12 Steps to Whole Foods

Foreword
By family physician Denise Punger, M.D.
Robyn Openshaw’s 12 Steps to Whole Foods is like having a personal nutrition coach in the kitchen
with me, guiding me towards better health.
Prior to finding GreenSmoothieGirl.com, my own eating habits were not a main concern. My mind
was on a busy medical practice. My husband, also a family physician, took on the responsibility of
picking up our groceries and take-out food. Before marriage, I was in school many years, depending on
dormitory meal plans and hospital cafeterias.
Holidays were a time for home-cooked meals by our families, who were glad to contribute something
to our insanely busy medical school lifestyle. Meals were always provided for me and very welcomed.
Besides my reckless eating patterns, preparing meals in the kitchen as I became a young mother was
intimidating. I didn’t know where to start. I never had to do it before. Good nutrition was barely a
thought, let alone a priority. Like most people, for me, it was all about taste and convenience.
In the months leading up to my wake-up call to feed my body right, I was always hungry despite
always eating. I couldn’t figure out why I never felt satiated. I was 40 pounds heavier than I am now,
and my skin often broke out. I had an irritating cough that disrupted work and time with patients. I
often had headaches. I didn’t represent the preventative health message that I wanted to give.
Like most Americans, I read labels and believed the “heart healthy” and “low fat” claims often made
on them, yet I was also confused by the labels. Finally, like a wake-up call, blood testing revealed that
I had some food sensitivities.
After a few months of feeling deprived while coping with my intolerances, I found
GreenSmoothieGirl.com. GSG changed my approach radically. As I became engrossed in Robyn’s
blog and videos, I became excited about all the new meal possibilities. “Good nutrition” once seemed
like a tasteless curse, but was now looking like an exciting adventure.
I had once wondered if I would live the rest of my life on the defensive side of food. But with all the
new recipes ideas and diverse ingredients to experiment with, I became empowered.
Once I found it, I read and reread Robyn’s blog and Web site to glean everything from it I could. I love
making green smoothies. When my ordinary blender burned out, I ordered the Blendtec Total Blender
Robyn recommends through GreenSmoothieGirl.com and finally received her 12 Steps to Whole
Foods program free when I purchased the blender.
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw 12 Steps to Whole Foods 1