Exactly a year ago I through a Cookbook party to gather tips and advice from my girlie friends and family. I wanted to know what made a perfect cookbook! There were so many opinions and specifics, down to little details about how people liked their tablespoon to be Tbsp instead of T. Or how small descriptions of the recipe was MUCH nicer then a large descriptive right up. Everyone liked a large clear font and they all thought that a background story about me was a must.
I had to add a picture with every recipe. That was my must.
In every cookbook I own I love reading the stories about the authors. If I can connect with them and understand where they are coming from I respect them and their recipes so much more.
I wanted to really express my anguish in my early 20's in this book. I was depressed and miserable and felt as though I didn't belong, I didn't belong in my body, my job, and in every aspect of my life. I wasn't athletic, I was a hard core partier and drinker, and I was totally malnourished. I was doing the best I could, being a parent, but I didn't love myself so it was hard to give others love.
"My life consisted of eating junk food day in and day out. Drinking, smoking and partying on weekends. Not getting enough nutrients in my diet to feel even moderately healthy and my ass and the couch were best friends. I felt like garbage. I was always questioning my life. Why don't I have what "they" have? I was in the 'live life in the now' mentality, not caring about my future. I knew something was missing but I didn't know what it was or where to look.
I was alone and knew I wasn’t where I wanted to be in life. I was very uneducated about health. I ate what I wanted, when I wanted it. If I craved something I would drive to the store to get it. If I saw an advertisement for a restaurant on TV I would go there for dinner. I was overweight and struggling with life. I would often call in sick for work because I was fighting off a cold or a flu, down on myself, or hung over. I made bad choices that would affect others around me. I was jealous of skinny girls. I despised athletic people and I was envious of couples who had found true love. My ailments in my early 20’s were: strep throat 4 times a year (since high school), horrible, heavy, painful menstrual cycles, digestion problems like bloating and heart burn, anemia (I was always tired), constant headaches, acne, allergies to grass, pollen, penicillin, and hay (I took allergy medication all summer long), I had no energy, I had bad knee and hip problems from being pigeon toed all my life, I had bad lower intestinal cramping, I got a cold and/or flu often, I had trouble sleeping which made me hate mornings, I was overweight, took Advil or Tylenol almost daily, and I was very self-conscious because of my skin.
I thought because I could do what I wanted, that I had control over my life. Now I clearly see that consumerism and marketing was controlling my life. I have gone from being a fast food junkie, to someone who hasn't eaten any processed food in the past three years, and I couldn't be more happy and proud of my accomplishments. My husband, Tod, was my inspiration. He had a glow that I had always longed for. He was conscious and healthy. I stood up one day and said that I wanted to feel great, I wanted to have a healthy body, and I wanted that glow. I wanted to stop getting sick all the time. I wanted energy, and most of all I wanted more out of this life, my unsatisfied rut. So I grabbed life by the “you know what” and I went for it. I haven't looked back. All I did was take baby steps with food and my life changed." - from Chapter One, The Journey
I share my real health story and it comes from the heart. I want you to know the truth. Even I am amazed at how far I have come and how many ailments I have reversed, all due to a lifestyle change,
This book is so much more than a cookbook. It has so many tips on how to transition into a healthy lifestyle. All of the recipes I added are the ones that I created because I couldn't find this kind of food in cookbooks on shelves. I had to create everything from scratch. As I made the recipes over and over again I knew I had mastered them and just HAD to add them to my blog, and then to this book.
The book has 6 chapters. The recipes catagories are:
- Drinks
- Brunch
- Main Course
- Desserts
- Snacks
There are just over 45 recipes in total. Each recipe does not contain any gluten, dairy, or refined sugar. I use whole foods and cook with love. Other topics I cover are; how to shop healthy, foods that have super powers, pregnant shopper, sticking to the budget, the good, the bad and the ugly (food), holiday craziness, feeding our o-natural baby, and how to sprout buckwheat at home (I had to add this in there since I think buckwheat is so amazing).
I hope all of you get your hands on a copy of this book. Borrow it from a friend or buy a copy! I have put a solid year into this book; writing and taking pictures, recording recipes, editing photos, taking new pictures and perfecting recipes, taking out and adding chapters, sending it off to the publishers, then editing the book again, and then finally getting it printed.
I feel like I have shared so much great info on how to really start a great health journey. And if you have already started I know it will help you continue!
Thank you so much for your likes, comments, shares and love! I love you back! ♥
I wish I had this book in my early 20's.
