12 Steps to Whole Foods
Foreword 4 12 Steps to Whole Foods © Copyright Robyn Openshaw
Preface You’ve always wanted to eat better, and you know you should. But it seems so daunting! Fast food and convenient processed foods are ubiquitous in the modern world, and our social lives revolve around sugar and trans fats (and tobacco and alcohol, for many). Every day you wake up intending to regain your energy and start losing that 10 pounds—or 100—but the day gets away from you, and you end up eating beef jerky, a Big Gulp with an apple fritter, or a Quarter Pounder instead. Maybe all three, by the time the day is over. What should you eat? Where should you start? What should you buy? You might have a spouse or child who isn’t willing to change with you. You want to get healthier, but you can’t do everything at once—you’re just too busy. And you don’t want to be “extreme,” eating a macrobiotic, all-alkaline, vegan, or all-raw diet. If this is you, have no fear. I was in this position 15 years ago, with my four children being born one after the other, each diagnosed with asthma in their first year, some as early as four months of age. Doctors were not able to help me and provided nothing but prescriptions for steroids and bronchodilators. I went out on my own for answers and have never been back to the doctor for a prescription since. Ironically, it was the father of Western medicine, Hippocrates, who first said, “Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.” I took that ancient advice to heart and have spent thousands of hours culling every nutrition book I could find, comparing and sifting through contradictory theories, trying recipes, and experimenting on my sometimes-wary family. Many hundreds of hours of efforts have certainly paid off big! Since undertaking to eliminate processed foods and using whole, primarily plant foods, no one in my home has had the flu or strep throat—not even me, even though I had it several times a year growing up and every winter as an adult until I changed our diet years ago. I have never seen green snot (a sign of a highly acidic climate in the body, the perfect host for ongoing infection) coming out of my child’s nose in 10 years. My children are all strong, competitive athletes known for not ever asking to be taken out of a game: their oxygen exchange is excellent because they drink no soft drinks, saying “no, thanks” to the cookie and soda offered after games and the “sports drinks” offered during the games (full of dyes, other chemicals, and sugar). We have no degenerative or chronic disease or unexplained health problems. These rewards are more than I ever expected, more than I set out to accomplish—and well worth my time and effort. My original quest was just to find a way out of putting my little children on drugs. However, although that goal was accomplished, so many more blessings have poured into my life as a direct result of © Copyright Robyn Openshaw 12 Steps to Whole Foods 5
- Page 1 and 2: 12 Steps to Whole Foods by Robyn Op
- Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents Table of Contents
- Page 5 and 6: Table of Contents Cabbage Salad Dre
- Page 7 and 8: Table of Contents Kale Recipes . .
- Page 9 and 10: Table of Contents Parmesan Flax Cra
- Page 11 and 12: Table of Contents Nut Milk (3) . .
- Page 13 and 14: About the Author Robyn Openshaw gre
- Page 15 and 16: Now she has 12 Steps to Whole Foods
- Page 17 and 18: The 12 Steps program is a well rese
- Page 19 and 20: Over the years, I have learned a lo
- Page 21 and 22: I knew a “whole-foods diet” was
- Page 23 and 24: Foreword By family physician Denise
- Page 25: Foreword GSG nutrition is compatibl
- Page 29 and 30: Preface If you struggle with your w
- Page 31 and 32: Introduction What Is the Goal of Th
- Page 33 and 34: Introduction Finally, have a basic
- Page 35 and 36: Introduction Nutrition is no differ
- Page 37 and 38: Introduction Keep your talk about n
- Page 39 and 40: Introduction sugary foods for even
- Page 41 and 42: Introduction Don’t I Need to Eat
- Page 43 and 44: Introduction Fourth, I strongly rec
- Page 45 and 46: Introduction Document any “cleans
- Page 47 and 48: Introduction I’ve invited the att
- Page 49 and 50: Introduction business, family—the
- Page 51 and 52: CHAPTER 1 Bye-Bye, Stimulants — H
- Page 53 and 54: Bye-Bye, Stimulants — Hello, Gree
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- Page 75 and 76: CHAPTER 2 Making Salad the Star You
Preface<br />
You’ve always wanted <strong>to</strong> eat better, and you know you should. But it seems so daunting! Fast food and<br />
convenient processed foods are ubiqui<strong>to</strong>us in the modern world, and our social lives revolve around<br />
sugar and trans fats (and <strong>to</strong>bacco and alcohol, for many). Every day you wake up intending <strong>to</strong> regain<br />
your energy and start losing that 10 pounds—or 100—but the day gets away from you, and you end up<br />
eating beef jerky, a Big Gulp with an apple fritter, or a Quarter Pounder instead. Maybe all three, by the<br />
time the day is over.<br />
What should you eat? Where should you start? What should you buy? You might have a spouse or<br />
child who isn’t willing <strong>to</strong> change with you. You want <strong>to</strong> get healthier, but you can’t do everything at<br />
once—you’re just <strong>to</strong>o busy. And you don’t want <strong>to</strong> be “extreme,” eating a macrobiotic, all-alkaline,<br />
vegan, or all-raw diet.<br />
If this is you, have no fear. I was in this position 15 years ago, with my four children being born one<br />
after the other, each diagnosed with asthma in their first year, some as early as four months of age.<br />
Doc<strong>to</strong>rs were not able <strong>to</strong> help me and provided nothing but prescriptions for steroids and<br />
bronchodila<strong>to</strong>rs. I went out on my own for answers and have never been back <strong>to</strong> the doc<strong>to</strong>r for a<br />
prescription since.<br />
Ironically, it was the father of Western medicine, Hippocrates, who first said, “Let your food be your<br />
medicine and your medicine be your food.” I <strong>to</strong>ok that ancient advice <strong>to</strong> heart and have spent<br />
thousands of hours culling every nutrition book I could find, comparing and sifting through<br />
contradic<strong>to</strong>ry theories, trying recipes, and experimenting on my sometimes-wary family.<br />
Many hundreds of hours of efforts have certainly paid off big! Since undertaking <strong>to</strong> eliminate<br />
processed foods and using whole, primarily plant foods, no one in my home has had the flu or strep<br />
throat—not even me, even though I had it several times a year growing up and every winter as an adult<br />
until I changed our diet years ago. I have never seen green snot (a sign of a highly acidic climate in the<br />
body, the perfect host for ongoing infection) coming out of my child’s nose in 10 years.<br />
My children are all strong, competitive athletes known for not ever asking <strong>to</strong> be taken out of a game:<br />
their oxygen exchange is excellent because they drink no soft drinks, saying “no, thanks” <strong>to</strong> the cookie<br />
and soda offered after games and the “sports drinks” offered during the games (full of dyes, other<br />
chemicals, and sugar). We have no degenerative or chronic disease or unexplained health problems.<br />
These rewards are more than I ever expected, more than I set out <strong>to</strong> accomplish—and well worth my<br />
time and effort.<br />
My original quest was just <strong>to</strong> find a way out of putting my little children on drugs. However, although<br />
that goal was accomplished, so many more blessings have poured in<strong>to</strong> my life as a direct result of<br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong> 5