Whole Foods Lifestyle

In the last few weeks I've had great opportunities talking to people about health and nutrition. Even more tons of people have been telling me they love the blog and are avid followers! It makes me so happy :) Really, I am so thankful to all of our readers. Did everyone take note? Bianca is back in action! Look forward to many more design posts.

I realized through talking with people that there is a need for teaching the full spectrum of whole foods eating. It's such a dramatic change from the SAD (Standard American Diet) that it can seem overwhelming; but with the proper knowledge, you become empowered to take control of your diet. And it's powerful when you do so! The implications of a healthy diet are huge; your body will love you and in the long run you'll reduce your risks of disease significantly!

I have noticed that there is a gap that exists between knowing what is healthy and then actually implementing this knowledge into how you eat everyday. My hope is to one day start up a business to eliminate this gap where I would assist people in grocery shopping and visiting farmer's market so that they are walked through the transition from the SAD diet to a whole foods lifestyle of eating. I actually had the opportunity to do just that today with Michelle! And it was so enjoyable, we had a great time together :)

So for now, I'm using this blog to help people in anyway I can. This post is a sort of run through of the basics of the diet and, by request from Michelle, a list of substitutions to assist in transitioning. Hope this helps!

Whole Foods Lifestyle
The whole foods lifestyle that I go by is based on Genesis 1:29, where God gives His people the command of what to eat, and in its most simple form is basically any and all of the plants He created. Vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts and grains and a large variety of all of them! This diet is so NOT limited! If you are currently healthy I recommend eating about half of your diet or more raw.
Vegetables and fruits are cell-building and provide vitamins, minerals, fiber, amino acids (protein), carbohydrates, fat, water and if consumed raw enzymes! No other food can make this claim!

Vegetables: Eat unlimited amounts of raw vegetables (meaning do not heat them). Cooked vegetables are great and certain starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams, all varieties of winter squash, beets, eggplant, etc are preferred cooked. Salads are going to become your best friend.

Fruits: 3-4 pieces of fresh fruit a day, fruit is cleansing and great for flushing toxins. Dried fruit is great as well, no added sugars of course. Fruit jam made without sugar is fine also. Frozen fruit defrosted and added to oatmeal, cereal or spread on toast is great (Bianca loves this)!

Grains: Brown Rice, Quinoa, Millet, Amaranth, Barley, Buckwheat, Oats, Oat groats, Couscous, Pastas made from whole grains like brown rice or corn/quinoa, Rice Cakes, Popcorn, Puffed Rice Cereal, Puffed Kamut Cereal

Breads: Sprouted Wheat or any other Sprouted Grain Bread

Tortillas: Corn Tortillas, Sprouted Wheat Tortillas, Brown Rice Tortillas

Nuts and Seeds: almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds, the list goes on forever! Preferably always raw-not roasted or toasted. Almond and sunflower seed butter are great alternatives to peanut butter.

Legumes/Beans: lentils, split peas, black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans - any and all are great sources of protein! If you have trouble digesting beans try Eden Organics brand. They are cooked with kombu seaweed which helps increase digestibility.

Dairy is not part of the whole foods lifestyle, sorry :( No cheese, yogurt, milk, ice cream, etc. Here are the substitutions you can make during your transition. Also nice for once in awhile treats :)

Milk Substitutes: Almond Milk, Soy Milk, Rice Milk, Oat Milk, Hemp Milk

Cheese Substitutes: Daiya Cheese, Follow Your Heart Vegan Cheese

Mayonaise: Veganaise, here's the recipe for two flavored ones

Ice cream: Soy Ice Cream, Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Soy products have caused a lot of controversy over the years. The whole foods diet in it's most simple form would only include edamame, soy beans or soy nuts because that is the unprocessed form of soy. Soy products should not be consumed regularly, simply exchanging all of your meat for soy is not the healthiest way to go.

Soy Products: Tofu, Sprouted Tofu, Tempeh, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Soy Milk, Soy Ice Cream, Veggie Burgers, etc.

Sugar is also not a part of the whole foods diet. But God made plenty of other delicious things for those of us with a sweet tooth so don't fret!

Sweeteners: Honey, agave, stevia, dates, molasses, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, cacao powder, carob powder, vanilla bean, raw chocolate, coconut shreds

Seasonings: Be careful with table salt; instead buy Sea Salt, use any and all herbs

Salad Dressings: The best are home-made dressings, here are some recipes: Sweet Italian and Dijon Vinaigrette. Oil and Vinegar is a great option as well, Red Wine, Rice, or Balsamic. Flaxseed oil, Grapeseed oil, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil are healthy oil choices.

See this list is HUGE! I mean, really, your choices for meals are unlimited! Keep bulk foods like grains, legumes, seeds and nuts always stocked up. Shop at the farmer's for your produce weekly and you're all set! Now with this information you should easily be able to navigate through the blog and make all the recipes! ENJOY!

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

Happy eating,
Dani

p.s. any questions? Please ask!