So about food, part of the reason I was so blog resistant for so long. Food was the driving force behind many folks’ suggestions that I start a blog. I am not out to educate anyone on food. I am not a doctor, or a nutritionist. I am not writing this blog to recite studies, or medical information. There are too many books already written that have done all that hard work for me.  I have however read too many books to count on nutrition. I have read everything from vegan to paleo. I want to know it all. Why? I believe knowledge is power. NO ONE should get an Internet education. Not from me, Dr. G, or Sally McPhee my friends! BOOKS. Read books, talk with doctors, then if some antidotal references to support something are needed…go ahead and Google. But please, don’t get a Google degree for Pete’s sake. Don’t attempt to change any diet based on Internet blogs. Diet should be changed with knowledge of what to eat any why.

Don’t let me or anyone else tell you what to eat. Figure it out. At the end of each book on nutrition I have read, I usually say to myself…”well that makes sense.” Truth is…most of them are all saying the same thing, with slight tweaks. Most of the books I have read over the past year are redundant.

Again, this is my disclaimer, I am not a doctor, or nutritionist. What I am writing is just my opinion and “Jesseisms” that have worked for others as well. I am writing to help lift the wool from the eyes of others. I am writing to provoke thoughts and actions. Read more, educate, and feel great! I have been able to help friends and family to understand food and cure many autoimmune diseases, allergies, and ailments with diet. I do believe diet plays a major role in health overall. I am not a doctor, I just want to expose some things in our society that may cause illnesses disguised in more ways than imagined. I do not have it all figured out in any way, shape, or form. I just realized that adopting certain principles can really affect health drastically.

There is more than one way to achieve great health. The thing that is most important is to truly understand why you should or should not eat something. Read books and come to your own conclusions. Test them. There is not one diet that fits all. We are all different beings. What is one’s pleasure may be another’s poison.

As for me, I don’t follow any particular diet. I follow what I have taken away from all the books I have read. I follow a few principles, but not religiously by any means. Trust me, I have had a pretty awful past month. I believe not following some of my own principles has contributed, but hey, the holidays happen.

So one of my favorite slogans is “Promote what you love, don’t bash what you hate.” My goal is to promote healthy, great tasting food on this blog. Healthy, whole, organic, real FOOD. You will find whole menu plans and recipes for delicious food that is EASY to make. In this fast paced society we live in, there is no other way. Planning is huge. HUGE. Time spent cooking is inevitable. But proper planning can reduce hands on time, drastically.

Here are some of my top ten favorite authors when it comes to nutrition, along with a few thoughts of my own. Keep in mind, some of these books contradict each other. That is ok, because there are common threads among all of them, and ALL say the same thing: EAT REAL FOOD, oh, and the GUT is IMPORTANT.  Not the muffin top gut, or belly over the jeans gut, or the six pack gut, but the actual GUT!

1. “It Starts with Food” by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig, (the force behind “The Whole30 Challenge”) is a very well written, even mildly entertaining read. I adore the straight forward sarcasm personally! This book was a suggestion of a lovely couple, one of whom is a medical doctor. They experienced great success with the regimen. I have recommended this book to several friends who have had successes as well with ailments ranging from migraines, to allergies, to anxiety!

2.  “The Body Ecology Diet” by Donna Gates is a great read. I used these principles to help my husband years back, with much success!

3.“Nutrition and Physical Degeneration” by Weston A. Price is the most fascinating read ever. Written by a dentist on a mission who traveled the world and took photographs of indigenous populations while recording their diets as well. This wise man discovered what physicians are just now reporting the importance of, fat soluble vitamins a, d, and k. This book was a life changer for me, who was a strict vegan at the time of reading!

4.“The Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollen is enough to make you cry. Try watching the documentary “Food Inc” without shedding a tear too. I love his “Food Rules: An Eater’s Dilemma” as well. Nailed it.

5.“Gut and Psychology Syndrome” by Natasha Campbell-McBride is a great read. Similar to the “Whole30” or “The Specific Carbohydrate Diet” with slight differences.

6.“The Beauty Detox” by Kimberly Snyder is a book that intrigues me, mainly from her before and after pictures of herself and clients! My take aways from her books and what I love the most is her “Glowing Green Smoothie”, her “Chickpealess Hummus” and other very creative recipes.

7.“The China Study” by T. Colin Campbell is a great read, especially in support of leaving cow’s milk for baby cows. I believe his studies with rats should have used protein other than casein as well, however the epidemiological studies were eye opening.

8.“Wheat Belly” by William Davis will help any Italian kick their pasta to the curb. Along with…

9.“Grain Brain” by David Permutter, MD which I will say, is any New York Times Best Seller on nutrition is going to make one think.

10.Dr. Mark Hyman has several books that are worth the read. “The Blood Sugar Solution” has kept my pre diabetic friend’s blood sugar stable. He also wrote “The Ten Day Detox Diet” and “Ultra Metabolism” among several others. I read all his books and noticed how his recommendations changed over the years, probably as more research emerged. Which leads me to another point…

Food for thought: as research emerges, recommended diets CHANGE. This has happened all through history. Man/science/people are constantly trying to figure out what works best, and diet fads and trends come and go. BUT, with that being said, I do believe there are a few principles that DO lead people toward better health. Staying away from foods humans were not intended to eat, or MAN MADE foods and/or seeds and/or organisms in general are NOT good for humans. Sticking to a diet with REAL FOOD found in nature works best. This type of food is hard to come by in the United States, which is very very sad (no pun intended). The Standard American Diet, known as SAD, has an ill effect on health.

I will be revealing the food principles I do believe will SURELY promote positive changes in any household in my next blog. Stay tuned!