your fudge many many times, and your website provided me with the recipes that got us through my son’s first birthday with little to no refined sugar or white flour (we used your chocolate raspberry cake recipe and your raspberry mini-muffins/cupcakes with chocolate frosting). Your mango smoothie recipe also inspired me to do more tropical fruit/coconut milk smoothies and homemade “ice cream” and I am LOVING them. All the recipes I’ve used from your blog have been a big hit!
I agree with you completely on your reasons for eating a healthy diet. My kids were fighting round after round of strep throat and the only “cures” the doctors could give us were more and more antibiotics or surgery to remove their tonsils. Not happy with that, I put them on GAPS, started taking fermented cod liver oil daily, and got aggressive with our probiotic supplementation. And for the first time in 7 months, all 3 kids are strep free! Not only that, they are at healthy weights, their skin looks beautiful, and their behavior (ie, meltdowns and tantrums) has leveled out. We are happier TODAY when we eat well (as you said). Thanks for all your work and your wonderful blog!
I am so glad that my blog has been helpful for you! Thank you for sharing your story. 🙂
Where do you purchase your fermented cod liver oil?
I seek to eat nourishing food because I want to be a good steward of the body God has given me and to also be a good steward of his creation. The food tastes great, too! I also want to feel good and when I eat well I feel good. I hate being sick, and I know diet can help, but I’m glad you reminded me that even if I get sick, God is in control!
Beautiful post, Kimi. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts about this. My reasons for changing our diet are very similar. I think the fact that real food living can change your life *today* is a very important point. Because, while most of us would sincerely like to live a long and healthy life, sometimes that is too abstract to motivate people in the now. It’s so easy to put off healthy living until tomorrow.
But understanding how real food can affect us in the present is very powerful. That is why I changed my diet and lifestyle as well, because I realized that eating a SAD diet was hurting myself and my family right now. It wasn’t at all abstract at that point, and the benefits have definitely been obvious to me.
I started changing my diet after I found I had MS (two months after having our daughter). It was really important to me to continue nursing her, so I started looking into alternative ways of treatment. That’s when I learned how food could affect symptoms. It made sense to me, as I had already noticed an immediate difference in how I felt after eating. That was 2 1/2 years ago. I used to eat traditional, mainstream foods… that’s how I was raised, so it’s what I knew. To me, people who went au naturale were strange. What’s the big deal, my husband and thought… but we thought wrong!
I now exclude gluten, dairy, soy, and severely limit sugar, saturated fat, eggs and yeast. It feels SO good to eat real whole foods. I’m still working on converting my husband (cost has always been his biggest inhibitor, so I’m working through that and learning), but I’m making slowly changes so he too can learn to enjoy a more wholesome living.
Thank-you so much for sharing your story… and your wonderful blog! 🙂
You said “It feels SO good to eat real whole foods.”. I feel the same too. 🙂
Rebecca – would you mind connecting with me privately about your diet and MS? I have a friend who has MS and is working on the diet end of things. I would love to ask you some questions. I’m at jjbtea at yahoo.com
I agree completely…thanks for sharing your heart.
J
What are you without your health? not much.- my hubby.
I know that my kids, husband and myself are more able to do what we are supposed to do when we feel well. School, work even laundry is better when we feel well. Thanks for your thoughts they are so much like my own.
I agree! Work is joyful when you have the energy and health to do it.
hi kimi….you did a wonderful job conveying your reasons, and i agree with both of them. i also agree with robin’s comment above in that it simply makes sense. people in biblical times and our ancestors ate natural whole foods, so why wouldn’t we? God certainly knew what He was doing in providing food for us, so i think it’s important to stay close to that. also, it tastes so much better and it gives me such a satisfying feeling that i’m feeding my husband and children the best way i can. thanks so much for your very informative blog – love it!
I know what foods I should be eating. Heck, I even own and have read Nourishing Traditions. That being said, I am often lazy and rather ambivelent about what we eat. I like junk food, even though I know it is just that…junk! However, I am expecting my second child (and thanks to you I have a copy of Real Food For Mother and Baby) and my three year old has recently hit the “terrible threes!”. I know I need to nourish my body and my growing baby, and I am starting to make some changes because I suspect our diet is possibly playing a role in my daughters behavior. I notice tantrums and defiance becomes more pronounced when she is hungry, so I am making an effort to fill her up on produce and clean protien. I want to avoid blood sugar spikes, etc.
It can be hard to balance all of life and eating well. 🙂 I wanted to say that we definitely notice a difference in Elena, our four year old, when I work hard at giving her a well balanced diet, and a regular eating schedule. You may find that it works for you too.
My husband and I have been eating whole, organic foods as much as possible for probably the last four or five years. When I was recently diagnosed with a squamous cell carcinoma on my tongue, everyone was amazed I got cancer because we eat so healthfully and take such good care of ourselves. But before we started eating well, we were eating Big Food’s processed junk and I think it will take longer than 4 years to counteract that. Other than my cancer (which was removed surgically last week with about 1/4 of my tongue but there’s no spread to the lymph nodes so I will be fine) I haven’t had a cold in over a year. I feel better when I eat well and that’s why my husband and I choose to eat this way. Your children will be very grateful to you for nourishing them so well. I wish I knew about this way of eating when I was pregnant with my son!
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this perspective. My mother died of cancer 4 years ago at 59. I’ve just discovered the concept of real food and so much of me wondered what if I had discovered it earlier–could I have helped my mom’s health so she would still be alive today? I do agree it’s ultimately in God’s hands, and I’m at peace knowing my mother is now in His hands, too.
I’m so sorry about the loss of your mother-in-law. Sharing her story, however, has lessened some of my regret and confirmed that while food is a very important part of our health, it’s only one part. We do what we can with the knowledge we have and enjoy today for today’s sake.
Thank you, Kimi.
I do not believe that eating healthy food is ever a waste if one’s life comes to an end. God obviously had a purpose, and I am sure that your mother-in-law left a positive mark in the lives she may have touched through her example, including her familys’ lives.
I am implementing healthy foods into mine and my family’s diet, because thanks to the help of a nutritionist, I have found how important it is, not only physically but mentally as well. Unhealthy foods wreak havoc on one’s body without the person even realizing the culprit for their health issues and such, not to mention how deplete in vitamins they are.
On another note, I can say that many vitamin deficiencies can cause different ailments. If those deficiencies are not detected early, diseases can creep in, and can be potentially dangerous.
Vitamins and minerals are obviously found in the foods we eat. However, it is almost impossible to get the recommended dosage of all the vitamins and minerals one needs in just the food they ingest, which is why it is essential to take a great multivitamin.
Unfortunately, I did not know about Sally Fallon’s book until a few months ago–it would have really helped to have known about her book before I got pregnant almost three years ago. Had I known then what I know now, I could have potentially prevented my health issues. However, I believe that my health issues have brought me closer to God than I ever was, even though I have been a Christian for most of my life. Trials bring you closer to Him, and I never want to go back to the life I had, even though I did not have some of the struggles I have today. If it were not for our struggles, we might not have the desire to long for Him.
Thankfully, our deal Lord lead me to the path of learning to be in-tune with my body, and have researched many of the health issues I have to find out what vitamins and supplements may assist in aiding my recovery.
So, with that said, I believe that I am on the road to recovery, and I am taking preventative measures for mine and my family’s sake.
Thanks for sharing your story!
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
What great timing. Today I was feeling overwhelmed and starting to question why I was even trying to do this healthier lifestyle. Thank-you for reminding me of those reasons. I definitely agree! Life is more fulfilling when lived in each moment, in each step, and not looking at the enormous mountain ahead. When taken one step at a time, things work out without our worrying about it.
Another reason I thought of is for posterity… for when we live a healthy life, our posterity benefits down the road.
I have been realizing that health has a lot more to do with being at peace with what we know and how we are living. There are so many contradictory things out there… some say one thing, some say another and it is all so confusing! But, I have found that when I rely more on God and the scriptures, I find answers to my troubles and I am healed inwardly, in a way no food can accomplish.
Today I read about Elijah the prophet who came to a young widow during a serious drought of the land and asked if she would give him water and some bread. She said all she had was a bit of meal and oil that she was going to prepare for her and her son and then die… but Elijah told her not to fear. So the widow served him first before herself and her son, going on faith… and somehow all were fed and there was food to spare. She realized he was truly a man of God. I think so often we forget that the Lord will provide if we but first give ourselves to Him and have Faith and trust that He will provide for our nourishment, however meager our income. I think much of our purpose in this life is to develop a strong faith and trust in our Lord… and that is something that we can find in seeking a pure life in more ways than one.
John 4:14
Food isn’t everything in life, is it. 🙂
What great timing. Today I was feeling overwhelmed and starting to question why I was even trying to do this healthier lifestyle. Thank-you for reminding me of those reasons. I definitely agree! Life is more fulfilling when lived in each moment, in each step, and not looking at the enormous mountain ahead. When taken one step at a time, things work out without our worrying about it.
Another reason I thought of is for posterity… for when we live a healthy life, our posterity benefits down the road.
I have been realizing that health has a lot more to do with being at peace with what we know and how we are living. There are so many contradictory things out there… some say one thing, some say another and it is all so confusing! But, I have found that when I rely more on God and the scriptures, I find answers to my troubles and I am healed inwardly, in a way no food can accomplish.
Today I read about Elijah the prophet who came to a young widow during a serious drought of the land and asked if she would give him water and some bread. She said all she had was a bit of meal and oil that she was going to prepare for her and her son and then die… but Elijah told her not to fear. So the widow served him first before herself and her son, going on faith… and somehow all were fed and there was food to spare. She realized he was truly a man of God. I think so often we forget that the Lord will provide if we but first give ourselves to Him and have Faith and trust that He will provide for our nourishment, however meager our income. I think much of our purpose in this life is to develop a strong faith and trust in our Lord… and that is something that we can find in seeking a pure life in more ways than one.
John 4:14
Matthew 6:24-34
sorry about the double post!
Good points! 🙂 I’d love to know what things you fed to yourself & husband during that preconception time. (We’re in it right now! 🙂 ) I did read about some elements of what we should be eating during this time from Nourishing Traditions but it’s always good to know more if there is more.
Beautiful & insightfully written post here. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and motivations; it is always an encouragement to read real life reasons why eating traditional, real, whole foods makes sense. I love how you describe eating well for today.
Occasionally my mom will make a skeptical comment about the diet I try to eat, about how it’s too complex, time-consuming, or expensive. I generally respond by telling her that if I can make healthier choices now, than hopefully later on I won’t be paying doctors bills for problems later on. Especially since I am without any insurance, it makes sense to do what I can right now to control my own health, even if it is a little more challenging at times.
Thank you Kimi – We are heading to Norway this week to visit our pregnant daughter and her husband and I am excited to cook with her in the kitchen as her and I both continue to learn how to cook and eat a nutrient rich diet. We have found it seems to be easier in America and finding the resources in Norway is a little more difficult to eat a nutrient rich diet. I appreciate your posts and the help they give me in feeding my family well. 🙂
Wow, this is inspiring. And your blog is a new one for me (followed Shannalee of Food Loves Writing here). I can’t wait to read more!
Joanna
Kim,
I have recently started following your blog and your post today hit my heart strings as I too, grew up eating healthy home grown and locally produced foods during the 60’s. I was raised by depression era grandparents that were also Amish who broke away from the order but still practiced the lifestyle and culture of the Amish. I grew up on raw milk produced by a local extension farm from the University of Nebraska simply called the experimenal station. We purchased our milk and cream from the station. Some many years later, I was dianosed with Papillary thyroid cancer, from drinking contaminated milk from the 1950’s atomic bombs in Nevada. My state, (Nebraska) was one of the states covered with radioactive fallout from these tests. So even though we eat healthy, we are still vurnable to the four winds and the will of the Lord.
I was blessed with a wonderful oncologist who helped me, I got treatment, both surgery and radiation, and that was 13 years ago and I am doing ok, I have my days as I do not have a thyroid and am slow, and have some other health issues, but I am here.
I feel if we eat healthy, and a battle with the body is to be fought, you can fight the battle, and win or keep it at bay, if you are run down, and cannot fight, you will falter under the massive emotional, and physical demands your disease will put upon you.
Thank you for your wonderful blog and all you post about.
Warm Regards
Originally, we started eating traditionally to combat symptoms of my PCOS. Not only did it help the symptoms, but I have found myself to have more energy and to just feel better overall. I don’t think that by eating better and decreasing my exposure to harmful substances will add one day to my life. The Bible says God has ordained the number of days for man, but I CAN improve the overall quality of life during my allotted time, thereby becoming a better servant for God.
One thing I have learned about in the past year is the Gerson cancer therapy treatment. I’m not sure if it “works” or not, but I have read some staggering statistics which completely fly in the face of what most mainstream cancer researchers are reporting.
Beautifully written. My own thoughts strongly resonate with yours. This very well may be the most important post about real foods ever. Thank you for sharing your heart. I struggle to be this real with my own readers so I can relate with your struggles when blogging but feel inspired by you.
We started eating the Nourishing Tradition-style diet because…it just made sense! It answered my husband’s objections of “why should I eat food that tastes bad?”, and mine of “if my grandfather grew up eating lard and whole milk and all the eggs he wanted, why did he (and many of my other relatives – we’ve been blessed in that area as a family, so far) live such a long life?”
Yesterday I inadvertently did an experiment comparing whole foods to mass-produced foods – seems pertinent to this post. I was lazy at lunch and rather than making up something filling and nutritious for lunch, I had a cup-o-noodles that had been sitting in our pantry for months. I couldn’t believe how empty it tasted, or how un-nourished I felt afterwards! I felt just “blah” until I had some banana bread (Sally Fallon’s recipe) a little later. What a difference a few nutrients make!
But I really like the perspective that we are doing this for today. It’s no guarantee we’ll live a long life. The founders of America almost certainly ate whole-foods diets, likely with much less contamination than we can ever hope to have, but one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence had skin cancer on his cheek, and Nabby Adams died of breast cancer. Someone else numbers our days.
Kimi, thank you for sharing this more personal side of your philosophy. I cared a lot about the way I ate earlier in my life, but when we decided that we wanted to have a child my interest became much more passionate. When I think of the potential impact my food choices can have on future generations, I definitely feel more of a responsibility, yes, but also more of a joyful passion for making daily choices. Plus, like others said, when I read Nourishing Traditions it just made sense. More sense than anything I’d read before!
Great post. I eat a healthy diet because who wants to feel bad? Who wants to be weak, rundown, and unable to function? Life is a beautiful gift and I want to enjoy being here. Eating healthy heightens that joy and allows me to be fully present. If I get hit by a car, it doesn’t diminish the life I had which was enhanced by healthy eating.
Thank you for your great recipes, your great (and smart) point of view, and creating a community for like-minded people.
I’ve always looked at my food choices as not only affecting my body and those of my children (especially while pregnant and breastfeeding), but also the larger world. Eating organic and whole foods benefits the environment, as well as those who grow and work around the crops. That’s important to me. Those who pick non-organic crops are frequently exposed to high levels of pesticides and have a disproportionate number of health problems related to them via their work exposure. My food choices are my little way of making a difference in the lives of many people on a regular basis.
My 16-year old daughter, who is a vegetarian (who doesn’t really eat a lot of vegetables!), does pay attention to why I do what I do. She does not make all the same choices that I do, but at least she understands my reasoning.
This is such a nice, heartwarming post. Thank you.
I started on this journey many years ago with Adele Davis when my children were young. Although I tried to keep unnecessary sweets, sugary cereals, etc., out of our lives, the real food movement was very young and seemed insubstantial. Finding Nourishing Traditions five years ago, and all the shared knowledge (thank you) on the internet, has helped me feed myself and my husband in a way that improves the quality of our lives each day we wake up. So I do it for how we feel, also, TODAY.
It was a shock to my friends when I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma last summer. Because they saw me as fanatic with unprocessed foods, kefir, sprouted flour, no sugar, and so on, the cancer, to them, repudiated all I espoused. I just explained that it isn’t surprising I got sick since I ate SAD most of my childhood and young adulthood, the air and water are impure, and even the organics are polluted by the rain and ground they grow in; we only do what we can to improve in areas we have some control over.
It’s strange, but since having toxic chemicals pumped into my body, and being bombarded daily with radiation for months, I find I fall too easily into the junk eating now. I think it’s a case of reclaiming my motivation, and finding the energy to be in the kitchen more. 🙂
My husband and I who are both “senior citizens” have just recently started to eat nutrient dense clean food. Quite often people will make statements about us trying to live longer. We say, “no, we are just trying to live healthier”. We both realize God has ordained the number of days written in His Book. Being on a fixed income we do sometimes struggle with the cost of our food. I believe it doesn’t cost, it pays! Well, he has a different view, but we usually come up with a good compromise.
Thank you for your good work and encouraging words.
These are such simple reasons, but so true. When I keep these goals in mind, it’s easier to resist making unhealthy choices. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Kimi. I remember when your MIL sadly passed away , I hope this qestion isn’t too personal to answer, But did she have any treatment for her cancer eg chemo or radiation ?I’m very interested in this because I’ve read and heard from Don Tolman that people never die from cancer they die from the dreaded treatments like the chemo & radiation . I’m also like you I like to eat healthy foods and feed my family healthy meals, We are not into take away junk foods no nutrients in them . So like you and your family we enjoy healthy wholesome foods ,they taste better. My 8 year old son Jack has been to the breakfast club at school a few times they have it twice a week he said mum I don’t have the toast as it’s white bread and I only like the bread we have , wholemeal or what you call wholewheat. that made me very pleased to hear . I know they also use cheap yuky unhealthy margarine there and in the canteen. The canteen well that’s a whole other story I looked at thge menu and thought boy why don’t they have healthier choices for the children. They have the traffic light system green for healthy choices amber and red unhealthy choices not too many red ones . well according to the menu in my opinion most of the menu is in the red list ….I need to just focus on what we eat and educating my family on good choices ….Sherrie from Simpleliving 🙂
What a beautiful post, thank you so much for sharing. This was perfectly timed for me today as I sat down to do some new menu planning and I opened my Nourishing Traditions cookbook for some inspiration. I’m trying to redirect some of our unhealthy eating as of late back towards Tradition Foods that I know and love. I agree with eating for “TODAY.” Eating poorly takes away the energy I need to be a good mom….wife….sister….friend. If I eat well and take care of my body, I’m much more able to give service to others, and that makes me feel wonderful!
Thank you for your heartfelt post. I am a nutritionist and have worked with people with cancer. One thing I know for sure is that cancer is a multi-factorial disease and can be very complicated in terms of finding the reason for it. In my heart, I feel that Sono lived as long as she did because of the good foods she ate and the love of her family. That means everything! In my field, there was a very well known nutritionist by the name of Robert Crayhon. A highly respected man for his knowledge and intelligence. Last year, he was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and died within a few months. The field of nutrition was shocked by this. Robert always had the answers! I think when something like this happens, it touches our individual feelings of mortality and if we aren’t careful, fear can take hold. So people were starting to question how this could have happened to someone who seemed to do everything “right”. A man by the name of Dr. Jonny Bowden, another nutritionist and friend of Roberts, had the same experience in his blog that you have had, Kimi. This is what he wrote and I think it puts things in perspective a little: http://jonnybowdenblog.com/health-guru-dies-cancer/ (I hope you don’t mind my including this here). And to Debbie Hammel: I am sending you healing thoughts and good wishes.
thank you for sharing your reasons/concerns. i have been forced to eat differently because of a thyroid condition. it is difficult. i want to eat some yummy, healthy made cinnamon roles because they taste so good but they will make me feel awful within minutes. Yes! eating for today. God calls us to trust Him for today. We do live in a fallen world, God is sovereign!
i return here again and again so get great ideas to support my healthy food and have recipes that the whole family will love.
thank you again. thank you for sharing your heart.
Thanks Kimi for sharing your thoughts on this. My reasons for changing the way we are eating (still in process) is echoed in yours. I have wanted to for a couple years, but haven’t had the motivation to do it until I realized my gluten intolerance. Being free of gluten made an amazing difference in my quality of life. Then I explored a little more with a naturopath and our whole family is now gluten, dairy and egg free. It has made a tremendous difference for my hubby’s GERD and my own chronic pain, insomnia, fatigue (and on and on and on!).
We certainly live in a fallen world, but I now that we’re doing the best we can by eating sensibly. And that is all He asks and there really are no insurance policies. He knows the beginning from the end for each one of us!
Thank you, Kimi, for sharing your heart. I see the special needs thread running through our eight children (Down syndrome and autism and learning disabilities) as a blessing now, b/c they inspired me to seek out a better way for our family to eat. Now I am a WAPF chapter leader, b/c I’m so excited about it and want to share the news with young couples as they start their families in hopes they won’t have the struggles with special needs that we’ve gone through. I’ve had friends tell me God only cares what comes out of a man and not what goes into him. However, if we don’t take care of our “temple”, we can’t minister as well. And how can we pray for things like a good attitude, for example, when our messed up digestion or carb overload is throwing off our hormones and emotional health?
It started for the health of my son who has eczema and digestive issues. I would cry every night while putting steroid cream over 90% of his body. I would worry about what this was doing for his future health. I begged numerous Drs. for another alternative and they all seemed to think a stronger steroid was the answer. It made me want to scream. Finally I came across something online about diet and eczema, asked his pediatrician about it and this is what he said “sure you could do an elimination diet but it’s generally too much trouble”. And so I began. As I started changing our diet I noticed we all began to feel better. That is why we eat the way we do.
I agree with you and your reasons for eating healthy. And there is more.
With a husband allergic to soy, and a son that LOVES junk food, I realized that some changes needed to be made. Out with the processed (mostly). And in with food that our bodies recognize and are able to process.
Thanks for your site. Keep the ideas coming.
I believe God wants us to do the best we can in how we eat, but He doesn’t want us to trust in the foods to keep us well. He wants us to trust Him. He at times does send afflictions to help us think about spiritual things and get us ready for heaven. Look up the word afflictions in the concordance of the Bible. There is a great lesson to be found there.
Kimi, I always enjoy reading your blog. I believe that what we eat effects the physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual parts of our body and soul. I as I observe so many people in our country who eat so poorly and have no idea why they look and feel ill, I am thankful for wellness. I feel there are many who would change their life styles if they only knew how, so thank you for sharing and helping others. As for the aging process, let’s go through what ever we have to deal with, the best we can with careful consideration of how we nourish these amazing bodies that are given to us.
This post was great. I also enjoyed all the comments and wanted to respond to so many of them. This post really touched me. I just related to so much of it.
My father too died at 59 of cancer. His body was healthy, he ate mostly whole foods. It was the asbestos that killed him. Just before he died, he received a call from a long time “enemy” from work who also was dying. He called my Dad a Bible thumper and other type things. Well, these two enemies talked for hours and hours as the other guy tried to understand my Dads acceptance of death. In the end, they both went home to be with the Lord, days apart. My Dad shared his love of God until the end. He died listening to the Bible being read to him.
So, yes, we don’t know when our time will be. We should make each and every day as healthy as possible and feel better. I’m so glad my Dad taught me the love of gardening.
As an RN in a very busy hospital’s OR Recovery Room, I see so many disease processes..with cancer only one of them. I always thought that I ate a healthy diet…but I really took a second look at my diet after taking this position 7 yrs ago. When I retire…after taking care of the sickest population in our tri-county area, I will not be afforded health insurance. So every trip to our local farmers market..organic of course, every meal I make, & every gal. of raw milk I buy…I look at it as an investment for my senior years. Thank you for your extremely helpful articles, and recipes!
Well said!!!
My husband and I eat healthy foods and provide them to our 4 boys because we couldn’t do all that we do if we did not. We both work full time, are very involved parents, active in our church, and I am in grad school full time (just 3 more courses to go – YEAH!). We would not be able to maintain our schedule if we did not fuel ourselves with nourishing foods. We were lucky in that both our parents fed us whole food diets, so it was natural to want to continue.
I also come to it from a faith perspective. Our bodies are to be considered “a temple of the Holy Ghost” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). I have to ask myself, what does it say of my respect for God if I cannot/do not keep His dwelling place in good condition?
I love what Elois said above. Also I think the key word is “wellness”. Feeling well is like gold, and eating this way fosters wellness, even if it can’t 100 percent ward off all disease. I too began eating this way mostly because it made sense. I don’t do it at 100 percent, but it makes an impact on my quality of life. My in-laws are in their seventies and very active and they do not eat whole foods. Far from it! They eat anything processed with a bit of whole food thrown in. And yet their bodies function better than a lot of peoples’. I can only attribute their state to their zest for life and an inherent confidence that everything is okay. In the past they’ve battled cancer and other disease and have always come out on top. So my philosophy is, eat the best you can, esp if you are dealing with health issues, but don’t forget about the impact that joy and faith in God have.
I was a formula fed baby and we were raised on a lot of processed foods, so I consider myself to be automatically challenged in health. There is a lot about how my body functions that I would love to see changed for the better. That’s another reason I eat this way.
I have read many of your posts with enthusiasm and our family has enjoyed many, many of your recipes since health issues forced drastic diet changes in the last year. But it was not until reading this post today that I realized you were a member of “that” Harris family! Haha–we have been nurtured for years spiritually by your family’s preaching and now physically by your recipes =)
Thanks for all your hard work.
My father recently said something to me that may delve a little into the theological, but I think it applies here and goes along with what you’re saying. This was in a conversation that we had right after my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and considering some dietary changes. He mentioned that he didn’t believe any of us could extend or shorten our lives by the way we choose to eat since only the Lord determines when it is our time to go, but that we can sure make a difference in the quality of our life during the days that we are given.